Chapter 1: I'm Done With Him
"Evelyn, are you absolutely sure about this? You want to sever your Mate Bond with Alpha Daniel?"
Grace stared at me with those concerned eyes. The same eyes that had witnessed my wedding three years ago.
Three years. That's how long I'd been Luna of the Crimson Pack. And now? Now I was here asking her to help me disappear.
My heart pounded. My palms were sweating.
"From what I know, you two share something special. Are you certain?"
I fell silent.
Daniel and I? We'd been everything to each other once. Childhood friends. Training partners. College sweethearts. Our lives were so intertwined I couldn't remember a time without him.
I'd believed we'd be happy forever.
Everyone believed it.
Even when I traveled back to Silver Moon Pack for business, Daniel would get anxious. He couldn't stand being apart from me.
That's why it hurt so damn much when I found out.
He cheated.
How was that even possible?
My phone screen burned into my retinas. Amy's social media post. The photo of them together in Morocco—so close, so intimate. Her caption read: "Last day in Morocco, making romantic memories with my beloved."
Morocco.
That word crushed my chest.
I'd begged Daniel for years to take me there. Our dream honeymoon destination. My dream.
"I'm so sorry, E. You know how busy I've been. I promise I'll make it up to you with the perfect honeymoon someday."
I'd believed him. I'd shouldered his responsibilities. I'd waited.
And he'd taken her instead.
The girl I'd supported for five years. The orphan I'd treated like a sister. The student whose tuition I'd paid.
He'd taken her to our dream destination.
My dream. Not hers. Mine.
I lifted my head and met Grace's gaze.
"Yes. I'm certain."
Grace's expression grew solemn. "Breaking a Mate Bond without the other's knowledge is dangerous, Evelyn. Once severed, no one—not Daniel, not anyone in Crimson Pack—can trace you. But if the ceremony fails..."
She paused.
"It could cost you your life. Do you still choose to proceed?"
That photo flashed in my mind again. Daniel and Amy. Together.
I didn't hesitate.
"Yes, Grace. I want the Mate Bond gone. Whatever the cost."
She sighed and pulled me into an embrace.
"I'll help you. The ritual requires preparation. Come back in one month."
"Thank you," I whispered. Tears pricked my eyes but refused to fall.
"This stays between us," I said firmly. "No one can know."
Her arms tightened around me.
"You have my promise, Evelyn. I've never refused you before."
I couldn't sleep that night.
Daniel came home in the early morning hours. He slipped into bed behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist. His hardness pressed against my back.
"E... I missed you. Let me in. Let me feel you. Right now."
I jerked awake.
Not because of his desire. Because of the scent.
Amy's pheromones clung to him like a second skin.
Ice flooded my veins.
How dare he?
How dare he come to me, seeking comfort, after leaving another woman's bed?
His hand slid up my thigh with purpose. Every muscle in my body tensed.
"Stop, Daniel!"
But he didn't care. His lips found my neck, planting insistent kisses. It was his old trick.
"I'm sorry, E. I shouldn't have left on Christmas. You know pack affairs demand me. I just want to give you a better life."
He leaned in to kiss me.
I pulled back, staring into those blue eyes.
I'd once seen nothing but love in them. Now? I couldn't trust a single word.
How long had this been going on?
My lips twitched. "Daniel, do you really love me?"
Shock flickered across his face.
"Of course I love you, Evelyn. You're my only mate. Why would you even ask?"
He pulled me into his arms, his embrace tight.
"E, what's wrong? Have I done something to make you feel less loved?"
The mask was perfect.
Just like the past three years.
Everything felt unbearably dull. How absurd—asking a cheating man if he loved me.
But the truth was, the moment I saw those photos, none of it mattered anymore.
I turned my back to him.
"I'm tired, Daniel. The Lunar Festival is tomorrow. We both need rest."
I heard him tossing behind me. Was it my cold attitude keeping him up? Or was he lonely without Amy?
