Seraphina said, "A human friend of mine lost her passport and asked me the steps to get a replacement."

Kaden took quick paces ahead and held Seraphina tight in his arms. "You nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going abroad without me."

Seraphina turned her head away and threw up again.

Kaden carried the thick, sickly-sweet scent of Lyra after their private encounter. He patted her back in distress. "What did they feed you? I gave them specific instructions to look after you since you have been having an upset tummy. Wait here while I sack them."

It took everything in Seraphina to push Kaden away. "You can fire anyone for all I care, but stop using me as an excuse!"

Her outburst threw Kaden off. "Sera, are you mad at me? Is it because I have been too occupied with my pack duties to spend time with you?"

He added. "Why don't I clear my schedule for tomorrow and make sure I shower you with all my attention?"

Seraphina smirked in rage. "So I'll have you all to myself?"

"Yes, that's right."

Seraphina took a deep breath before uttering, "Let's hope you keep your word."

For some reason, there was a sudden downpour that night.

Seraphina did not stop retching from the moment they got home.

Despite Kaden's attempt to get close to her, she turned him away. "Don't come any closer. The stench on you is making me sick all over again."

Kaden sniffed his sleeve and replied, "I guess my cologne disagrees with you. I'll switch to something different."

"Kaden, you know full well that the cologne isn't the issue."

"Okay, okay. Don't be upset. I won't wear any fragrance anymore, alright?"

Seraphina splashed cold water on her face and looked up at her reflection in the mirror.

Outside the bathroom, Kaden stood anxiously with a basin of hot water.

Seraphina couldn't understand how Kaden could still stand there, playing the role of a devoted mate with Lyra's intimate scent clinging to him.

Somehow, Kaden looked like he cared a lot about her. Yet, he had no qualms about betraying their mate bond.

Maybe the council member was right. An Alpha with power could get away with messing around so long as his Luna never found out.

He got one thing wrong, though. Seraphina was not naive. She was not one to compromise her dignity and self-respect.

Since the mate bond did not come with Kaden's full devotion, Seraphina wanted no part of it.

Early next morning, Kaden took Seraphina to the pack's healer.

After a thorough examination, the healer offered a diagnosis. "Luna Seraphina's intense mood swings have likely weakened the mate bond and led to her physical symptoms."

Kaden muttered, "Intense mood swings?"

"That's right. Luna has been feeling emotional lately. Some recent trauma must have hit her hard enough to cause the violent nausea."

Kaden asked Seraphina, "Has something been troubling you, Sera? Just tell me. I might be able to help you."

Seraphina looked away, refusing his touch. "You can't fix it."

"Just talk to me. There's very little I can't set right in the pack."

He had a point. Ironically, Kaden was the key to making the problem go away.

Seraphina was tempted to ask Kaden who he'd choose to save if she and Lyra were drowning at the same time.

On second thought, Seraphina could never place her own destiny in the hands of another. No one could save her but herself.

She knew how to swim. She could save herself.

Seraphina had no need for Kaden anymore.

She applied to an art school abroad under the name Kathryn Flint.

Back then, Seraphina had once set aside her dream of pursuing art to become a Luna worthy of standing beside Kaden. Now, she would only live for herself.

"Shall I take you to the movies this afternoon, Sera? There's a new comedy playing, and it should cheer you up."

"This afternoon? Aren't you supposed to be occupied with pack duties?"

"Didn't I promise that we'd have the whole day together? I'm a man of my word. I don't break my promises."

The next moment, his phone rang. He was about to refuse the call, only to stop short when he glanced at the caller ID.

Seraphina watched as his expression shifted from annoyance to distress.

She grinned. "Just take it. Duty calls."

Kaden replied, "I'll be quick. I'll be back in five."

"Sure."

As Kaden headed out with his phone in hand, Seraphina called him back. "You can answer the call here. I don't follow the pack business, so there's no chance I'll let anything slip."

He stopped in his tracks awkwardly.

After a brief hesitation, Kaden took the call with furrowed brows. "Didn't I tell you not to call me today? What on earth is the emergency?"

It was unclear what was said on the other end of the line.

However, Seraphina could make out mournful cries of a she-wolf.

