“You seriously want to bring this up again?” Kael snapped, the frustration in his voice raw and dangerous, the way an Alpha snarls when another wolf challenges him. “Fine. If it bothers you so much, I’ll tell Selara to take down the post. Satisfied now?”

I let out a quiet, bitter laugh that barely rose above a whisper. He still didn’t understand.

“It’s not about the post, Kael,” I said, my voice steady on the surface, though beneath it, my chest burned with anger and betrayal. “It’s about why you lied. It’s not about meeting Selara, not about kissing her… or even sleeping with her.”

“Oh, now I get it,” Kael interrupted, smirking like he’d just solved some riddle. “You’re jealous. That’s all this is about, right?”

He folded his arms, his posture casual, but his tone was sharp, almost mocking. “Now it makes sense why you’ve been avoiding me this past week. Jealousy of Selara. Typical.”

I had always avoided conflict, always told myself to be patient, understanding—the good mate who didn’t overreact. But ever since he broke his promise on my graduation day, a crack had formed inside me, growing steadily until it finally split wide open.

“What if I am jealous?” I shot back, my words slicing through the tension, my chest tight with fury and heartbreak. “Are you finally going to do something about it? Are you going to stay away from her?”

“No, right?” I pressed on, my voice cracking but refusing to weaken. “You never even met your so-called client in Bali, did you? You lied. Work was just an excuse for a vacation, a reason to be with Selara.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks before I could stop them. I didn’t fight them—they were a small release, a bitter acknowledgement of everything I’d held inside.

“So… I think it’s better if we end this,” I whispered, my voice barely recognizable even to me. “Besides, our packs don’t even know about us properly. And soon, you’ll be bound to your perfect mate anyway.”

Kael’s face went pale, the first real crack of panic appearing in his amber eyes. He stepped toward me, desperation in every motion.

“No! Railey, don’t say that,” he pleaded, hands gripping my shoulders firmly, voice breaking. “I can’t live without you. Don’t leave me, please.”

“I know it’s confusing now,” he continued, his hands trembling as they rested on my arms, “but Selara and I only acted for our parents’ sake. The one I care for… the one I truly want… is you. Only you.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice softer now, almost fragile. “I’m sorry for missing your graduation. I’m sorry I didn’t go with you to the embassy. I’m sorry for everything, Railey. I know I let you down, but from now on… you’ll be my first thought, my priority. I swear it.”

‘Another empty promise,’ I sneered silently, but then I caught myself. Why was I still angry? In less than three weeks, I would be gone, far from this pack, far from him. Why waste my strength on a wolf who had spent years proving he didn’t deserve me?

So I did what I always did—I forgave him. But this time, it was only a pretense.

Kael sighed with relief, wrapping his arms around me in a warm, deceptive embrace, as if everything were back to normal.

“Then tonight… will we…” he began, hope shining in his golden eyes, “be together again?”

I pulled away immediately. “No.”

Without another word, I turned and retreated to my room, shutting the door behind me. Outside, his low chuckle drifted under the wood, casual and careless.

“Alright, alright. Take your time to think, my wolf,” he called softly.

The next morning, I prepared breakfast and packed a lunch for him, playing the part he always demanded of me. Kael’s expression softened when he saw it, and he grinned, sharp fangs glinting in the morning light.

“Thanks. If this is how it’s going to be, everything will run smoothly between us,” he said, his tone smug but satisfied.

I returned his smile, perfectly practiced, hollow.

I kept up the act for five days, all the while quietly packing my belongings, my heart already halfway across the ocean.

I even attended my friend’s wedding alone. Once I reached the bridal room, I shared my plan with her. She cried and clutched me tightly.

“Don’t cry today—your happiness matters,” I whispered, struggling to hold back my own tears.

She nodded. “Promise me we’ll hang out one last time before you leave for Melbourne.”

“Of course.”

But as I watched my friend walk down the aisle, a strange, sharp pang of jealousy twisted through me. Kael could have been the one by my side if he had honored his promises, if he had shown up for my graduation. But he didn’t.

I shook my head and forced myself back into the celebration, forcing down my feelings.

