“Congratulations. You have been chosen to study Fine Arts with our academy. We will be expecting you in Melbourne in one month.”

I leaned back against the wooden chair, letting out a long, steady breath. The words on the screen blurred for a moment as memories of my graduation day crept back into my mind.

That day, when every she-wolf was supposed to be surrounded by her pack—by the one who claimed her—my boyfriend, Kael Blackthorne, hadn’t been there.

Instead of standing proudly at my side, instead of watching me cross the stage as my supposed Alpha-to-be, he was halfway across the world, basking under the Bali sun like nothing important was happening.

In his place came flowers… and an envelope filled with cash. As if money could replace presence. As if that could replace a mate’s duty.

Whenever I tried to confront him, he would brush it aside so easily.

“Railey, it’s only graduation,” he would say. “I had a very important meeting with a client in Bali. You should understand.”

Understand.

The word felt like poison on my tongue. I had spent years adjusting, forgiving, excusing him like a loyal she-wolf waiting for her Alpha to finally claim her properly.

But not anymore.

Last night, I saw Selara’s Instagram post. She was still in Bali. Still with Kael. Still smiling.

It wasn’t just the two of them in the pictures—but on the third slide, my chest tightened.

Selara sat on Kael’s lap, her arms looped around his shoulders, her lips pressed to his in a kiss that was anything but friendly. It wasn’t light. It wasn’t harmless.

It was territorial.

Kael’s hands gripped her waist possessively, like she belonged to him. Like he was marking her. And even through his swim shorts, his reaction to her was obvious.

So that was his “important meeting.”

I had always known about Selara Duskfang. His childhood sweetheart. The she-wolf who lingered around him like a shadow that refused to fade.

Every time I questioned it, they would laugh.

“We’re just friends, Railey.”

And like a fool, I believed them for three years.

Not anymore.

Right then and there, I decided I would never tell Kael about my acceptance. He didn’t deserve to know. He had no claim over my future, not anymore.

After all, during my graduation, the only one who stood proudly in the crowd—eyes glistening as I stepped onto the stage—was my mother.

Only she deserved to hear my decision.

I set my phone down and turned toward her. She had just placed a plate of warm cookies on the table, the scent filling the air.

“You still remember the Ashclaw pack, don’t you?” she asked casually, nudging the plate toward me.

I picked up a cookie, pausing for a moment before answering, “Yes, of course I remember them.”

“Good,” she said with a satisfied smile. “They’ll be taking care of you in Melbourne.”

I blinked, confused. “Wait… what do you mean?”

“You are not staying alone, Railey,” she said firmly. “I will only feel at ease if you stay with them. Besides, you and Ronan grew up together. You used to run in the same territory when you were pups. There’s nothing to be shy about.”

Here we go again.

My mother had always found a way to bring up Ronan Ashclaw—as if the Moon Goddess herself had written our names side by side long before we were born.

“Mom, I was planning to rent a small studio apartment,” I said carefully. “It’s only for one year—”

“No, that will not do.” She waved my words away. “The Ashclaws are a respected pack. And Ronan is a strong young Alpha. Think of this as an opportunity to get to know your future mate before the Moon recognizes your bond.”

“Mom!” I nearly choked on my cookie.

She laughed, clearly enjoying my reaction. “What? It makes perfect sense. You were accepted into a university in Melbourne, and Ronan just happens to be there. Doesn’t that sound like fate? Like the Moon Goddess guiding you?”

I sighed and pressed my fingers to my temple. “Fine. But if Ronan and I don’t get along, please don’t bring this up again.”

“Alright, alright,” she said lightly, though the amusement in her eyes told me she didn’t take that seriously at all.

My mother didn’t even know I already had a boyfriend.

Kael had insisted we keep our relationship hidden while I was still in college. He promised that once I graduated, he would finally make things official—announce me as his Luna.

But he didn’t even show up on the day that mattered most.

What kind of Alpha breaks a promise like that?

