Hours later, I found myself standing outside the Alpha's private quarters, my hand trembling as I reached for the doorknob. The image of Alex shifting and running out of our ceremony played on repeat in my mind. I needed answers—needed to understand how ten years of loyalty could be discarded so easily.
I pushed open the door without knocking.
The sight before me stole my breath.
Skye twirled in front of the full-length mirror, wearing my Luna ceremonial robes—the ones I was supposed to change into for the reception. The sacred garments, custom-embroidered with silver thread and moonstone beads, draped over her petite frame. They were mine. Sacred. Blessed by the Moon Goddess for me.
"Look how beautiful I feel," she sighed, her fingers tracing the intricate stitching on the sleeves—the same stitching I'd spent hours admiring earlier today.
Alex lounged on our bed—our bed—watching her with a soft, mesmerized expression. His eyes followed her movements with an intensity he hadn't shown me in years.
"What is this?" My voice came out steadier than I felt.
They both turned toward me, Skye's eyes widening in practiced innocence.
"Bella!" she gasped, spinning around so the robes flared dramatically. "You shouldn't be here. You're supposed to be at your ceremony."
"I know these are my robes," I said, stepping into the room. "The ones blessed for me by the Moon Goddess."
Alex sat up, his expression hardening. "They're just robes, Bella."
"Just robes?" I echoed, disbelief coloring my voice. "They're sacred. Blessed for the Luna of this pack."
Skye's face crumpled, tears instantly springing to her eyes. "I just wanted to feel beautiful and strong like Bella for once," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "I'm dying, remember? I just wanted one moment of happiness before I go."
Her performance was flawless—the trembling lip, the glistening tears that never quite fell. I'd seen it before, but never had it been directed at me so blatantly.
"Skye," I said firmly, "those robes aren't yours to wear."
Alex was off the bed in an instant, stepping between us. His growl reverberated through the room as he positioned himself protectively in front of Skye.
"How dare you?" he snarled, his eyes flashing amber. "How dare you bully her when she's already suffering?"
"Alex," I whispered, "you left our ceremony for this."
"You're being a jealous, possessive bully," he spat, his voice rising. "Can't you see she's dying? Grudge her one moment of happiness?"
I stared at him, truly seeing him for the first time. This wasn't the man I'd loved for a decade. This was someone else entirely—someone lost to his own savior complex.
---
I retreated to the guest room, refusing to sleep in our shared bed. My hands moved mechanically as I packed a single bag—warm clothes, my medications, the prenatal vitamins I'd been hiding.
My wolf whimpered inside me, confused by our mate's betrayal. *He's not our mate anymore*, I told her firmly.
I sat at the small desk, pen hovering over paper as I drafted a letter to Elena and Marcus, Alex's parents.
*Dear Alpha and Luna Diaz,*
*I apologize for leaving without proper notice, but I cannot raise a child in a house where the Omega rules the Alpha...*
My hand stilled. No. They would try to stop me. They would tell me to stay, to fight for my position. And if they knew about the baby...
I crumpled the letter and watched it burn in the small fireplace until nothing remained but ash.
Some things were better left unsaid.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pregnancy test I'd taken three weeks ago—the one Alex had never noticed. Two pink lines stared back at me, a reminder of what was at stake.
"We don't need him," I whispered to my unborn pup, tucking the test safely away. "We'll be fine on our own."
As I zipped my bag closed, a strange calm settled over me. The mate bond still pulled at my chest, but I could feel it weakening with each passing hour.
By morning, I would be gone—a rogue with nothing but a bag and a secret growing inside me.
But first, I had one more night to say goodbye to the life I'd built here.
