Hazel’s POV
After everyone else had left, my parents stayed behind to speak with me.
“Why don’t you come back to Aurenvale with us?” my father said gently.
It wasn’t the first time they had tried to bring me home.
I sat listlessly on the couch and met their hopeful eyes.
They weren’t just any werewolves. They were the true rulers of the werewolf kingdom—the Alpha King and Luna Queen of Aurenvale.
For years, they had stayed out of the public eye to protect me. Few outside our inner circle even knew the truth: I was the sole heir to Aurenvale’s royal bloodline.
Despite their power and status, they were also renowned pack healers. I followed in their footsteps and chose that same path.
I was supposed to return to Aurenvale for royal training after graduation. But I met Nathan during grad school, and the moment I sensed he was my mate, I left everything behind to follow him to Duskport and join his pack.
Nathan was born in a small border town and led a modest pack. He hated any mention of his “ordinary” background.
So I never told him about my true identity. In his eyes, I was just another she-wolf from the borderlands.
In five years, I had grown from a newly graduated healer to one of the most respected in Duskport.
I’d been named Outstanding Contributor for three consecutive years, and even the pack members used to tease that Nathan and I were “fated to be the perfect pair.”
I had thought that maybe, one day, our bond would make him stop feeling inferior—that he’d finally accept the real me. But I never even got the chance to tell him.
Whatever chance I had was long gone—and it no longer mattered.
“All right,” I said quietly. “I’ll go back with you.”
Their silver eyes lit up with joy. My mother clutched my hand, tears shimmering.
“Oh, sweetheart. We’ll take care of everything. We won’t let you suffer another day.”
After making sure my parents were settled in, I returned to the pack house.
The place was still cold and quiet, filled with the faint scent of mint and wolf leather. It felt like Nathan had never truly belonged here.
I made a simple sandwich and checked my phone—only to be struck by a fresh punch to the gut.
Sophie had just posted a set of gym selfies with Nathan. The two of them were practically glued together, all smiles and teasing touches.
“Convinced Nathan to skip his mating ceremony and come play tennis with me! He was a tiny bit annoyed at first, but I promised him dinner at my place and he was all better.”
My stomach turned, rage clawing at me. My wolf growled low in warning—it was a dangerous sign.
I knew he wouldn’t be coming back tonight. Just like the fifty-one other times.
Fortunately, I had never completed the bond with him. I had never allowed him to mark me.
I no longer had to fight for a bond that never truly belonged to me.
The next morning, I packed all my belongings and headed to the pack hospital to submit my resignation to the chief pack doctor, Leah.
She looked at me with complicated eyes, signing the papers even as she tried to talk me out of it.
Then the door swung open.
Nathan walked in.
The first thing I noticed was the hickey on his neck—and that sickly sweet scent clinging to him, peaches and perfume.
He had indulged himself last night. No shame, no restraint.
And yet, in the past, he used to hate it when I left marks on him. He said it made him look weak in front of the pack, that it undermined his authority.
So I had always held back, sinking my claws into the bedsheets instead of him.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t be marked. He just didn’t want it to be by me.
Leah sighed as she spotted him and said, “Good timing, Alpha. Talk to her—she’s quitting. Did you two have a fight?”
“This has nothing to do with him,” I said coldly.
“You’re resigning?” Nathan asked, stunned.
We spoke in unison, but our tones were fire and ice.
He turned to face me, his expression tense. “So you’re mad because I canceled the ceremony last night? That’s it, right?”
Leah, sensing the tension, quietly slipped out and closed the door behind her.
Nathan stepped closer, his tone hardening. “I told you—Sophie’s leg was still healing. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
I forced myself to stay calm. “I’m not mad. I’m just tired. I need a break.”
He crossed his arms. “If you wanted a break, you could’ve just asked for vacation time. Quitting like this makes it look like you’re targeting Sophie. How’s she supposed to keep working here with everyone judging her?”
He had already forgotten—I had used every single vacation day trying to make our fifty-two ceremonies happen.
To him, Sophie’s reputation was all that mattered.
I stared at the hickey on his neck again. He noticed and quickly covered it. “Just a mosquito bite. Don’t overthink it.”
I was almost surprised. He didn’t snap at me like usual—he actually tried to explain.
But the lie was too cheap, too obvious. Maybe the old me would’ve bought it.
I didn’t call him out. I just nodded in silence.
He relaxed, smiling as he slung his arm around my shoulder. “That’s my Luna. Strong, mature. A true Alpha’s mate.”
“Come on, let’s stop fighting. I’ll take you to Moonlight Bistro tonight—your favorite place. We’ll make it up, okay?”
I didn’t respond. He took that as agreement.
I had planned to say goodbye properly. But now, I didn’t even have the desire to tell him I was going back to Aurenvale.
“Nathan!”
The door burst open. Sophie rushed in, breathless, not even bothering to knock.
Nathan dropped his arm from me like he’d been scalded.
“Oops,” Sophie giggled. “Am I crashing a little date night or something? Sorryyy! But I really need help—I can’t figure out this case!”
He didn’t hesitate. He went to her, took the file, and started explaining everything in a soft, patient voice.
They stood so close, it was like I didn’t even exist.
Soon, she linked her arm with his, and they walked out together, whispering and smiling.
At the door, she turned and flashed a triumphant grin.
Bang.
The door slammed shut in my face.
Only silence remained. Just me and the sound of my own breathing.
Then, with a soft clink, the silver bracelet on my wrist slipped off and hit the floor. The embedded moonstone shattered on impact.
It had been his one-year gift to me. Back then, he had held my hands and said, “I hope our bond will be like this stone—whole and eternal.”
I stared at the pieces for a long time. The pain in my palm from the shards meant nothing to a wolf.
One by one, I picked them up and tossed them into the trash—along with the last of my feelings for him.
