I waited until the blood moon climbed high into the sky. Soft moonlight poured down, blanketing the entire gala in a calm yet powerful force.
The Moon Goddess's blessing descended like a tide, warm and gentle, soothing every wolf present. Mates seized the moment, holding each other close to receive the goddess's grace.
I craned my neck, desperately scanning the crowd. I found him at last, Camille's hand clamped firmly on his arm as he listened patiently to her family's elders.
As the silver light fell, Camille held his hand, her smile brighter than the moon itself.
I heard one of my friends shout, "Jasper, it's the moment of the Moon Goddess's blessing! Aren't you going to find Scarlett and receive the blessing with her?"
Jasper didn't bother to reply to my friend. I just saw him shake his head and heard him say dismissively to someone beside him, "It's fine. Scarlett is generous; she won't get angry over something like this."
I didn't hear anything after that. I turned and left, knowing he wouldn't be coming back for me. The altar was only a few feet from where he stood, yet he wouldn't let go of Camille to cross that small distance to me.
Back in my alchemy lab, I picked up the original design sketch for his mate's mark tattoo. An entire month of painstaking work. Yet to him, it was just a symbol he could cover to appease Camille.
I should have given up on him long ago. Three years. Why did I keep hoping he would change?
I returned to our home in a daze. The house was cold and empty. Even the household servants had taken leave to attend the gala. Every young wolf in the Crimson Moon Pack was celebrating under the blood moon.
And here I was, all alone, as if cut off from all the warmth and excitement.
When my parents sacrificed themselves in a battle to defend the Pack, Jasper had been by my side, supporting me with all his heart. His eyes were full of sincerity as he told me, "Scarlett, from now on, I am your family. You will never be alone again."
Later, we fell in love and became fated mates. And then Camille wedged herself between us.
Jasper seemed utterly incapable of saying "no" to her. Instead, he would always say to me, "She's still young. Just let her have her way."
Compromise after compromise led me to a painful realization. It was time for me to leave. Maybe I was meant to walk this path alone.
Just as I made up my mind, a sharp ping echoed in my head. It was Jasper, reaching out through our mind-link. I ignored the first ping, but the connection nudged insistently at my consciousness. With a sigh, I let him in.
"Scarlett, where are you? I can't find you at the gala!" His voice, clear despite the distant clamor of the party, resonated directly in my mind.
Before I could speak, I heard Camille's coquettish voice on the other end of the link. "Come on, Jasper! You promised to accompany me to meet the next elder!"
He responded to her without hesitation. Then, almost as an afterthought, he said to me, "Come to the ceremony altar. We still have time to complete the final blessing."
The mind-link fell silent. I calmly sent him a text. "Don't bother. I've gone home. You two have fun."
The final blessing. Right. He had no idea the bonding ceremony in two days wasn't happening either. I started to pack.
Having lived here for three years, everything in the house seemed to carry my scent. The cute wolf pup paintings on the living room wall were a gift from the pups at the orphanage.
His boots sat next to mine on the shoe rack. Two wolf-head-carved mugs rested on the bar. Even the sofa held our favorite oversized pillows, one for each of us.
Now that I had decided to leave, I couldn't take any of these things with me. A sharp pain lanced through my chest. How could I bear to throw any of it away?
But beyond these shared memories, my personal belongings were surprisingly few. A medium-sized suitcase was enough to hold all my alchemy materials and everything that truly belonged to me.
By the time I dragged my suitcase downstairs, the sky was already bright. Somehow, an entire night had passed.
I looked at all the things that were once my life, a dull ache spreading through my chest as tears welled in my eyes. The decision to let go didn't stop the pain.
