Unexpected Love: Leaving My Toxic Boyfriend For Good

"Congratulations, you have been accepted into the Royal Guard Academy. Training begins in one month. See you in Silvercrest."

I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly. My mind drifted to my Pack’s graduation ceremony.

Instead of standing beside me, cheering me on, my mate, Kian Blackwood, had been thousands of miles away, enjoying the full moon run in another territory.

A neatly wrapped gift and a letter with a short, impersonal ‘I’m proud of you’ had arrived in his place.

When I confronted him, he had just shrugged. "It’s just a ceremony, Selene. Besides, the Bloodfang Alpha invited me personally. You should understand."

Understand? That word left a bitter taste in my mouth. I had spent years understanding him, but not anymore.

Last night, I saw Maya’s post on the Pack’s social feed. She was still enjoying her time in Bloodfang’s territory, and so was Kian.

It wasn’t just a friendly trip—on the third slide of photos, Maya was sitting on Kian’s lap, her arms draped around his shoulders, her lips pressed against his.

It wasn’t an innocent peck—it was deep, possessive.

And worst of all, Kian’s response was just as passionate, his hands gripping her waist like she belonged to him.

Was this the important invitation he had spoken about?

I had always known Maya Ramsey. She had been his childhood sweetheart, always lingering at the edges of our relationship.

Every time I questioned it, they laughed it off. "We’re just friends, Selene." And I, foolishly, had believed them for the past three years.

But not anymore.

I decided I would never tell him about my acceptance. He didn’t deserve to know.

After all, only my mother had been there for my ceremony, her eyes teary as I stepped forward to receive my honors. Only she deserved to know my decision.

As I set my phone down, my mother entered, setting a plate of warm bread and honey on the table.

"You remember the Silvercrest Pack, right?" she asked casually, pushing the plate toward me.

I reached for a piece, hesitating. "Yeah, of course."

"Good. They’ll take care of you while you train," she said with a pleased smile.

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

"You’re not staying alone, Selene." Her tone was firm. "I can only be at ease if you stay with them. Besides, you’ve known Killian since you were pups. No need to be shy."

Here we go again. My mother had always found ways to bring up Killian Stormbane, as if fate had written our names together in the stars.

"Mom, I was planning to stay in the dorms. It’s only a year—"

"No, that won’t do." She waved me off. "The Stormbanes are good people, and Killian is a fine young warrior. Think of it as a chance to reconnect."

"Mom!" I nearly choked on my bread.

She chuckled, clearly enjoying my reaction. "What? It makes sense, doesn’t it? You were accepted into the Royal Guard Academy, and Killian just happens to be there too. Isn’t this like the universe telling you something?"

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Fine. But don’t bring this up again if it turns out we’re just friends."

"Alright, alright," she said, but I saw the amusement in her eyes.

She still didn’t know I had a mate. Kian had insisted we keep our bond a secret while I trained, promising that once I finished, we would make it official.

But he hadn’t even bothered to show up for me.

What was the point of a promise if it meant nothing?

That evening, I returned home, not expecting to see Kian and Maya in the living room, laughing like they were the most content mates in the world.

Kian’s arm was draped around her waist, his fingers tracing small circles on her hip—too familiar, too intimate.

Even though Maya was gathering her things, she made no move to brush him off. That sight alone made my stomach twist.

"Selene, finally you're back." Kian’s voice was bright, as if nothing was wrong.

He let go of Maya, stepping toward me with that same easy confidence, as if I hadn’t just caught them looking far too comfortable together.

Maya, ever so innocent, smiled sweetly. "I stopped by to drop off some gifts from the trip. Kian let me pack my things in his bag to save space. You don’t mind, right, Selene?"

Her tone was light, as if she wasn’t standing in my home, touching my mate, pretending she wasn’t part of the reason I felt sick to my stomach.

I met her gaze, expressionless. "Yeah, whatever."

Kian barely reacted to my cold tone. "You must be tired," he said smoothly. "Go to bed. I’ll help Maya first."

Maya quickly added, "Yes, don’t worry. I’ll leave soon." Her voice carried a soft, guilty note, as if she was the considerate one, as if she was doing me a favor.

I let out a quiet breath, keeping my face unreadable. "Take your time," I said, my voice colder than before.

Then, without another glance, I turned and walked into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me.

But the walls were thin.

I could still hear their voices, their giggles, their whispered exchanges.

Maya’s soft laughter floated through the air. "Don’t tickle me, it’s late. I should finish packing so I don’t disturb Selene."

Kian chuckled. "Alright, alright. Just don’t take my shirt as a souvenir."

"Kian!" she squealed playfully.

They kept talking, their voices light and teasing, completely at ease. No hesitation—just two people who had long since stopped pretending.

By the time Maya finally left, I was already in bed.

Then, I heard the door creak open. The mattress dipped as Kian climbed in beside me.

"Selene," he murmured, his hand trailing down my arm. "I brought you something from the trip. Do you want to see it?"

There was a time when I would have melted at his touch, let his words soothe my doubts.

But not anymore.

I turned away, my body rigid.

Kian hesitated. "What’s wrong?" He let out a lazy chuckle. "Did the full moon make you moody?"

I didn’t answer. Instead, I grabbed my phone, unlocked it, and turned the screen toward him.

The color drained from his face.

He let out a short, nervous laugh. "Selene, come on. That was just a game of dare. You know how they are."

He reached for me, voice dropping into that honeyed tone. "Don’t be mad, love. You know you’re the only one I—"

I didn’t let him finish. Without a word, I threw off the covers and stood abruptly.

"I’ll sleep somewhere else tonight," I said coldly.

He didn’t chase after me.

Well, it didn’t matter anymore. In thirty days, I would be gone from his world forever.