“Don’t get the wrong idea, Ella. I was just fixing Mason’s bandages,” Kara spoke up, her voice timid.

I slammed the bottle down on the counter, glaring at Mason. Normally, he wouldn’t let me touch alcohol, saying it was bad for my health. Yet here I was, nearly a quarter of the way through the bottle, and he was just letting Kara talk.

“Really? There’s nothing to misunderstand, Mason?” I asked, my voice, cold.

“Yes,” he replied firmly, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut.

“Then explain what happened back then.” My grip tightened on the bottle. He had to be kidding if he thought that was just another misunderstanding.

“Don’t be too hard on Mason, Ella. I got separated from the others that night, and he was just looking out for me,” Kara said apologetically.

That was the breaking point. Everything I’d been holding in erupted.

I smashed the bottle against the counter, shouting, “Damn it, Mason! Are you not going to say anything? You saw me about to die, and you turned your back on me! Do you even still see me as your mate?”

“You’re blowing this out of proportion, Ella,” Mason replied coldly. “Kara is like a sister to me. I promised her mom I’d keep her safe. Stop overthinking it.”

I was stunned. Any other wolf would have been frantic with worry for their mate, but he was telling me it was all in my head?

I was about to strike him with the broken glass when Kara wrapped her arm around his.

“Mason! Don’t talk to Ella like that,” she scolded him, and I watched as his cold expression softened.

All this time, I’d thought Kara was stealing my time with him. That’s why, even after three years, he still hadn’t marked me. But I was wrong. It seemed I was the one stealing him from her.

“Mason and I grew up together, Ella. We’re practically siblings. Please don’t let this come between you two. And Mason, you owe her an apology,” Kara said firmly, still clinging to him.

The idea of her demanding an apology from Mason almost made me laugh. He never apologized first, even when he was clearly in the wrong. So why would he do it now? But then he did.

“I’m sorry.”

The emotions welling up inside me were suffocating. I wanted to tear them apart, to make them feel the pain I’d suffered during that rogue attack. But one look into Mason’s eyes, and I couldn’t.

I marched to the door, desperate for air, needing to get as far away from them as possible.

Just as I stepped onto the porch, Mason called out, “Ella, don’t go. Let’s talk about this over dinner. Kara wanted to thank you for saving her life.”

“I’ll pass. I don’t want to spoil your fun.” I shot back, not even turning around.

I bolted into the woods, letting my wolf take over, pushing us to run far away. I thought I heard him shout my name once, but that was it. He didn’t even bother to come after me.

Before Mason, I was steadily climbing the ranks in my old pack. I was so good that the Alpha chose me as one of his delegates for the annual Silver Moon Ball. That’s where everything changed.

The moment I locked eyes with Mason, the world around us faded into a blur. I had no idea then that he was a sought-after bachelor in his pack.

People congratulated us on being mates, but there were also those who sneered, saying I wasn’t worthy of him. For three years, I tried my best to prove myself, enduring the whispers behind my back because I believed in our fate.

And now, look where that got me.

Exhausted from running, I found myself at the base of a waterfall high in the mountains. The water cascaded down, shimmering like jewels in the moonlight. It felt like the moon goddess herself was wrapping me in a comforting embrace.

So, I howled all my pain to her.

Morning came, and I woke up feeling refreshed. The pain that once consumed me now felt like a distant memory.

I shifted into my wolf form and took my time strolling into the woods, headed for the packhouse. Along the way, I ran into the only friend I’d made in the Springfall pack, Jena—the daughter of a pack elder.

“Ella?” Her voice was laced with shock.

I nodded, and she rushed at me, screaming and crying, “Oh, my goddess! You’re alive!”

Jena hugged me tightly, holding on as if she’d never let go. After a moment, she handed me her spare clothes. I shifted back, and as I dressed, she filled me in on the pack's situation.

It turned out we were severely undermanned after the attack, so she had to step up, filling vacant posts and patrolling beyond the areas typically restricted to she-wolves like us.

Jena studied my expression, her eyes searching mine. I could see she sensed that something was off.

“What happened, Elle? You should be in the hospital! What are you doing out here in the wilderness?” She finally asked, her words tumbling out in rapid succession.

“I’m not ready to talk about it. Maybe another time,” I said, turning away with a wry smile. She didn’t hesitate to follow, insisting she couldn’t let me go back alone.

As we walked down the road, a car honked from behind. I didn’t bother turning around; I knew exactly who it was—Mason.

“Ella!” he called out, but I kept my eyes forward, ignoring him.

He pulled up beside us, driving slowly to match our pace. “Come on, Elle. I know you haven’t eaten since last night. At least let me drive you home.”

His voice was so sugary sweet, it made me sick. “I’m not coming with you,” I replied flatly, refusing to look at him.

Jena, clearly catching on, stepped in to shut down Mason’s persistence. “Give her space, Mason. Just leave.”

Mason growled at her for butting in, but he didn’t insist.

“Fine,” he said, and with a rev of his engine, he sped off.

That was the last time we spoke for the next few days.

After Jena walked me to the packhouse, I begged the Alpha to let me stay in the dorms, and he agreed without hesitation. I didn’t care to ask why—I just needed the space. I spent the entire week channeling my anger into relentless training.

Mason came by almost every day, but I never saw him—not even a glimpse. All he left were the same white tulips outside my door, which I always tossed in the trash. I never understood why he chose tulips as his apology—they weren’t even my favorite. It was like he wasn’t even trying.

