Everyone turned to look at me as I returned to the pack’s retreat, their judgment hitting like a slap. Tristan, my oh-so-perfect mate, left me in one corner. Nice. Selene, of course, was glued to his side, looking me up and down like I was something she scraped off her designer boots. I caught Tristan leaning in, his voice low but not low enough.
“I don’t feel bad for her,” Tristan hushed to Selene. What an annoyance? And why not say it loud since I could hear it all clearly? “I just want her to know she’s nothing without me. Like, worse than a stray,” he explained.
Ouch. Worse than a stray… That’s really something from my dear Alpha mate, right?
Not like I didn’t already know that was Tristan’s vibe. Still, what he said stung, though. The pack’s eyes burned into me, waiting for me to break as most of them heard Tristan’s words as well. But, joke’s on them—I was way past breaking. Numb. That’s what I’d turned to. Just… numb.
I waved down a pack servant and asked for a drink. Then I flopped down on a worn-out couch in the corner and just… watched. Watched people laugh, watched Tristan glow in the attention. Watched Selene cling to him like a limpet. Pathetic, I watched the whole lot of it.
Then… my phone buzzed. Cherry. The one person who hadn’t given up on me. Excitedly, I answered.
“I found some packs willing to take you,” Cherry happily informed me. “You can meet their Alphas soon.”
“And be interviewed by those Alphas first?” I humorly asked. I need to pacify myself for all misfortune I am seeing at the moment. How I hate everything in my life being with Tristan. “What would be my application process? Interview by all of them and then who would choose me first will be my next Alpha?”
“Yeah…” Cherry chuckled. “Could be. And it’s understandable, Em, as they are wary of werewolves leaving another pack. No matter how pretty you are, they need to know you better aside from what I already told them.”
Before I could agree, a hand clamped down on my shoulder. It was Tristan. “Who are you talking to?” His eyes squinted. “What interview are you saying? What pack are you sniffing around? Wanna flirt with other Alphas? Remember you are my mate, Ember!”
“Really?” I shrugged his hand off me like he was no big deal. “And what’s your problem, Tristan? I’m just applying as a telemarketer for other packs,” I lied. Smooth. “I need to be an independent woman. Remember when you said that I was only living in your house?”
Tristan’s face relaxed, all smug now. “Telemarketer for another pack? Bet that no one else would take you.” He gave me that fake, condescending smile. “Go home, Ember. And make sure my coat’s clean when I get back.”
I grabbed his coat from my shoulders and tossed it onto the floor. No thanks. Selene tilted her head at me, like waiting to see Tristan be angry and humiliate me.
“Tristan, you should walk Ember out,” Selene purred, all fake sweetness while staring at me. “She’s… tired.”
I smirked at her before Tristan pulled me to follow. And I should’ve known something was coming… Sure enough, before I make another step forward, Selene stuck her foot out, and I went into a thorn bush of roses.
“Ember!” Tristan reached for me. For a second—one stupid second—I thought he actually cared.
But… Selene gasped like she’d just been stabbed, and Tristan spun around to check on her instead and let me face-down in the thorns. I looked at them and Tristan dusted off Selene’s shoes. Her shoes! Those pairs of Selene’s shoes were more important than me!
“Are you okay?” Tristan asked me, like it was an afterthought when he saw my hand and legs bleeding because of the roses’ thorns. “Want me to take you to the healer?”
Before I could answer, Selene fake-sobbed. “Tristan, it’s our Moonlight Anniversary! You promised you’d spend the whole night with me, right?”
Tristan froze. He was caught between Selene and I.
I made it easy for him. “I’m good, Tristan. Go be the Alpha or whatever you are for the pack and Selene.”
“I’ll bring you those moon tarts you like later,” Tristan actually looked relieved stating those words. Which was hilarious, because moon tarts were Selene’s favorite, not mine.
“Sure, Tristan. Whatever.” I dragged myself out of the banquet and went straight to the pack’s healer, and the whole time the doctor was pulling thorns out of my skin, I kept thinking, ‘This is it!’ Every thorn pulled felt like ripping out another piece of my stupid, wasted love for Tristan. By the time the doctor’s done, so was I.
The next morning, Trsitan called. Yeah, a call. “Why didn’t you answer my texts?” he snapped.
“You blocked me. You forgot?” I shot back.
Awkward silence from his side. Then, “I’m coming back in half an hour. I’ve got moon tarts and a new engagement ring. I know I’ve been... distant. It won’t happen again, Ember.”
I checked the clock. His lies were right on schedule. “There won’t be a next time, Tris—”
He’d already hung up. Great.
I smiled bitterly for I still had three hours and that’s more than enough. I cracked open Tristan’s laptop. Password? Selene’s birthday. Of course. And wow—everything I needed was right there. Messages. Photos. Evidence. Receipts, baby.
I sent it all to the pack. Every dirty secret. Every betrayal. Then I smashed the laptop for good measure, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out. By the time I got to the airport, my phone was blowing up. Calls from Tristan. Texts from pack members. All in all, I didn’t care.
I was done being the one left behind.
New pack. New life. New me.
I swore to myself: No more sacrifices. No more waiting. I choose me.