Later that evening, as I was about to leave the party, my phone rang. It was Selara.

“Railey,” her voice silky and sharp, “Kael’s completely drunk at our friend’s party. Could you pick him up?”

I went—not out of concern, but because this was the final time I would perform the role of the understanding, obedient mate.

As I waited outside the party’s private box, I overheard their conversation clearly.

“So, what happens to Railey if you marry Selara, Kael?” one of his friends asked.

Kael laughed, lazily, the sound carrying the casual cruelty of a wolf who believed everything was his. “Railey? She’s just here to obey me, to be by my side when I want her. Isn’t it amusing, having a little puppy waiting at home?”

Kael’s friends erupted into laughter, their voices carrying a cruel edge that made my blood run cold.

“Right, Selara’s perfect if you want a mate for life,” one of them teased.

“So… when’s the wedding?” another chimed in, grinning like it was already written in stone.

I froze outside the private room, my heart hammering in my chest. Kael had never really seen me as a partner, as someone worthy of care. To him, I had always been convenient—a presence to summon when needed and discard when it suited him.

I refused to step inside. I refused to give him even an inch of my attention anymore.

But as soon as I returned home, my phone buzzed with a notification. Selara had posted photos from the party. One slide showed the two of them laughing together, another captured Kael leaning heavily on her shoulder, drunk and completely at ease with her.

Fury surged through me, sharp and scorching. I packed not just my essentials, but stripped the apartment of every trace of myself. In two weeks, I would be gone, and nothing of me would remain.

Over the next few days, I ignored him entirely. By daylight, I immersed myself in photography, chasing shutter clicks and angles. At night, I lost myself in editing, in the rhythm of my own life—one that didn’t include him. Whether he returned home or remained out with Selara, whether he noticed my absence or not, it didn’t matter to me anymore.

A week before my departure, my room had become nearly empty. If Kael had even the slightest shred of sensitivity, he would have noticed the absence of my presence in the apartment. But I doubted he had.

That evening, I slung my bag over my shoulder, ready to deliver a client’s photo files and meet a friend afterward. Just as my fingers curled around the doorknob, Kael entered, a plastic bag of beer dangling from one hand.

For the first time since that night at the bar, we were face-to-face.

His amber eyes darkened as they settled on me, and a bitter laugh escaped his throat. “Well, well. We finally collide. Even though we share this space, we haven’t crossed paths all week. Not once.”

I didn’t answer. I refused to play his game.

“Haven’t we already forgiven each other a week ago?” he continued, voice sharp and dripping with sarcasm. “You even made me breakfast, like you always do. But after that… nothing. You act like the whole week vanished. How long, Railey? How long are you going to avoid me?”

“I’m busy,” I said flatly, adjusting my bag and preparing to leave.

Before I could step out, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist and yanking me back. My breath caught as he pressed me against the wall, his presence heavy and suffocating.

“Railey,” he murmured, the alcohol heavy on his breath. “If you keep behaving like this… I will end up marrying Selara for real.”

I turned my face to the side, avoiding his heated gaze. My wrist throbbed under his grip, but I refused to show weakness. “Then do it. I don’t care.”

Kael’s eyes darkened further, frustration coiling through his tense posture. “Don’t care?” he growled. “Since when did you stop caring about me? Avoiding me doesn’t prove that you don’t—you’re jealous, and it’s obvious.”

He leaned closer, the menace in his voice sharp as a claw. “Oh, right. I haven’t shown enough of my love for you, have I? Fine. I’ll fix that… so you’ll never dare avoid me again over something so trivial.”

The bag slipped from his hand, spilling beer cans across the floor with a metallic clatter. Before I could react, he seized both my wrists, pressing them above my head against the wall.

“Kael, let go! You’re drunk!” I warned, voice steady, but he ignored me.

His left hand reached for my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His fingers dug into my skin as he leaned in, claiming my lips in a possessive, bruising kiss.

I struggled, kicking and twisting in his grasp, but my strength was nothing compared to his. For the first time, Kael’s roughness broke through, leaving me shocked and trembling.

“Kael… it hurts,” I sobbed, my voice shaking. “Was your promise not to hurt me… also a lie?”

