Chapter 1

Elena.

“You’re being paranoid, Elena.”

“I asked you a simple question, Ronan. Am I coming to the Alpha’s Ball tonight, or not?”

“Pack business is keeping me late. Why does it matter so much?”

“Because you can’t even look at me anymore, let alone feel me through the bond.”

“I have a hundred things on my plate. I don’t have the energy to manage your feelings either.”

“Manage my feelings?” My stomach dropped. “That’s what I am to you now?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“That’s exactly what you said.”

“I’m leaving. Figure out your shit, Elena.” He grabbed his keys and walked out, and I felt our bond weaken, my wolf whimpering in pain inside me.

That was the last full sentence Ronan said to me, four days ago, right before he stopped talking to me altogether, before he started shutting the bond down so hard some mornings I couldn’t feel him at all.

It was almost midnight when I opened a news site out of habit, scrolling without really seeing anything. Then his name stopped me cold.

Alpha Ashford Spotted with Mystery Woman — Is This the End of His Bond?

The article mentioned the last Alpha ball, him with a younger woman, and “growing questions about the state of his bond.” At the bottom was a link to his Instagram post. I clicked it without thinking. The picture it directed me to made my heart stop.

Ronan stood in the middle of a ballroom, light catching the side of his face. Vivian Cole, daughter of an allied pack’s Beta, was pressed against his arm, her hand curled just above his elbow, her head tipped toward him, smiling straight at the camera.

The caption was nothing more than a string of champagne emojis and a single word: Later.

The comments were already stacking up, heart eyes, fire, winks from wolves we both knew, packmates who had stood at our bonding ceremony three years ago.

Someone had commented under the photo. ‘New Luna, Alpha Ashford?’ A winking face followed.

Ronan had replied with a winking emoji.

My thumb hovered, shaking, over the screen. I read it again, certain I was wrong, praying I was wrong.

Vivian had replied with a laughing emoji, then a winking emoji.

Someone had tagged me directly in the comments. ‘Does his mate know?’ A row of laughing emojis followed it, and beneath that, forty more replies I couldn’t make myself read.

My phone nearly slipped as tears welled up in my eyes. I crushed it against my chest instead, my heart hammering loudly against my ribs, my wolf howling lowly. He took her to the Ball, not me. He chose her over me again, in front of every pack.

I wanted to call and scream every question I’d swallowed for months. I wanted to hit him and cuss him out, but I did neither, it wasn’t going to change anything. I sat on the edge of the bed until the screen went black.

My eyes landed on the photo frame on my nightstand, the one from our bonding ceremony, Ronan’s hand pressed over my heart, both of us laughing at something the photographer had said a second before the picture was taken.

I used to keep it there because it reminded me why I’d said yes. I picked it up, turning it over in my hands. The anniversary runs he kept canceling, my birthday he missed because a territory dispute took long.

Every small apology I accepted because patience was supposed to be love, because a mate bond was supposed to mean he felt every part of what I felt too. This had never been about patience. I had been waiting for a mate who was never coming home, whose wolf had stopped reaching for mine.

I set the frame face down on the nightstand and turned over, crying into the pillow until my head ached. By the time the sun rose, I had already made my decision. My chest still hurt, but for the first time since I accepted Ronan’s mark, I was choosing myself.

I waited until I heard the front door shut behind him before I picked up the phone.

“Hey.” Nora said, half a yawn in her voice. “Everything okay? You never call this early.”

“I need a real estate agent.” I said. “Someone good and fast. I need a place, far away from here. Could be the human side of town.”

“A real estate agent? Why? Elena, what happened?” Her voice sharpened instantly, sleep gone from it.

“I need a place. My own place.”

“Your own den?” She paused for a second. “Elena, are you leaving him?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” I heard her exhale slowly. “Okay, I know a guy, fully human, no pack ties. I’ll text you his number in five minutes.” She hesitated. “Elena. Talk to me. What did he do? Did he hurt you?”

“He posted a photo last night.” I said, voice tight. “With Vivian. Check his page if you want, or wait, I’m sending it to you right now.”

“The Beta’s daughter? That bitch? Holy shit. What the hell is this picture? And why did he post it knowing the whole pack could see?”

“Yes. The comments were already asking if she’s his new Luna, and he winked, Nora. He didn’t even bother denying it.”

Nora’s voice cracked up. “First of all, I’m sorry you saw that. And secondly, what the fuck is wrong with him? What is he even trying to do? Humiliate you in front of every pack? Absolute piece of shit. I knew I should have cussed him out the last time.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m coming over.” She said.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know. I’m doing it anyway.” She paused. “Elena. Are you actually leaving him? Breaking the bond?”

“I’m going to. I just have to do it carefully, so he doesn’t feel it coming before I’m ready.”

“Jesus. Good. It was about time.” She said coldly. “What about the pack? His mother? You know Margot’s going to lose her mind.”

“Let her.”

“She’ll call you a million times before lunch and call you a disgrace for even thinking about it.”

“I don’t care anymore.”

“And Ronan? That arrogant bastard won’t sign anything quietly. He’d rather burn the whole territory down than let anyone think his perfect mating failed because of him.”

“Then he can burn it. I’m still leaving.”

Nora’s voice softened. “Okay. Sending you the agent’s number now, and I’m bringing coffee.” She paused again. “Are you sure about this, Elena? Once you end a mate bond, there’s no going back, and I know you loved him, Elena.”

“I’m sure.”

We hung up. She was right, I did love Ronan, but I know love isn’t enough to hold a bond together when only one wolf is still trying.

I sat in the morning light, watching the sun rise, lighter than I had been in months, the ache under my ribs dulling for the first time in days. For the first time since I accepted his mark, I felt something close to peace.

There was one more thing I had to do. I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

“Luna?”