I had been waiting for my mate for four years since I connected to my wolf and shifted for the first time before giving in to loneliness. As an alpha-born, my family didn’t allow me, their beloved baby girl, to mingle recklessly, let alone date someone of lower rank.

That’s why I secretly dated my brother’s friend for seven years. He is the future alpha of the neighboring pack, and we planned to get married.

After not seeing him for two days, I missed him so much that I decided to visit him at his gathering. But as I reached the door of the private building, I overheard their conversation—blame the werewolf’s advanced hearing.

“Yo, Blake. Your mate is back. Now what are you going to do with the stand-in little sister?”

What? Blake had said he never found his mate!

He didn’t reply, making the situation tense. Another friend laughed and said, “It’s impressive how bold Blake is. He dared to pursue Alpha Elliot’s sister. After he used her, Cindy is back—”

Cindy is the daughter of this pack’s delta. Rumor has it that she went to a human college to study medicine. She’s aiming for the pack doctor position.

“She left so decisively back then. She deserved a stand-in to irritate her,” Blake cut him off.

The next day, Blake took me to Cindy’s welcome party, showering me with affection to show everyone how harmonious our relationship was. But when Cindy ran out crying, he pushed me aside and rushed after her in a panic, making me stumble into a pot of hot soup. Part of it spilled onto my hand. Luckily, no one noticed.

With part of my dress drenched in soup and my forearm scalded, I went to Blake’s house to clean up. I often spent time there, and some of my clothes were kept there.

After changing clothes and getting ready to leave, I was tempted to enter his study—the room he had forbidden me from entering. There was nothing special there except a photo of Blake with Cindy on the desk.

My heart ached. I left the room, and before heading home, I mind-linked my brother, "Brother, I’ve made up my mind about the arranged marriage. I agree."

The rogue problem around our pack had become increasingly troubling. They raided without hesitation, injuring many. The small packs here were powerless against the ever-growing, dangerous rogue pack.

Because of this, my parents planned to marry me off to an alpha from a large pack that had lost his human luna to cancer two years ago, in exchange for protection for our pack.

"Why so suddenly? Did someone hurt you?" my brother replied with a worried tone.

I forced a laugh. "Who could hurt me? You all don’t even let me mingle with any man or wolf."

My brother was silent for a moment. Before he could grow suspicious, I continued, "I’m old enough to marry, and I want to marry. Isn’t it better for me to marry someone you chose than someone else? Surely you wouldn’t pair me with a man who looks like a goblin and acts like a troll, right?"

He sighed in relief. "I’m glad you made this decision without any pressure. Where are you now? Don’t you want to meet him, get to know him first before deciding?" His tone softened.

"There’s no need. Besides, the sooner we marry, the sooner the pack’s problems will be resolved, right?" I asked as calmly as possible. "I’m on my way home."

"Alright, if that’s your decision. I’ll talk to Father and Mother so they can inform Alpha Rider and start preparing your wedding, which should happen in three weeks on the full moon."

Alpha Rider is the new Alpha of the Silverbay pack, the pack my mother comes from, located quite far from here. After my brother ascended as the Alpha of Bloodmoon pack, my parents decided to spend their time there, after they were free from alpha and Luna duties.

"By the way, do you still see Blake? I heard his mate has returned. If you meet him, send my regards and tell him about your wedding plans. They can come as the alpha and luna of the White Rock pack."

I was slightly surprised that my brother knew about Cindy. Perhaps that’s why Blake had asked me to keep our relationship a secret from him.

"I’m not close to him," I lied.

Before I could continue, the door opened, and I immediately blocked our mind link. I looked toward the door and was greeted by Blake’s warm smile.

"Hi, love. Why did you come home first?" he asked, walking over to hug me. "Why would you leave your fiancé in a strange place? Aren’t you afraid some girl will snatch me away?"

"Aren’t you afraid of losing me after the beautiful nights we spent together, hmm?" he whispered, too close to my ear.

Normally, my heart would flutter, but this time I felt utterly disgusted. As I tried to break free from his embrace, I noticed a lipstick stain on the collar of his white shirt, adding lemon to the wound in my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I fought hard to keep them from falling.

Unfortunately, a werewolf’s sense of smell couldn’t be deceived. Blake immediately looked at my face and panicked when he saw my tears.

"Ella, are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?" Blake panicked.

He wiped away the tears from my cheeks, but I brushed his hand aside. Blake quickly noticed the red, scalded skin on my hand due to my ivory complexion.

