After studying at the Moonlight Academy for two long years, I couldn't wait to return to my pack. I was ready to become Luna, and my heart was filled with excitement at the thought of finally decorating our new den with my mate, Darius Bloodmoon.

My wolf was even more happy than I was.

I was daydreaming about our future together, picturing how beautiful our home would be, when I stumbled upon a hidden box in a corner of my room. Inside were flight tickets, neatly stacked and labeled with dates and destinations.

As I stared at the tickets, confusion washed over me. Darius had been traveling to the neighboring pack, Shadowclaw, every month without telling me. He always said he was busy with pack business, but how could he be too busy to see me? Even though I was only a short run away from Shadowclaw, he chose not to visit or include me in any of his plans. That realization hurt more than I expected.

I arrived at the spot where I thought he would propose, my heart racing with anticipation and joy. The sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the meadow, and I imagined all the beautiful words he would say to me. But my world shattered in an instant as I saw him kneeling before another she-wolf.

"Alina Nightshade, will you be my mate? Just say yes, and I’ll abandon everything else!" Darius’s voice echoed with excitement, and I froze, unable to comprehend what I was witnessing.

His gaze was filled with love and admiration for her, not for me. I couldn’t bear to interrupt their moment. If he wanted a life with her, who was I to stand in their way? But as I ran away, my heart pounding in my chest, I heard that he had searched every corner of the world for me, trying to bring me back to his side.

---

The proposal site was beautiful, adorned with vibrant wildflowers and lit by the gentle glow of lanterns that swayed lightly in the breeze. Darius, down on one knee, looked just like the prince of my dreams. But the she-wolf standing in front of him was not me!

"Alina, will you accept my bond?" he asked, his voice a melody of hope and joy.

Alina clutched her chest, overwhelmed with emotion as Darius slid a sparkling ring onto her finger. They embraced tightly, their laughter mixing with whispers of love that pierced through me like an arrow, leaving me breathless and heartbroken.

I found myself absentmindedly twisting the silver bracelet Darius had given me during my first moon phase ceremony. I never told him it was too loose. I had tied a bit of thread around it to keep it from slipping off my wrist. But as I tugged on the thread in disbelief, it finally unraveled, and the bracelet slipped from my wrist, rolling away and disappearing into the grass. Just like Darius, who, after two years apart, had chosen to break our bond. An ill-fitting bracelet didn’t need to be retrieved, just as a mate who no longer loved me didn’t need to be held onto.

My wolf howled in pain.

"Darius, I hope your mating ceremony goes smoothly,"

"Why? The only one I wish to mate with is you!"

"Because… I plan to crash your ceremony! It will show how deep our bond truly is!"

My steps faltered. I wanted to see just how far Darius would go to hurt me for Alina's sake.

"You are truly one of a kind! Only you would dream up such madness!" he laughed, the sound sharp and mocking.

"Then I better get some new running shoes so I can escape fast if we decide to elope!"

"Are you really ready to do this , Alina?" he asked, his voice dripping with insincerity.

"Marrying her is the least I can do to honor my promise. If she can’t keep her mate from running away at the altar, that’s her fault, right?" he responded, laughter still in his voice, but it was cruel and twisted.

Their laughter stabbed at my heart. I turned away, leaning against a nearby tree, feeling my strength wane. My legs felt weak, and I couldn’t hold back my sobs any longer. I covered my mouth tightly, desperate not to let them hear me.

But halfway home, my legs finally gave out, and I collapsed onto the cold, unforgiving ground.

The moon goddess had dealt me a cruel hand like she always did.

Once back in my den, broken and bruised, I reached for my phone and called my mentor, desperate for a sense of guidance in this overwhelming moment.

"Elder Roman, I want to join the sojourn you mentioned."

My mentor sounded thrilled but confused, clearly sensing my distress through the phone.

"Didn't you say you wanted to settle down with Darius in our territory? Isn’t a long-distance bond hard to maintain? Are you sure you want to make this choice?"

I winced as I wiped the dirt from my scraped knees, each touch sending pain through me. I could hardly bear to think of the life I had imagined with Darius.

