Chapter 2

Blood continued to seep from my cut palm after the elder released my hand. The seven crescent marks on my wrist blazed bright and unyielding, like a glowing countdown etched permanently into my skin.

The hall went dead silent. The crowd that had been whispering and stirring things up moments ago all averted their eyes.

I heard Lila softly call Caleb's name, but he didn't respond.

I tugged my sleeve down to hide my wrist. My legs were shaky as I stepped down from the Moon Goddess's altar.

My mom caught me, helping me stay upright. I didn't look back at Caleb. I couldn't bear to look at him again for the rest of the night.

Caleb's eyes were glued to my wrist.

This time, he didn't say a word.

After the severance ritual, my mom pulled me away without a word.

Caleb hurried after me.

"Evelyn," he called out.

I stopped and turned around. "What is it?"

He probably didn't expect me to be so calm.

After a few seconds, he finally said, "You don't have to sever the bond."

I looked at him. "Why not?"

"I'm only rejecting the mate bond."

"So what now?"

"We can still be like we used to."

I didn't get it. "Like what?"

Caleb frowned. "We've known each other since we were kids. If you ever need anything, you can still reach out to me. We can still train together. Just because I'm with Lila doesn't mean I'll stop caring about you."

I stared at him for a long moment, and finally, it clicked.

To Caleb, being with Lila and keeping me in his life didn't seem to clash at all.

Lila would become Luna. And I'd still be Evelyn.

If I needed anything, I could still go to him. If I wanted to train, he'd still be there like always.

He didn't even see anything wrong with that.

"Caleb," I said.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I don't need a brother."

His face fell. "You're just mad right now."

"Maybe." I glanced down at my wrist, where the seven crescent marks were still glowing. "But in seven days, I guess I won't care anymore."

Lila stood behind him.

She heard me, and her expression soured.

Caleb's brows furrowed. "Do you really have to make this so difficult?" he asked.

Suddenly, I couldn't be bothered to argue.

"Weren't you the one who rejected me first?" I said.

He opened his mouth to respond but ended up staying silent.

I turned and left the hall with my parents.

*****

That night, I barely slept.

I didn't cry much, but sharp bouts of chest pain kept jolting me awake every time I shifted in bed.

My mind had already accepted the truth that everything was over, but my body still hadn't caught up with the reality of it.

At three in the morning, when I got up for some water, the first crescent on my wrist was already fading.

I stared at it for a long time.

I had always thought seven days was a short amount of time, but in that moment, it felt like the perfect length to let everything fall away.

The next morning, I took off the wolf fang necklace. I wrapped the chain around my fingers twice and almost tossed it carelessly into a random drawer. But in the end, I chose to place it gently inside an old wooden box.

My mom stood in the doorway and watched me without saying a word. She simply set my breakfast on the table and left me alone with my thoughts.

Once she was gone, a question hit me that I had never stopped to ask before. What did I actually want for my future if Caleb was no longer a part of it?

I'd never considered that question before. Now that it was staring me in the face, it actually made me feel a little lighter.

When I woke up the next morning, the first crescent mark was already gone.

My chest wasn't aching like it did last night.

My dad was downstairs, ranting about Caleb, and my mom told him to keep it down.

"The more you bring it up, the worse Evelyn feels," she said.

I sat down with my coffee. "It's fine."

My dad shot me a look, clearly not buying it.

Honestly, I couldn't tell if I was really upset or not.

Last night, just thinking about Caleb and Lila made it hard to breathe.

Today, it still stung, but it didn't hit as close anymore.

That whole thing was slowly slipping away from me.

After breakfast, I went back to my room to sort through my emails.

The top message was an old job invitation from the Whitepeak Pack, which was sent three months prior.

Whitepeak Pack was one of the most prominent packs in Northridge.

Last winter, when the avalanche hit, I went there with the medical team.

After it was over, their supervisor asked if I wanted to stay.

I turned them down back then.

Whitepeak Pack was too far from Silvermoon Valley, requiring over a full day of travel to reach.

Back then, I never really thought about leaving.

Caleb was going to be the Alpha of Silvermoon Pack one day, and I had always assumed I would stay in Silvermoon Valley and build my life here alongside him.

Honestly, I never asked myself why I wanted to stay.

I reopened the old email and hesitated for several minutes before typing out a reply. [I'll take the position if it's still available.]

Fifteen minutes later, they wrote back: [It's still available.]

They said they could send someone to pick me up in a week.

I tapped confirm.

A follow-up email arrived right after with full job details. I would work rotating shifts in the treatment center, join winter patrols as an on-site medic, and receive a private dorm reserved for new pack healers.

The message ended with a simple question asking if I needed any special accommodations before my arrival.

I stared at the screen for a long time, remembering my winter at Whitepeak Pack. Their treatment center stayed bright and busy late every night, with snow-covered boots stacked outside the doors.

No one there cared about my name or who I had grown up with. They only pushed injured wolves toward me and handed me cases to treat.

For the first time, I realized I was not craving a new place to live. I was craving that sense of purpose and independence.

After I shut my laptop, Caleb's call came through.

"Come over to my place tonight," he said.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Lila's moving in."

I didn't say anything.

Caleb always kept a room for me at his place.

I had slept there countless times as a kid, leaving behind books, spare clothes, a small first-aid kit, and various other personal items.

He had never cleared any of it out.

"You can throw all my stuff away," I told him.

He went quiet for a few seconds. "Everything?"

"Yes."

"What about the wolf fang?"

I glanced down. The wolf fang necklace Caleb gave me for my birthday last year was still hanging around my neck.

"It's with me right now," I replied.

"Evelyn," he said.

"What?"

"Are you still mad at me?"

I paused, thinking it over. "A little," I admitted.

He actually breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it. Let's talk when you've calmed down."

I looked down at my wrist, where only six crescent marks remained glowing. "Alright."

I would calm down in the coming days, just not in the way he hoped I would.