That evening, when I returned home, I wasn’t expecting to walk into my own living room and feel like an outsider.

Kael and Selara were already there, laughing together like a perfectly mated pair.

Kael’s arm was draped around her waist, his hand resting on her hip as if it belonged there. The familiarity of it—the ease—made something twist painfully inside me.

Selara was packing a suitcase, pretending not to notice his touch, but the intimacy between them was undeniable.

“Railey, you’re finally back,” Kael greeted brightly, as if nothing was wrong.

He quickly pulled his arm away from Selara and walked toward me, calm and practiced—as if I hadn’t just seen everything.

Selara smiled sweetly. “I just dropped by to bring some souvenirs. We packed everything in one suitcase to save space. You don’t mind, do you, Railey?”

Her tone was so light. So innocent. As if she wasn’t standing in my home, touching my boyfriend, acting like she had every right.

I looked straight at her, my expression blank. “Do whatever you want.”

Kael didn’t even react to my cold tone. “You must be tired,” he said smoothly. “Go rest first. I’ll help Selara finish up.”

Selara added quickly, “Yes, don’t worry. I’ll leave once we’re done.” Her voice carried that soft, guilty sweetness—as if she was the considerate one.

I exhaled slowly, keeping my face unreadable. “Take your time,” I said, colder than before.

Then I turned away and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

But even with the door shut, I could still hear them.

Their laughter. Their teasing. Their closeness.

Selara’s giggle floated through the air. “Stop it, Kael. It’s already late. I should finish quickly so I don’t disturb Railey.”

Kael chuckled. “Alright, alright. Just don’t take my underwear as a souvenir.”

“Kael!” she squealed, laughing.

They sounded so comfortable. So natural. Like two wolves who had already accepted each other as mates.

By the time Selara finally left, I had already gone to bed.

Not long after, the bedroom door creaked open. The mattress dipped as Kael climbed beside me.

“Railey,” he murmured, his hands sliding along my body like nothing had changed. “I brought you plenty of souvenirs. Want to see them?”

There was a time when his touch would have softened me, when my wolf would have responded to him instinctively.

But not tonight.

I pulled away, my body stiff.

Kael paused. “What’s wrong?” he asked, letting out a careless chuckle. “Is it your time of the month or something?”

I didn’t answer. I reached for my phone, unlocked it, and held the screen up to him.

His face went pale.

Then he forced a laugh. “Railey, come on. That was just a truth-or-dare game. You know how those things are.”

He leaned closer, his voice dropping into that coaxing tone. “Don’t be upset, baby. You know you’re the only one I—”

I didn’t let him finish.

I threw the blanket aside and stood up abruptly.

“I’m sleeping in another room,” I said coldly.

And I walked out.

He didn’t follow me.

Of course he didn’t.

I let out a bitter whisper to myself, “What was I even expecting?”

Kael had never been the type to chase unless it benefited him. In his mind, I was probably just being emotional—something that would pass by morning.

But deep down, I had always known the truth.

I had just been too loyal… too hopeful… too in love to accept it.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

In thirty days, I would leave his territory.

And this time, I wouldn’t come back.

When morning came, the first thing that greeted my eyes the moment I woke was the sight of Selara and Kael in the kitchen, moving around as though they were a perfectly mated pair running their own little household.

As if what I had seen the night before wasn’t already enough to make my wolf restless with anger, Selara had the nerve to come back to our den again.

She stood by the stove, flipping eggs as if she had always belonged there, her movements smooth and confident. Kael leaned beside her against the counter, close enough that their shoulders brushed from time to time. He laughed at whatever she was saying, his expression warm and relaxed—an ease I hadn’t seen from him in a long while.

The moment Selara noticed me standing there, she nudged Kael lightly with her hip, almost playfully, before turning to me with a bright, almost sugary smile.

“Oh, Railey, you’re already up?” she greeted in a light, friendly tone, as though nothing at all was strange. “I’m sorry, I was in a rush when I left last night and accidentally forgot my bag. I just came back to get it, but Kael said he was hungry, so I cooked him some sunny-side up eggs. Would you like some too?”