Something inside him shattered. His body tensed, his drunken haze giving way to the stark clarity of realization. His grip slackened, his breathing erratic, eyes wide as if finally seeing what he had done.

“Railey… I…” he began, voice cracking.

I didn’t let him finish. The moment I was free, I shoved him back and fled the apartment, my heart pounding in my ears.

I caught my reflection in the elevator mirror and froze. My hair was disheveled, my face pale and raw.

“Bastard,” I muttered under my breath, scowling at the reflection of the man I had loved for too long.

Thankfully, meeting my friend afterward eased some of the tension. Her laughter, the warmth of normal conversation, grounded me back in reality. I was genuinely happy for her honeymoon, secure in the knowledge that her joy had nothing to do with Kael.

But my relief was fleeting. One of my clients for the day was… Selara. I couldn’t hold her final photo rolls any longer, so I made my way to meet her.

She greeted me with her trademark easy smile, flipping through the images. “These are really good. You’ve got talent.” She tapped her phone. “Oh, I’ve already transferred the payment, including the bonus.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, ready to leave.

But then she added, casually, yet deliberately: “By the way… since you didn’t pick him up that night, I brought him home. Not yours—mine. We… enjoyed that night together, Railey.”

I froze, eyes narrowing.

Selara tilted her head, watching me with mock sympathy. “That night, when he stayed at my place, he… mistook me for you,” she continued softly, almost tauntingly. “He was… out of control. He seemed desperate for you.”

My body went rigid.

Selara’s sweet smile didn’t falter. “So… I’m sorry, Railey. But an accident happened between us. I hope Kael explained it?”

My heart slowed in my chest, hollow and heavy.

She leaned in, voice dropping to a near whisper. “I know our… arrangement is only for our families’ sake. I know you’re the one he truly loves. But Railey… I saw how much he enjoyed that night. The next morning, he laughed about it, saying it was the most incredible night he’d ever had.”

I swallowed hard, every breath bitter and uneven.

Selara’s eyes gleamed, cruelly triumphant. “So… why don’t you just give up? Your relationship is already crumbling.”

She smiled again, soft and poisonous. “Oh, and one more thing… I want to hire you as my wedding photographer. Awkward, isn’t it, considering you’ll still be dating him by then?”

Finally, Selara dropped the mask entirely, revealing her true intentions.

“You’ve always loved him, haven’t you?” I asked, my voice calm but steady, carrying the weight of years of unspoken frustration.

Selara met my gaze without hesitation, her confidence radiating like a challenge.

“Well,” she said lightly, tilting her head as if she were admitting to some innocent truth, “I’ve always thought of him as a friend, someone I grew up with. But after these last few days… I think I might feel something more than just friendship.”

I inwardly scoffed.

“Love isn’t wrong, right?” she continued, her tone deceptively casual, as though life had forced her into this position. “Even if you’re still dating him, it’s not a guarantee that you’ll end up married. So… why not let me have him now?”

I couldn’t help but snort.

Finally, she was being honest. No games, no pretenses—just pure selfishness wrapped in polite words.

“Funny,” I said, a smirk tugging at my lips, “I was planning to. Go ahead, take him.”

After all, people like Kael were meant to be with people like her. Nothing more, nothing less.

Her confident smile wavered for a fraction of a second, but I gave her no chance to recover.

“However,” I added smoothly, tilting my head with deliberate calm, “I get to choose my own clients, too. So you’ll need to find another photographer for your big day.”

I didn’t wait for her response. I turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, speechless.

---

After everything Kael had done that morning, I hesitated to return to the apartment. I had even blocked his number. Selara’s words had confirmed what I already knew—I had no reason to stay there anymore. Seven days remained before I left, and most of my things were already packed or sent ahead, leaving only essentials behind.

That night, I decided to go back to my mother’s house.

When she opened the door and saw me standing there with my bags, her surprise quickly melted into a warm, welcoming smile.

“I missed you,” I whispered, wrapping her in a tight hug. “Can I stay with you before I leave for Melbourne?”

Her arms tightened around me immediately. “Of course, my dear. You’ll always be my little girl.”