"The bond is over. From now on, I’ll devote myself to research!" I declared, my voice strong despite the tears still streaming down my cheeks.

My mentor, who treated me like family, sensed something was off.

"The deadline is approaching. I’ll put your name on the list. Keeping busy will help distract you from this."

"I don’t mean to pry, but over the last two years, you’ve always been here in Silverlake, while he has never bothered to come see you. That’s a clear sign he doesn’t love you like you thought."

"If you’ve decided to move on, don’t cling to the past!"

If it weren’t for that stack of flight tickets, I could have easily brushed aside my mentor’s words about his lack of love.

No wonder Darius never called at the end of each month. He was busy running off to Shadowclaw!

For two whole years, I felt like a fool, pouring my heart into my studies, thinking we would be together. Those brief moments together after long runs to see him were once my happiest times. Yet, my cross-pack love story had turned into a cruel joke, and I had been the butt of it all.

As I made my way to the proposal site, I tried to convince myself he had gone to Shadowclaw for pack business. But seeing him propose to Alina—the very wolf who had bullied me during my childhood—made it clear why he hadn’t visited me.

Alina must have kept him away, spinning tales of longing to justify his absence. He knew exactly how much I despised her.

After my father died, Alina and her mother became the ghosts of my past, haunting me with their presence. I had imagined countless scenarios over these two years, but I never thought Darius would fall for her. I never anticipated he would go so far as to allow me to be humiliated at the ceremony just to satisfy her.

I sank into the tub , the heat gradually calming my trembling body, allowing the water to embrace me and wash away some of my pain.

Then, Darius’s call came in, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Rina, where are you? I’m at the meadow!"

I stayed silent, unsure of how to respond, my heart heavy with a mix of emotions.

Darius grew anxious as silence stretched between us.

"Rina, what’s wrong? Are you upset?" he pressed, concern edging his voice.

"Where are you? I’ll come get you right now!"

He was still attentive, sensing my emotions even from a distance.

"I’m at home. I don’t want to go to the meadow today."

There was a brief pause before he spoke again, still trying to comfort me.

"Alright, I’ll come home right away to be with you."

He didn’t question why I had canceled. It wasn’t that his love was so deep that he could overlook my feelings. It was because he had successfully proposed to Alina in the perfect setting, leaving me in the shadows, as if I were nothing more than a passing thought.

When Darius entered, I had just stepped out of the bathroom, water still dripping from my hair. My heart sank as I saw Alina behind him, a smile plastered across her face.

"Why did you bring her here?" I asked, my voice filled with warning, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

Was he really so eager to rub salt in my wound?

Darius looked a bit guilty, rubbing the back of his neck as he often did when he was nervous.

"Rina, I ran into Alina downstairs. She insisted on coming up to apologize for the past…"

I watched him coldly, unimpressed by his excuses.

"Rina, I was young and didn’t understand. I’m really sorry for the way I treated you."

I turned to Darius, my voice trembling as memories of the past flooded my mind.

"So, you expect me to forgive them—both mother and daughter?"

The pain of memories—the bruises from the past, the loss of my family, and the torment I had endured—swelled within me, threatening to overflow.

I didn’t ask why he had fallen for Alina; it would show weakness. It was of no consequence.

I waited, stubbornly silent, as Darius's guilt seemed to evaporate, replaced by an irritating sense of annoyance.

"Rina, Alina didn’t know better back then. She’s sorry and has been for years. Why not let go of the past?"

The torment I had suffered, both physical and emotional—that's what I considered the past.

Refusing to forgive Alina wasn’t about holding a grudge. Darius was the one who helped me when I was hurt, so he understood how much I loathed her and her mother.

Yet, he chose to love Alina and stand against me.

When Darius reached for my hand, attempting to broker peace, I pulled away sharply.

"Darius, what gives you the right to ask me to forgive them?" I asked.

Behind my father’s back, they had mistreated me, tricking him into believing I was the villain. After his death, they didn’t even care enough to mourn him.

Darius stared at my hand, now red from where I had pulled away, confusion clouding his eyes.

"Rina, I’m trying to help you. You have no parents now, and Alina and her mother are the only family you have left. Why not let go of the past?"