She made it sound so innocent, so considerate, as if she were merely a thoughtful she-wolf taking care of a friend’s Alpha. But I knew her far too well.

Selara had never once been mindful of my place, not even back when we were still at the university within the same territory.

Every time Kael picked me up from class, she would somehow end up slipping into the front passenger seat, leaving me in the back as though I were the outsider. There was always something she needed from him, some favor, some excuse, and I never said anything. I kept telling myself I didn’t want to become the jealous, possessive girlfriend, so I swallowed my discomfort again and again.

Looking back now, maybe that was my mistake. Maybe my silence made her believe she had every right to cross boundaries that should have been mine.

Kael finally turned toward me, his face brightening as though everything in front of him was perfectly normal. He walked over and took my hand, his grip warm and familiar.

“You should try some,” he said encouragingly. “Selara cooks her eggs so well they taste like they came from a professional chef.”

I let him lead me to the table, nodding faintly as if my body was moving on its own, disconnected from the storm building inside me.

Soon enough, the three of us were seated for breakfast. Kael chose the middle seat, placing himself between us, while Selara and I faced each other across the table.

As expected, Selara filled the air with her lively chatter. She laughed easily with Kael, recounting stories from their Bali trip, reminiscing about moments they had shared that I knew nothing about. Listening to them felt like standing outside the pack circle, watching from a distance.

From time to time, she would throw a comment in my direction, acknowledging me just enough so it wouldn’t seem rude, yet each word only made it clearer how out of place I was.

I wasn’t part of this.

I was the third one at the table.

When the conversation dragged on, I finally cut in quietly. “Since Selara was kind enough to cook, I’ll handle the dishes.”

I stood up right away, collecting my plate and heading to the sink before either of them could object.

Kael, ever the attentive boyfriend in appearance, followed me. “Alright, I’ll help you with that,” he said, gathering the other plates and placing them beside me.

Behind us, Selara stretched her arms with a lazy yawn. “I’ll just go freshen up in the bathroom,” she announced casually, excusing herself like she belonged in every corner of this home.

The second she disappeared down the hall, I took the chance.

Keeping my voice as even as possible, I spoke softly, “Can you take me to the U.S. embassy later? My passport is going to expire in a week.”

Kael nodded without even thinking about it, completely unaware of what lay beneath my words. “Sure, we can go right after we’re done here.”

He stepped closer behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into a warm embrace as if nothing was wrong between us, as if he had never given that same closeness to someone else just hours ago.

For a moment, I let myself stand there, trapped between the comfort I once knew and the truth I could no longer ignore.

But before we could even continue our conversation, a sharp scream suddenly echoed from the direction of the bathroom.

Kael reacted instantly. He let go of me and rushed away without a second thought, as though I had never been in his arms at all.

I stood there, frozen, the warmth of his embrace still lingering on my skin, while the person who had held me moments ago had already chosen someone else again.

A few moments later, he came back out, carrying Selara in his arms. She looked distressed and fragile, but when Kael’s attention shifted away for a split second, I caught the faint smirk she threw in my direction.

“Selara sprained her foot—it’s already swelling badly,” Kael said in a rush as he grabbed his car keys from the counter. “I’ll take you to the embassy after I make sure she’s alright.”

Without waiting for my reply, he hurried out, leaving the house filled with nothing but silence.

I remained where I was for a long time, staring at the empty space he had just left behind. And yet, I wasn’t shocked.

This wasn’t the first time Kael had let me down.

From the very beginning of our relationship back in college, Selara had always been his priority.

I once believed that when he asked me to move in with him, when he started working for his family’s company and taking on more responsibilities within his pack, things would change. I thought he would finally choose us.

But reality proved far harsher than the hopeful dreams of a foolish she-wolf.

Whenever I tried to tell him how unhappy I felt, he would dismiss it as if my emotions were just another minor inconvenience. Then, as if to make up for it, he would send money to the card he had given me.

