The night I discovered my mate with another, the moon was almost full, bathing the forest in silver light.
Ethan, my mate of seven years, had taken Vanessa—his supposed “pack sister”—to the secluded cabins near the river, the same cabins where rogue activity had been reported.
I followed their scent trail and arrived just as the patrols from the pack’s enforcement team burst in, catching them both in a compromising position.
When I entered the station to retrieve him, Ethan sat protectively close to Vanessa. His arm rested on her shoulders, his voice low and soothing as she clutched his shirt, her tears soaking through the fabric.
“She was scared of the rogues lurking nearby, Lila,” he explained, hickeys blooming along his neck—a damning reminder of his betrayal. “I stayed to protect her.”
Before, I might’ve let my wolf take over, howling my rage and demanding answers. But tonight, something in me snapped. Not a feral fury, but a cold, quiet resolve.
I signed the release papers without a word, and when the enforcer on duty asked, “Pack?” I shook my head.
“Just neighbors,” I said, voice empty.
As we left the station, Vanessa, still sniffling, climbed into my car’s passenger seat uninvited. The sour stench of her fake tears mingled with Ethan’s musk, igniting my wolf’s instinct to fight. But I ruined her.
Just as I gripped the wheel, Vanessa reached out, her delicate fingers brushing my arm.
“I’m sorry, Lila,” she said softly, though her tone carried no real remorse. She turned toward Ethan, eyes glistening with crocodile tears. “I’m just so shaken. I can’t ride with someone else driving.”
I peeled her hand off me, my voice sharp. “Then get out.”
The car fell into a charged silence. From the backseat, Ethan’s voice sliced through the tension.
“Lila, must you always be so cold? You know what she’s been through with her brother. Show some compassion.”
Without waiting for my response, he climbed out and stalked to my door. His hand gripped the handle, and when he yanked it open, the force rattled the entire car. The icy wind surged in, and I shivered despite myself.
“Move,” he ordered, his voice rougher than I’d ever heard it.
For a moment, I stayed frozen, staring up at him. This wasn’t the calm, steady mate I thought I knew. This was someone who didn’t hesitate to defend another she-wolf while casting me aside.
When he unbuckled my seat belt and pulled me from the car, the bond we shared—the tether that tied our souls—strained to the breaking point.
I stumbled, catching myself against the icy gravel. He didn’t even look at me as he slid into the driver’s seat and leaned toward Vanessa. His hand brushed her hair in a way that made my wolf growl inside me.
“Hush, I’ll take you home,” he murmured, his tone so tender it made my stomach churn.
Vanessa smiled, smug and victorious, and clung to his arm like a leech. “Oh, Ethan, you’re too good to me.”
Before he sped off, Ethan spared me one parting line. “You’re a grown wolf. Find your own way back.”
I watched them disappear into the night, Vanessa’s head resting on his shoulder as the car turned the corner.
My wolf clawed at me, desperate to chase them, to howl out our pain. But I held her back, letting the tether between Ethan and me unravel, strand by strand.
Just then, my phone buzzed. My mother’s name lit up the screen. I answered with stiff fingers.
“Lila, darling,” her voice was smooth, practiced, like she’d rehearsed this conversation. “Have you thought about the proposal? Alpha Connor Blake is still waiting for your answer.”
My chest tightened. Connor. The Alpha of the neighboring pack. Tall, powerful, with a reputation for fairness and strength—and someone I barely knew beyond whispered stories.
I swallowed hard, but the lump in my throat refused to budge.
“Why does he care?” The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care.
My mother sighed on the other end, a familiar sound that scraped against my nerves. “You’re finally coming to your senses. Your father will be so pleased.”
Her words landed like stones, heavy and unavoidable. I looked around the small room I called home, the walls closing in as though they could feel my indecision.
“Come home, sweetheart. It’s time to start over,” My mother sighed but her tone sounds soft, almost pleading.
I gritted my teeth, my grip on the phone tightening. Start over? Did she think it was that simple? That I could just forget everything—forget how I’d been pushed aside, treated like a pawn?
“I’ll think about it,” I said finally, the words bitter in my mouth.
“Good,” she replied, her relief almost palpable. “Connor is a good man, Lila. He’ll take care of you. Trust me.”
The line went dead before I could respond, leaving me in a silence that felt heavier than before.
I stared at the phone, my reflection in the dark screen looking back at me. My mother’s voice echoed in my mind, but it was drowned out by my own.
I looked up at the moon, now high in the sky. I had run from my pack and my family, chasing the idea of freedom and love. For seven years, I’d stood by Ethan, believing he was my forever.
But the truth was undeniable now. The mate bond had been a lie, and love wasn’t enough.
By the time I got back to the cabin we once shared, Ethan had returned.
He walked in to find me packing, my clothes spilling from the wardrobe and into hastily stuffed bags. His brow furrowed in confusion.
“Why are you packing?” he asked. “Are you mad about it earlier?”
I didn’t bother to look at him. “Decluttering,” I said flatly, the scent of Vanessa’s perfume still clinging to him.
My wolf stirred, not in anger, but with the clarity of a predator finally deciding to leave a hunt behind.
This time, I wouldn’t stay.