Kaden spoke cautiously in Seraphina's presence, "I understand. I'll be there in a moment."

After the call, Kaden told Seraphina apologetically, "I need to sign off on an important document for the company, Sera. The council elder has arrived with the papers. He's in the lobby as we speak. I'll be back in no more than half an hour."

Seraphina gave a nod.

Kaden basically sprinted out of the consultation room.

The healer uttered with a smile, "Alpha Kaden only has eyes for you, Luna. He drops his responsibilities with the pack just to attend to you."

"Oh, really? Excuse me while I use the washroom." Seraphina smirked.

Out of the consultation room, Seraphina caught Kaden ditching the elevator to take the stairs down.

Sure enough, he went downstairs—to the pack's birthing center.

Buzz.

Her phone vibrated.

Lyra texted, "I'm terribly sorry, but the Alpha probably can't spend time with you today. All it took was one call for him to rush straight to me."

The messages from Lyra kept pouring in.

She wrote, "Before I forget, check this out. Here is my ultrasound. I'm carrying a pup."

Seraphina zoomed in on the image and read the tiny print at the very top of the medical report.

"8-week gestation pup; showing potential miscarriage indicators."

Lyra texted, "We were at it all day on the rooftop yesterday, trying every position. I guess the Alpha was pretty rough, so my pup is at risk of miscarriage. Well, that's on him. He mentioned that you were a total bore in bed, so he came to me for the thrill.

"The healer needed the signature of the pup's father to proceed with abortion or treatment, so I had to call him over. The survival of his bloodline compared to your little tummy issues takes precedence, don't you think?"

Seraphina hailed a cab and left the infirmary. She went to a law firm run by a human attorney.

In a blended society of werewolves and humans, the union between werewolves requires not only a mate bond but also registration of their marriage.

"Hello, I wish to engage your services to draw up divorce papers."

She asked for no assets, and the lawyer was reliable.

Within half an hour, Seraphina received the final draft of the divorce agreement.

The lawyer advised, "By human law, the separation is considered official even without your mate's signature if you live apart for two full years."

Kaden's call came in when Seraphina walked out of the firm with the papers.

"Where are you, Sera? I've searched the entire medical center, but I can't find you."

Seraphina answered, "You were away for too long, so I went ahead to go home."

"I'm just relieved that you are home safe and sound. I'm sorry, Sera. I'm honestly tied up with pack business. I may need to travel to another territory in the next few days. Take good care of yourself. Give me a week. I'll cancel everything just to be with you."

Seraphina let out a heavy sigh.

A lie told too many times could fool no one. He could no longer get a reaction out of her.

"Don't let me keep you."

"You're always so sensible, Sera. Stay put, and I'll be back tomorrow with moonlight flowers."

Seraphina asked, "Sensible? Kaden, are you into simpering, clingy she-wolves? Am I too sensible that I bore you?"

Kaden was taken aback. "Of course not. I love you the most. I love you the way you are."

"Will you ever fall for another she-wolf?"

"Never."

"I will walk away and never come back if you ever betray our mate bond."

Kaden snorted. "You can run, but you can never hide from me. I have the power to shut down the entire territory, and that includes every human airport and train station. So long as you walk this earth as Seraphina, I will never let you leave me."

The problem was that she was no longer Seraphina Mor. Her name was Kathryn Flint.

Thanks to the Moon Goddess's blessing, she could mask my scent for a while.

Seraphina reiterated, "I'm serious. I have the means to leave you and make sure you will never track me down."

Keeping the grin on his face, Kaden dismissed her. "Very well. You get a head start. You have three days before I start the hunt. As I said, so long as you remain Seraphina, I will always find you. You can't get rid of me."

Kaden was rather full of himself.

Seraphina curled her lips.

Well, let the games begin.

The countdown was down to three days before Seraphina's flight took off.

Lyra sent Seraphina a picture of Kaden having a barbecue by the beach.

She texted, "Alpha Kaden booked us a trip to celebrate my pregnancy. He just wants me to relax and take it easy while carrying his pup."

Instead of responding to Lyra, Seraphina organized a last get-together with her closest friends.