“I’m sorry. Just use this to cheer yourself up. Go shopping, go out with your friends,” he would say, like I could be soothed with material things.

But I wasn’t like that.

I didn’t want expensive gifts or shopping trips.

I wanted a partner who saw me, who valued me, who chose me.

And Kael had never truly done that.

After taking a steadying breath, I left the house and went to the U.S. embassy on my own.

Sitting in the waiting area, I filled out the forms to renew my identification, my pen moving automatically across the paper. But when I reached the section asking for my name, my hand stilled.

A thought rose inside me, clear and undeniable.

In twenty-nine days, I would be leaving for Melbourne to start a new life, away from this territory, away from him.

So why not erase everything that tied me to this place?

My grip tightened around the pen.

Then, with quiet resolve, I filled out another form—requesting the cancellation of my current identification and registering a new name for myself, a new identity, and a new beginning.

When I stepped back into the apartment that afternoon, the silence greeted me immediately. The place felt empty, untouched—Kael still hadn’t returned.

“As expected,” I murmured quietly to myself.

He was most likely still at the ER with Selara—whether because he was genuinely worried or because she had found yet another way to keep him by her side, making sure he had no reason to come back to me.

I let out a tired breath, too drained to even feel angry anymore. Dropping onto the couch, I reached for the book I had been reading, hoping to distract myself for a while—but then something on the coffee table caught my attention.

Kael’s phone.

It lay there carelessly, left behind in his hurry to rush Selara to the hospital.

I gave a soft, humorless scoff. Kael never went anywhere without his phone. The fact that he had forgotten it now only proved one thing—Selara mattered more to him than anything else, even the calls or messages he might miss.

I leaned back and tried to focus on my book, but the constant vibration of his phone buzzing against the table made it impossible to ignore.

With a sigh of irritation, I reached over and picked it up, my fingers hovering over the screen. Message after message kept pouring in, the notifications stacking up without pause.

I had no intention of snooping. I only meant to silence the noise.

But then I saw the sender.

It was his friends’ group chat—the same pack of people he had gone with to Bali.

My chest tightened. Without thinking further, I unlocked the phone. The password was still the same—our anniversary.

“We don’t have anything to hide from each other,” Kael had once said with a lazy grin when I had hesitated to touch his phone in the past. Back then, I had believed him without question.

That naïve trust died that day. I was done living under his carefully crafted lies.

I scrolled through the messages, my eyes racing over every word—until one message made my stomach drop.

[Damn, that Bali trip was wild. Can’t believe Kael almost didn’t go because of that clingy girlfriend.]

[LMAO, imagine him having to use the ‘client meeting’ excuse just so he could vacation with us.]

[Kael, you’re a legend. You should give her a trophy—‘Most Gullible Girlfriend of the Year.’]

My breath caught. Even Selara, who was supposed to be injured at the ER, joined in.

[Nah, call it ‘Most Pathetic Girlfriend.’]

[I think Selara deserves an award instead. Truth or Dare was her idea, right?]

Selara replied again, shameless as ever.

[Well, he is my childhood sweetheart. What’s a little fun between us?]

[Careful, babe. Railey might suddenly go feral and attack you.]

[Nah, even if she finds out, she’ll just cry for a bit, sulk for a few days, and then forgive Kael like always. He’s trained her well.]

[Damn… that’s actually kind of sad.]

Their laughter seemed to echo in my ears even through the silent screen.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

What hurt the most wasn’t just their mockery—it was how certain they all were that I would stay, that I would forgive him again like I always had.

The chat wasn’t the only thing that made my chest ache. The photos they shared hurt just as much.

In nearly every picture, Selara was pressed close to Kael—leaning into him, laughing beside him, resting her head on his shoulder as if she had every right to be there.

In one photo, she held a marker and doodled all over Kael’s sleeping face while his friends snapped pictures and filled the chat with laughing emojis, praising how cute they looked together—like the perfect couple.