"Love, what happened to your hand? Why didn’t you tell me?" he asked, frowning with a worried expression.

It seemed he had truly forgotten what happened at Cindy’s house. I was silent, unsure whether to remind him that he had pushed me or to expose his lies to me all this time.

“Are you knock your head while at Cindy’s?”

“Stop crying, Love. I’ll treat your wound,” he said while gently patting my head, trying to calm me down.

As he headed to the shelf where the first aid kit was kept, he muttered, “Look at yourself. You’re an adult but can’t take care of yourself. What would you do without me?”

He turned his back to me, reaching for the first aid kit on the top shelf. I rolled my eyes at how well he pretended. I was a she-wolf with alpha blood. This wound wouldn’t leave a mark in a few hours; it might completely disappear once I shifted to my wolf.

I stared blankly at the burn on my hand. He was right; he had spoiled me so much that I might have forgotten how to take care of myself. Yet, I no longer wanted the man who used to be so perfect in my eyes.

That night, I had a nightmare that left me drenched in cold sweat. A part of me still couldn’t accept Blake’s betrayal. Thinking about him before bed made me dream of him having fun with Cindy while I suffered.

The next day, when I went to his house to cook lunch for us, as I usually did, he hugged me from behind. I grumbled and tried to push him away, but he just chuckled and held me tighter.

A moment later, he turned me around and leaned over to kiss me. I almost slapped him. Unfortunately for him, I hadn’t managed to do it because it was just a quick kiss.

We ate in silence. Blake ate heartily, while I merely pushed the food around my plate without appetite. I had skipped dinner the night before, as well as breakfast, and for this lunch, I truly didn’t feel hungry.

I wasn’t sure what Cindy had put in the soup, but my hand didn’t look any better than it did yesterday. Worried, Blake insisted on taking me to a hospital near our pack’s border, where some of our pack doctors worked. I had no reason to refuse and got into his car.

Walking through the hospital lobby to the waiting area, we crossed paths with Cindy, who was limping. I wasn’t sure what had injured her, but she seemed too fragile for a she-wolf.

Blake, who had been gentle since parking the car and until we completed the registration, suddenly acted as if he had amnesia regarding me standing by his side. He immediately approached Cindy and helped her walk.

“What happened?” he asked, full of concern.

Cindy smiled at him before noticing me, not far behind Blake. “I just sprained my ankle. What a coincidence to see you both here. Are you here for a check-up too?”

Blake seemed to remember the reason for our visit. He glanced at me briefly before answering, “Yeah, I brought my little sister here for a check-up.”

I should’ve suspected from the beginning when Blake refused to introduce me as his fiancée. Instead, he told everyone I was the younger sister of his best friend, and he was merely helping to take care of me. Only a few people knew about our true relationship.

“Oh, of course. Since she lives with you, it’s only right for you to take care of her,” Cindy said kindly. “You two go ahead; I have to head over there.”

Cindy pointed to another side of the small hospital, then limped toward it. Without hesitation, Blake quickly followed her and lifted her bridal-style.

“I’ll take you there. Ella, I’ll escort Cindy first. Wait here,” he said, walking away without even looking back at me.

The fact that Blake didn’t even ask my permission—his fiancée—before touching another woman made my chest ache. He had always been good at pretending to love me, but whenever he was around Cindy, his mask would slip.

I knew no werewolf could deny the mate pull, but I didn’t deserve to be treated like this. My body felt weak, and I leaned against the wall.

My number was called, and I reluctantly walked toward the general clinic not far from there.

As I suspected, the human doctor I met only prescribed ointment for the burn, which had already started to fade. However, he also prescribed some vitamins and dietary supplements for my fatigue and advised me to eat nutritious meals.

Out of habit, I grabbed my phone to call Blake. He still hadn’t returned after saying he’d escort Cindy. Before pressing the dial button, I realized how foolish I was. That man wasn’t mine and never would be.

I check my phone, and not even a single call, nor a message from him coming. It’s been half an hour and my body can't wait anymore. Depend on him became my bad habit, which now annoys me, so I walked away and internally scolded myself.

I looked around, unconsciously hoping that I could spot him nearby.

"Thank you, have a good day," I said to the pharmacy's checkout clerk as I received the paper bag. She wore a mask, but I could see the smile in her eyes as she nodded.

"Have a good day, too, Miss. Get well soon," she replied.