Her warmth, her gentle voice, reminded me of something I had forgotten I needed. Since college, I had insisted I was independent, capable of standing on my own. Yet, here I was, seeking comfort in my mother’s arms.

The next morning, over breakfast, I finally told her everything.

“I’m going to start over, Mom. A new identity. I’ll even take your last name. Is that okay?”

She listened quietly, her eyes soft and understanding. Without a second thought, she smiled and nodded.

“If this is what you’ve thought through, I won’t question it,” she said gently.

“Thanks, Mom,” I murmured, grateful for her unwavering support.

---

Three days later, my mother had to leave for a sudden business trip.

“Since you’re home, can you stay and watch the house while I’m gone?” she asked, sipping her coffee. “The maid will be here, but I need someone to help feed the puppies.”

Her two tiny, energetic wolves—her pups—barked and yipped playfully from their corner, spoiled beyond belief.

I laughed softly. “Of course, Mom.”

She nodded, satisfied, then added another task. “Also… I need your help relocating your father’s grave.”

I paused, taken aback.

“The cemetery is being renovated. I thought it would be better to move him to a larger plot, in the city center,” she explained.

I thought for a moment. Originally, I had planned to stay in Melbourne for only a year, but maybe I could settle there long-term.

“Should we move him to Melbourne then?” I asked cautiously.

My mother reached over, squeezing my hand gently. “No, dear. This is where he was born. He would want to stay here. If you ever miss him, you can always come back.”

I nodded, feeling a bittersweet weight in my chest.

After dropping her off at the airport, I drove straight to my father’s gravesite. I carefully gathered his urn, framed photos, and the small keepsakes left with him. With my mother’s car, I decided to swing by the apartment one last time to collect a few remaining items. I also wanted my father to see where I had lived during college, even if only in memory.

But as soon as I opened the apartment door, I ran into them. Kael and Selara.

Kael’s eyes widened the moment he saw me. He stepped forward, curiosity written across his face.

“Railey… where have you been staying these past few days? Your room is empty. What does that mean?”

I shrugged casually, my tone deliberately indifferent. “Oh, I heard from Selara that you two have already set a wedding date. Isn’t it about time for me to move out?”

Kael snapped toward Selara, confusion crossing his features.

Selara lowered her gaze immediately, feigning innocence. “Sorry, Kael. My butler was planning to hire her as our wedding photographer. Maybe that’s how Railey found out.” She turned back to me, putting on her sweetest apologetic smile. “But I already told Railey our marriage is only an act.”

I smirked. So this was how she lied to Kael—both of them perfect in their deception.

Kael exhaled sharply, turning back to me. “Railey, I’ve already explained. Everything is just an act. Why won’t you believe me?”

“Oh, I understand perfectly,” I replied, tilting my head innocently. “That’s exactly why I made it easier for you to act. If your parents walked in and saw you still living with me, imagine the chaos that would cause.”

Kael ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Railey, my parents would never come here. I would never let them. What more do you need to believe me?”

His desperation was almost comical.

“Right now,” he continued, attempting to regain composure, “Selara and I are figuring out how to get out of this arranged marriage. Can you just calm down?”

Selara took the opportunity to step in, voice dripping with calculated sweetness.

“That’s right, Railey. We’ve even been thinking of going abroad with you,” she said, her eyes glistening with faux sincerity. “That way, you can marry Kael in secret, without his parents knowing.”

I blinked, unable to hide my incredulity.

“We?” I asked, my voice dark with humorless disbelief.

Kael answered quickly, as though it had all been planned. “Yes, the three of us. My parents will think I married Selara, but in reality… it’ll be you.”

I couldn’t help the dark chuckle that escaped my throat.

“The three of us go together?” I repeated, voice dripping with mockery. “How… convenient.”

Selara’s usual confidence crumbled, replaced by melodrama. She dropped to her knees before me, clutching my hand in feigned desperation.

“Railey… if it’s only the two of you, what about me?” she whimpered, her voice thick with calculated distress. “My parents would be furious. I’d have nowhere to go.”

As she spoke, she shook my arm deliberately, gripping it tightly.

I yanked my hand back instinctively. The urn I had been holding slipped from my grasp.