Two days remained until her scheduled flight.

Lyra sent another photo of Kaden reading a book, which was titled "The Guide to Early Pup Education".

She attached a message. "The Alpha's taking fatherhood seriously. The pup is just a tiny bean in my belly, but the Alpha's already talking to it through my stomach every day."

It was still radio silence on Seraphina's end. She went to a human bank and exchanged all her funds in cash before terminating all her accounts.

There was just one day left before the flight departed.

This time, Lyra sent a video clip which featured a beautiful and romantic fireworks display at the beach.

As Lyra cried tears of joy, Kaden pulled her into his arms tenderly, whispering assuringly, "Why are you crying? There will be plenty more surprises to come."

Lyra wrote, "He rented the entire island and bought out all the fireworks in the city to throw me a birthday party."

It turned out that it was Lyra's birthday that day. The birthday and the pregnancy definitely called for a double celebration for the happy couple.

Seraphina simply smiled faintly and contacted the local charity.

"Hello there, I have some clothes I'd like to donate to the underprivileged communities in the mountains."

Soon, a representative from the local charity arrived in a vehicle.

In the days Kaden was gone, Seraphina packed up her belongings into five huge bags of clothes and shoes. She donated every last item to charity, leaving not a single piece behind.

Seraphina took everything tied to her identity as Seraphina, including her ID, the Luna's keepsakes, family records, as well as her daily essentials, to the pack's altar crematorium. She handed the priest some money and had it all burned.

Standing in the home she had lived in for five years, Seraphina had never felt more like a stranger.

She wiped off every trace of her existence in the residence.

All she carried was her backpack. Inside was nothing but her new passport.

The only remaining item from the past she had was the phone.

She booked a ride to the airport through a human car service on her phone.

The driver pulled up at the airport terminal. While paying the fare with a phone, Seraphina got a call from Kaden.

"I'm back from my business trip, Sera. I'm coming home to pick you up. Let's head out for dinner."

He was back, but he was not alone. Lyra was right there with him.

Seraphina sat in the car as Kaden and Lyra walked out of the terminal building.

Kaden wheeled out the luggage cart, stacked with matching blue and pink suitcases. Lyra linked her arm with his, nestling against his shoulder.

"Was the trip tiring?"

"It wasn't too bad. Oh, that reminds me. Didn't you say that I get to open the gift from you today?"

"That's right."

"I can't wait. You made me wait a whole week. You got me guessing for days. I bet it's something significant for our mating anniversary."

"Absolutely. You'll know once you open the gift."

"Great. Wait for me. I'll be back in two hours."

Two hours was more than enough. Her flight would have crossed the country's border by then.

"Alright."

"See you in a bit. Love you, Sera."

Seraphina ended the call and spotted Lyra pouting. Kaden leaned in for a kiss on her lip in a bid to console her.

The driver uttered, "Ma'am, you have not paid the fare."

Seraphina looked away and transferred every last cent of her money.

The driver became flustered. "Ma'am, you've paid the wrong amount. It's $27, not $27,000. I'll refund you right away."

"Keep it. I have no use for the money anyway. Thank you for the ride." Seraphina opened the car door and stepped out. "It's not just a trip to the airport. You've taken me down the road to my future, the beginning of a new chapter."

Once out of the car, Seraphina switched off her phone, removed the SIM card to discard in a trash can, and gifted the phone to a human child.

The child beamed. "Thank you."

Seraphina ruffled his hair with a smile. "My pleasure."

The child's mother felt the gift was more than she could accept. "We can't possibly accept something this expensive."

Seraphina asked, "Are you going abroad?"

"Yes. We are flying to see his father."

Seraphina uttered with a smile, "Keep it. The phone might come in handy once you're there."

"Alright then. Thank you very much."

Seraphina waved them goodbye. "Have a pleasant trip."

The airport announcement played an urgent message. "Final call for passenger, Kathryn Flint. Please report to gate H23 for immediate boarding. Your flight is about to depart."

Clutching her passport, Seraphina took one final look back before strutting to the boarding with determination.

As soon as she passed through the boarding gate, she sensed a profound split deep within her soul.

The invisible mate bond was completely broken.

She was free.