"You need to move forward, right?"

His words were meant to comfort me, but impatience seeped into his calm tone.

He could not hide it even if he wanted to.

But the warmth and care I once felt from him were now gone. Not that it mattered now.

I could feel my heart, already fractured. I did not think it could break any further.

The pain was so intense I could barely speak. The bond,making it more painful.

Alina's eyes were filled with fake sorrow, but I could see the smugness hidden beneath.

"Rina, it’s okay if you can’t forgive me. I’ll keep repenting until you accept me as your family."

"I have had enough of you. Leave now!"

I pressed my back against the wall , desperate to keep myself steady. My body trembled, and I could feel the heat of anger surging through me.

I was keeping myself from shifting right now.

The moon goddess sure loved to play with me.

Darius stood a few steps away, his frustration palpable.

One could cut it with a Knife.

His voice rose slightly, echoing off the walls. “Rina, why are you being so unreasonable? Nobody is perfect. Can you just try to be a little more understanding?”

Unreasonable, understanding, I thought

even my wolf that loved him immensely scoffed at that word.

I couldn’t shake the memories of the pain Alina and her Mother had caused me.

Darius had once been my shield, always defending me against their hurtful words. But now he stood against me, a stranger in my life.

My voice came out sharper than I intended, the bitterness spilling from my heart. “Unless she suffers the same way I have. Until she feels the same way I feel right now,and unless the sun rises in the west and sets in the east, I will never forgive her!”

Darius ’s expression tightened, his forehead creased with the weight of his thoughts. The same look he used to give when he fought for me now twisted with anger aimed at me. His mate or Ex mate

“Rina! How have you changed so much in these years? If you can’t find it in your heart to forgive her, at least apologize! I can’t bear the thought of my fiancée being seen as spiteful and resentful!”

I felt the surge of anger rise within me.

“Don’t blame all your troubles on Alina and her Mother! They made mistakes, but they didn’t deserve this! If you’re going to drown in sorrow like your father, it’s no wonder you’re haunted by your dreams!”

The word “haunted” came out harsh, and I saw Darius flinch, as if I had struck him. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who once promised to protect me.

The whiplash from his behavior was beginning to upset me greatly.

“Rina, I’ll always be here. I won’t let anyone harm you.” Those words had once wrapped around me like a warm blanket. Now, they felt empty, a distant memory fading into the shadows of our broken trust.

I felt my wolf inside me, her pain mirroring my own. She growled softly, echoing my frustration, begging me to lash out, to make him see. But I could only tremble, retreating from the confrontation.

As I staggered back, Darius stepped forward, reaching out to steady me. I could see his concern for me, but it only fueled my anger.

“How did you hurt yourself?” he asked, trying to examine me.

“Don’t worry about it. If you can’t apologize for your mistakes, I’ll do it myself, but you need to stop being so rude.” His words were sharp, filled with the weight of his foolishness

I yanked my arm away from him , pointing to the exit with fury. Leave before I drag you out! , just leave!”

Darius ’s eyes widened, and he hesitated, but I could see his instincts kicking in. He wanted to comfort me, but the warmth of his touch made my skin crawl.

My wolf now growling with impatience to see him bleed.

Alina stepped forward, tears streaking down her cheeks. “Rina, I’m going now. Please don’t torture yourself over this.”

She turned abruptly, her movements too fast. I watched helplessly as she collided with the doorframe, crumpling to the ground.

“Hypocrite, Liar” My wolf scoffed.

Darius sprang into action, letting go of me to rush to her side.

“Are you alright? I’m taking you to the doctor!” He began to panic as he knelt beside her.

The hallway fell silent, the chaos dissipating, leaving a heavy stillness. My heart sank, the void of loss swallowing me whole.

After all those years of friendship and love, we had now reached this point of brokenness.

Since he wants to run away at the wedding, I will let him have no bride at the wedding!

If there was one thing the cheating asshole was right about , it was that I needed to look forward. And that is exactly what I planned to do.

The weight of my decision settled in, a mix of relief and sorrow washing over me as I took a deep breath, determined to move forward.