"Don't bother. I don't want a bonding ceremony with you."
For the six years we were together, I had always given him his freedom.
When he wanted to drink, I accompanied him in silence, never rushing him.
If my presence was an inconvenience, I'd wait for his mind-link and pick him up without a word of complaint.
When he was drunk, I always tended to him with patience and care.
When he wanted to travel with his friends, chasing thrills and turning nights into reckless adventures, I would plan their trips, buy their teleportation talismans, and map out their routes.
I even refused when he offered to let me see his communication crystal.
I loved him, but I feared my noble bloodline would become a cage, so I never tried to control him. I was determined not to repeat my mother's mistakes, who had pushed my father away with her suffocating expectations.
I believed I had managed our relationship perfectly, keeping the rhythm steady and harmonious.
Before I learned of his betrayal, it felt like we were still in the first blush of love. His desire for me was endless, his craving for my body never waned.
But now I realized—he loved me, but he also loved the thrill of the chase. He loved the attention of every she-wolf. He loved temptation itself.
Was that why he resisted the finality of the mate bond? To indulge in a new kind of thrill?
Our eyes met, but there was no love in his. The questions burning on my tongue were swallowed, leaving only silence.
Caleb's brow furrowed under my gaze.
He snatched a string of moonstones from his friend's hand and thrust them at me. "Here. Take this as a gift. Just take it and go, alright?"
In his eyes, I was still the naive girl who would be satisfied with the smallest token. He never stopped to think that I was the Moon's Favored Daughter of the Silvermoon Clan, a woman who had seen the world.
My joy was never about the gifts—it was because I loved him.
He couldn't comprehend that I might actually mean it when I said I didn't want him.
I handed the moonstones back to his friend.
"These are for your new girlfriend, Chloe. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to accept them. I gave my blood willingly. You don't have to force yourself to complete the ceremony."
For a moment, Caleb's expression faltered. A flicker of panic crossed his face. "Eve... Chloe and I... there's nothing between us. I still love you."
I smiled faintly. "Fine. You go take care of my dear cousin. I'll handle my own discharge. Go on. Don't let me keep you."
My words stung him like claws. He stiffened, then turned his head, trying to hide his discomfort.
His friends wasted no time linking their arms with his and dragging him away.
"Come on, Caleb, Chloe's waiting. She nearly died for you—not like someone who donates a little blood and suddenly thinks she's owed a bonding ceremony. She might get jealous if you don't get back soon. Oh, and we've got a few new she-wolves lined up for you later!"
"Eve's just playing games. She'll come crawling back. They always do. You're too soft on her, man."
Their words should have hurt, but I felt nothing.
Only a cold numbness, as if I were standing on the frozen tundra of the wolf lands, never to feel warmth again.
After Caleb left, I called the only maid I trusted in the Blackstone Pack to help me pack.
The ceremonial gown, the memory crystals, and the engagement tokens disappeared one by one. With them went the fragile dream of a shared future, stripped bare to its ugly truth.
Most importantly, I had her remove the ceremonial mate-mark on Caleb's shoulder—the one meant only for me, the one he claimed had vanished with his "injury."
The maid hesitated, looking at the empty room, now devoid of any ceremonial air.
"Princess Eve, these were all for the bonding ceremony. Are you really giving it all up?"
"Yes," I replied, my voice calm and detached. "The groom is a stranger to me now. It's all useless."
Her hands trembled at my words. Not daring to say more, she carefully disposed of all the tokens and the Blackstone Pack's engagement ring.
When the room was empty, I stood at the door with my suitcase. I looked at the once-familiar entrance and erased all traces of my aura from the wards of our home.
From this moment on, this was no longer my home.