I guess I have to get used to being without Blake from now on. There's no one by my side, and asking for help from my brother would only bring so many questions—questions my weakened body couldn't handle right now. It wouldn’t be funny if I fainted at a public hospital. Unable to find Blake's car in the parking lot, I hailed a taxi nearby and went home without him.

I didn't know a broken heart could affect me physically while draining my energy at the same time.

Once at his house, I cooked a simple soup, deciding to keep myself alive, and forced the liquid food down my throat. Still, no word from him. To avoid misunderstandings, I decided to call him first. It took a while before he finally picked up.

"I'm sorry, Ella. I planned to come back after dropping Cindy home, but her stomach started acting up—"

"Sir, all of your dishes are served. Enjoy your meal," a waitress's voice in the background cut him off. I heard him attempt to cover the receiver, but it was too late. I had already heard.

"Just head home. I'll explain later," he said before abruptly ending the call—before I could say anything.

Explain what? Another lie? Did he expect me to still be waiting for him at the hospital?

I dozed off as soon as my head hit the pillow and woke up at noon. The house was dark—no sign of him. Reaching for my phone, I checked the time. It was already late at night; he probably wasn't coming home. I never thought the man who once meant the world to me would end up like this.

I wasn’t sleepy anymore, and my body felt better. Too lazy to turn on the lights, I lay down and scrolled through social media. Blake’s account had been logged into my phone for a long time, and I used it whenever I was bored. I never cared whose account I used.

A message popped up, and I reflexively opened it. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed when I saw it was from Cindy. It was a selfie of the two of them at an amusement park with fireworks lighting up the dark night sky in the background.

"Thank you for the wonderful night, our first date after years apart. I hope this is just the beginning of many beautiful nights for the rest of our lives.” The message appeared below when I was still busy watching the beautiful picture of them.

I laughed dryly and shook my head. I may not be the smartest person, but I can still think rationally. The heaviness in my heart to let Blake go for Cindy had vanished. If they were truly fated mates, they deserved each other. All I had to do was move on and prepare myself for my wedding. I just needed to get used to letting go of the pain.

I didn’t do anything else and decided to leave as the orange light of dawn broke through the dark sky. Morning had arrived.

I packed a few of my belongings from Blake’s house into a small bag, including the dress I was wearing. Stepping outside, I shifted into my wolf form, leaving my clothes behind. Standing on all fours, I shook out my jet-black fur before grabbing the bag in my mouth and sprinting toward my pack lands. I nodded at the patrol warriors along the border as they bowed their heads in greeting.

I leapt over the small river that marked the edge of our pack territory. Nodding to a warrior who greeted me via mindlink, I ran faster toward the settlement. My home was next to my brother's, a little farther from the pack house.

Elliot was sitting on his porch, laughing as he saw me push open my front door with my paws. Inside, I shifted back to my human form and dressed quickly, knowing my only sibling would come to me soon.

"Where have you been?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe just as I zipped up my simple dress.

"Around," I replied nonchalantly before heading to my room to prepare for a shower.

Elliot wasn’t like our father, who would have pressed me for details about where I’d been. I felt a little guilty that he trusted me so much, especially since my heart had been played with by his friend. I should have listened to my family’s advice.

"Have you talked to Mom and Dad?" he asked again, his voice coming from the living room.

"Not yet, maybe later. I’ll go to the care center to submit my resignation to Julia and might take the staff out for a meal in town as a farewell. I’ll call Mom after I’m home," I replied while choosing clothes from my wardrobe.

Since I wasn’t allowed to do many outdoor activities, I’d spent my time helping at the pack’s orphanage. I loved the kids, and the other staff had become like family to me. I hoped they would find someone to replace me after I left.

Julia, the head of the orphanage, congratulated me when I told her I was resigning to prepare for my wedding at the next full moon, though I noticed a tinge of sadness in her wrinkled face.

I squeezed her hand. "You know what? Let’s take all the staff out for dinner at your favorite Italian restaurant. It’s on me, as a farewell gift," I said, seeing her eyes light up.

She quickly called some pack teenagers to watch the kids and babies while we went out for a few hours, then informed the other staff. Meanwhile, I ordered a taxi. The five of us arrived at Eataly a few minutes later.

Once everyone had ordered, I excused myself to use the restroom. After finishing, I washed my hands at the sink.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" A voice made me look up, and I saw Cindy smiling at me warmly.