After I packed my bags, I was ready to leave the Silver Moon Pack territory for good.

Unexpectedly, Briar grabbed my arm, his grip firm, almost possessive. "I’m talking to you, didn’t you hear me?" His voice was sharp, the tone of a Beta accustomed to obedience.

I wrenched my arm away, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "Did you hear what I said? I said we’re done. The mate bond is over. Whether anyone else wants me is none of your concern."

He let out a harsh laugh, his golden eyes glinting with disbelief. "I know you too well, Aviana. Every time we argue, you pull that face, but just one sweet word from me, and you’re all smiles again. You’re not serious about this."

I glanced around the room, the walls adorned with photos of us—us at the pack training academy, us during our early days in the Silver Moon Pack. Our matching mugs sat on the counter, a relic of simpler times. "Typically, someone serious about breaking a mate bond would get rid of these things," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Stop the act. Do you think your performance is better than mine?"

My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a faint whimper of pain echoing my own. I shut her out, refusing to let her weakness show. "I have no time for this, Briar. I need to take Ivey to the pack gathering for the autumn moon feast with your father. We should visit the infirmary to see my mom. Oh, and when we pass by the market, I’ll buy some herbs for her."

A pang of sorrow hit me as I looked at him. Six years ago, when he was just a struggling Delta, he treated me and my mom so well. Even if he didn’t have much in terms of resources, he would still bring her the rare herbs she needed for her healing practices. My mom, feeling sorry for us, pretended to prefer the cheaper, more common herbs. But now, no matter how many herbs he bought, my mom wouldn’t be there to use them.

"Briar," I said, my voice firm, "I’ve paid for my share of the pack resources here until the end of the month. These things—it’s not that I can’t bear to throw them away; they just don’t mean anything to me anymore. Do whatever you want with them."

"As for my mom, you’ll never see her again."

"From today, you’re free. And please, don’t interfere in my life anymore. I have no regrets about the six years we spent together, but they’re memories I don’t wish to relive. If we cross paths again, let’s just be strangers."

With that, I turned and walked away without glancing back, my head held high despite the ache in my chest.

After taking my belongings back to my mom’s old house in the outskirts of the territory, I went to the pack’s training grounds to formally resign from my position. I packed my personal items into a box at my desk and started handing over my responsibilities to the other warriors.

On the last day, those pack members who had whispered behind my back came out in full force to mock me openly.

"Oh my, what’s this? Even the one who threw herself at the Beta got dumped?" one Delta sneered, her voice carrying across the training field.

"I’ll tell you what, as you age, maybe get a clue," another chimed in, her tone laced with venom. "How can you compete with the young Lunas? You’re not even fit to shine their shoes."

"That’s right!" a third added, her laughter sharp and cruel. "Playing maid to our Beta, and he doesn’t even notice you. Aviana, here’s a suggestion: if you’re so into him, why not marry his father? Hahaha!"

"Yes, that’s a thought," the first one continued, her voice rising with glee. "Or you could just be their housekeeper—at least you’d get a meal. Because once you’re out of this pack, finding another position will be tough!"

I was shaking with anger, just about to retort, when a sleazy voice came from the entrance to the training grounds. "I wouldn’t mate a woman my son was bored of," Callan Ryan, Briar’s father and the pack’s Gamma, said with a leer. "But if you insist on warming my bed, I might consider it."

The room erupted in laughter, the sound echoing in my ears as I clenched my fists, my wolf growling softly in the back of my mind. But I held my ground, refusing to let them see how their words cut. I was done with this pack, done with Briar, and done with their petty cruelty. I had a new path to forge, and nothing—not their mockery, not their scorn—would stop me.

I watched as Callan Ryan swaggered into the packhouse, his sly grin making my skin crawl. He reached out to touch me, and before I could think, my hand shot out, slapping him hard across the face.

"If you touch me again, I’ll report you to the Lycan Council for harassment!" I spat, my voice trembling with anger.

Moments later, a few pack members—relatives of Briar Ryan—grabbed files from the table and hurled them at me. Their growls of anger filled the room, their eyes flashing with hostility.

"You’re shameless! How dare you lay a hand on my uncle! I’ll teach you a lesson!" one of them snarled, stepping closer.

This packhouse was a mess. Eighty percent of the pack were Briar’s relatives, and the land title was in his father’s name. Yet, it was my mother, a respected Healer, who had sold her beloved emeralds to help Briar establish his position as Beta. I had sacrificed my dream of becoming a Gamma to support him, all because he claimed his father was traditional and wouldn’t accept a mate in a higher rank.

Suddenly, a soft, fragile voice broke through the chaos.

"Oh, Beta Briar, I’m so scared."

Everyone turned, and there was Ivey Cook, the delicate Luna wannabe, nestled in Briar’s arms like a fragile flower. Her eyes were wide with feigned innocence, and she clung to him as if I were some kind of monster.

Callan, ever the opportunist, quickly chimed in, "Son, I’ve told you before to cut ties with this horrible woman. Look at her! She even had the nerve to hit me today!"

I retorted, my voice sharp, "You were the one harassing me! Hitting you was self-defense!"

To my disbelief, Briar turned on me, his voice rising in a commanding alpha tone. "Shut up! That’s my father! So what if he said something to you or touched you? It’s just a sign of affection from an elder. Stop making baseless accusations against him!"

Callan was no saint. He’d clawed his way up from a rough background, using Briar’s pack resources to start his own pack. Now, he was the Gamma of Briar’s pack, and he’d grown more arrogant with every passing day. He’d always tried to get handsy with me, and despite mentioning it to Briar countless times, he’d dismissed it, saying his father would never compete with him over a woman.

For Briar’s sake, I had tolerated it. But now that I’d ended our mate bond, I had no reason to endure it any longer.

Ivey’s eyes welled up with tears, and she glanced at Callan apologetically. "Beta Callan, I’m sorry you’re dealing with this because of me. Luna Aviana is probably just upset that Beta Briar and I are formalizing our mate bond, so she’s taking it out on you."

Briar’s gaze hardened as he pointed at me. "Just now, you were so adamant about our breakup, acting like some tragic heroine, and now you come here to cause trouble for my father. Are you even a wolf? Everyone has their limits!"

"Do you want me to demote you from the pack? I won’t give you a single resource from your years of service!"

"Kneel down and apologize to my father!"

I suddenly wanted to laugh. What kind of wolf had I tied my life to for six years? At last, I could see clearly. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of anger and regret echoing in my mind. I had given up so much for this pack, for Briar, and for what? To be treated like dirt by the very wolves I’d sacrificed everything for?

"Enough," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "I’m done with this pack. I’m done with you, Briar. And I’m done with your family."

Briar’s eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in them—regret, maybe, or even fear. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by that cold, dismissive look I’d come to know too well.

"You’ll regret this," he said, his voice low and threatening.

But I knew better. I had already regretted everything. Now, it was time to move on.