His half-hearted visits quickly became the talk of the pack. Whispers grew louder by the day, and it didn’t take long for everyone to figure out the reason behind our rift—it became the latest hot gossip.

Many sided with Mason, calling me names for not forgiving him despite all his efforts. Most of them were from Kara’s circle. But there were a few who showed me sympathy, patting my back in support. Some even questioned why I hadn’t rejected him outright. Truth be told, I didn’t know the answer myself. I wasn’t sure what I wanted from him. It was a mess.

While I was lost in my tangled thoughts, Jena and her brothers invited me to hang out at a pub in neutral territory. Jena said watching me train with such emotionless intensity was unsettling, and they couldn’t stand it anymore. One look at the busted sandbags, and I couldn’t disagree. I hadn’t been myself since coming back from the brink of death.

As we headed to the city, Jena did her best to make me laugh, and for a brief moment, I didn’t feel so numb.

We were laughing about something funny as we entered the pub, but the mood shifted instantly when we saw the group of wolves inside. It was Mason and his friends, along with Kara and her clique, and they were talking about me.

“Mason isn’t used to this kind of drama. If it were anyone else giving him the cold shoulder, they wouldn’t last a day,” one of them said.

Kara sat close to Mason, looking concerned. “Ella’s just too sensitive. We’ve all been friends for years. You all know how Mason and I are.”

“Yeah, and back when Lucas was after you, if you’d liked him, you would’ve said yes,” someone else added.

My head buzzed with anger and disbelief.

Jena, looking apologetic, whispered, “I didn’t know, Elle. I’m so sorry…”

I shook my head, stopping her. “It’s fine. Let’s just leave.”

I was about to turn and walk out when one of Mason’s buddies suddenly shouted, “Yo! Look who just walked in—Mason’s darling mate!”

I used to think nothing of the way they greeted me, but now the sarcasm in those words was painfully clear. I must have been too blinded by love to notice before.

Mason looked up, meeting my gaze. He was clearly drunk, leaning against Kara, surrounded by their friends.

“That’s all in the past,” Mason muttered, his voice heavy with regret, but he didn’t deny anything.

I wasn’t sure what expression I wore, but I felt utterly ridiculous.

The struggle between the strength of a mate bond and the desires of the heart had always been a dilemma for our kind—one that had ruined lives for generations. I never imagined I’d be caught up in such a tragic situation myself. But now, everything made sense—the feeling of being an outsider in my own relationship.

“Guys, Ella is Mason’s mate. We’re here to help them make up, remember? Stop bringing up the past,” Kara scolded, and they quickly changed their tune.

“Right, we’re here to help.”

“Ella must still be confused. She’s been through something traumatic, and now she’s seeing threats everywhere…”

That was the last straw. A growl escaped me, more primal and fierce than I knew I was capable of. They were making light of the fact that I’d nearly died, and Mason wasn’t saying a word.

Fury overtook me as I rushed toward them, ready to snap necks, but Mason stood up, grabbing me and holding me back.

“Elle, they didn’t mean any harm…”

“Get your hands off me, Mason!” I snarled.

“Come on, babe, calm down.”

Ugh! That endearment made my skin crawl.

I threw my head back, smashing it into his face. But I wasn’t done—I followed up with a knee to his gut.

Everyone gasped. Kara rushed to his side while Jena and her brothers hurried to pull me away.

“I’m not deaf or stupid, Mason. I know what I heard. Don’t even try to weasel your way out of this—your words and actions have never matched!”

I didn’t care if I was causing a scene. This madness ends here.

“Ella! You’re out of control! Why are you being so cruel to Mason for saving me?” Kara’s voice cracked as she fought back tears. “If you’ve got a problem, take it out on me!”

I scoffed, “Shut up, Kara! Not everything revolves around you. Get over yourself.”

I shrugged off Jena’s brothers and stepped forward. “Get this through your heads. I’m not just angry about Mason running to save another woman while I was about to be killed. I’m furious with myself for clinging to such an unfeeling man just because the moon goddess willed it.”

For the first time, I saw real pain in Mason’s eyes. His emotions were laid bare as he realized what I was about to do. The irony was almost too much—he barely flinched when I was on the brink of death, but now, he looked like I was about to shatter his world.

“I, Ella Hawke, reject you, Mason Ryder, as my mate,” I declared, making sure every word hit home.

“No…” Mason’s voice broke, barely more than a whisper.

I laughed bitterly. “Don’t act like you’re the victim, Mason. In three years, you never truly tried to understand me or make any compromises.” I hesitated, then asked the question that had been gnawing at me, “Did you ever even want to share your life with me?”

“I’ve been sending you flowers every day. If that wasn’t enough, I’ll do anything—just please, take your rejection back.”

“Flowers, Mason? You sent me tulips! I hate tulips!” I snapped, my anger flaring. “Who convinced you that was a good idea?”

The room fell silent. Their friends, even Jena, avoided my gaze. Jena finally whispered, “White tulips mean ‘I’m sorry.’ They’re… Kara’s favorite.”

I let out a harsh, incredulous laugh and lunged at them. I was going to shred them to death, but Jena and the others grabbed me back, dragging me out of the pub.

The moment we were outside, the tears I had been holding back came pouring out. I collapsed to my knees, wailing in agony. They tried to comfort me, but the pain was too overwhelming.

I was the one who broke our bond, but it felt like I was the one who had been rejected.