And me?

The real girlfriend?

I was nothing but a joke to them.

And Kael never once spoke up for me.

Not even once.

A moment later, my own phone buzzed in my hand.

A new message appeared on my screen.

[Hi, are you still accepting freelance photography jobs? I’d like to book you for an event.]

I blinked in surprise.

Photography had always been my passion. I had taken Fine Arts in college, and I used to accept freelance shoots to build my portfolio.

But over the past few months, I had stopped to focus on finishing my degree.

Curious, I checked my inbox—and found several more inquiries waiting.

Something shifted inside me then. A quiet, firm resolve settled deep in my chest.

If Kael could pour his time and attention into everything else, then I would do the same.

I would bury myself in my work.

If he had his distractions, I would have mine.

---

A week passed in a blur, and during that time, I barely saw Kael at all.

Not because I was avoiding him—but because I was too busy to even think about him anymore. My schedule filled quickly with one event after another, and my camera became both my shield and my escape from everything I no longer wanted to face.

I stopped waiting for him to come home. I stopped checking whether he had eaten, whether he had slept, or whether he was still spending all his time with Selara.

None of it mattered to me anymore.

But that night, when I returned from another long shoot, I found him waiting.

Kael sat right outside the apartment door, arms crossed, looking like he had been there for quite some time.

The moment I opened the door, his gaze snapped to mine.

“So, are you finally done avoiding me?” he said with a sharp, mocking edge.

I didn’t even look at him as I stepped inside and slipped off my shoes. “I’m not avoiding you.”

“Then explain why you leave early in the morning and only come back when I’m already asleep,” he demanded.

“Because I’ve been busy,” I answered simply as I walked past him.

But before I could reach my room, his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.

“Fine. If you’re still upset because I couldn’t take you to the embassy last week, just say it,” he snapped. “Selara was in the hospital, and both her parents were away. What did you expect me to do? Ignore her?”

I turned to face him, my expression calm and distant. “I don’t know, Kael. People have different priorities. Mine was my passport. If I had waited for you, it would have expired, wouldn’t it?”

My voice came out flat, almost emotionless.

His fingers tightened around my wrist. “You always have time to argue with me, but don’t you realize I’ve been exhausted too? I’ve been working and taking care of Selara at the same time.”

Then his tone sharpened further.

“The least you could do is welcome me when I get home, cook me breakfast, or prepare something before I leave for work. Is that really so difficult?”

I went still.

So that was the truth.

He had asked me to live with him not because he wanted to build a life with me—but because he wanted someone at home waiting for him while he spent his days with Selara.

For the first time, I raised my voice.

“Didn’t I already tell you I’m busy too?”

Kael let out an annoyed breath and released my hand. “Fine. Let’s just drop what happened before. Tomorrow, get ready. We’re attending Selara’s birthday party.”

I let out a short, incredulous laugh and crossed my arms. “She just got out of the hospital and she’s already throwing a birthday party? That’s impressive.”

“It’s also a celebration for her recovery,” he corrected, as if that justified everything. Then he frowned. “Railey, you really hate Selara, don’t you? You always act like this when it’s about her.”

I scoffed. “I don’t hate her. I just don’t like her. There’s a difference.” I turned away. “Go by yourself. I already have plans tomorrow.”

Without waiting for his response, I walked into my room and shut the door firmly behind me.

But the irony of everything hit me the very next morning.

Because when I arrived at my client’s event, camera in hand, I realized that my client… was Selara.

It turned out she had booked me through her butler, which meant I had unknowingly accepted a job for her birthday celebration.

And so there I was, forced to do my job while watching her cling to Kael in front of everyone.

She fed him the first slice of cake, leaning in to press a kiss against his cheek as she laughed sweetly.

Around them, their friends whispered and smirked in my direction.

“Isn’t that Kael’s girlfriend?”

“Wow, look at her. So professional. Watching her boyfriend get kissed by another girl and still taking their photos like nothing’s wrong.”