“In the presence of the Moon Goddess and all members of the Pack, I, Damian, Alpha of Silvermoon Pack, officially reject Seraphina as my mate!”
On the day of my Mating Ceremony when I was twenty, my childhood Alpha and Fated Mate, Damian, brought back an unfamiliar female werewolf, Vivian.
He claimed that on the Night of Souls, the silhouette of the Fated Soul he had seen was hers, not mine.
“Vivian has told me everything. You gave me a Hallucination Potion to make me believe my Fated Mate was you. Now, it’s time to correct that mistake!”
The moment the words left his mouth, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. Pain ripped through my whole body.
Our Mate Bond splintered, inch by inch.
I dropped to my knees, blood trickling from the corner of my lips as I clutched my chest.
My other childhood friend and also the pack’s Beta, Ethan, just watched coldly.
“There was never a Mate Bond between you and Damian. Enough with your pitiful act! The more you do this, the more we’ll despise you.”
The mate I loved most, and the friend I trusted the most, teamed up to rub my nose in the dirt in front of everyone.
Their words were like knives, gutting me open bit by bit.
Staggering, I turned and fled from the pack. Once, it was a place that held all my happiness. Now, there was only coldness and betrayal.
None of them cared, convinced I was just throwing a tantrum and would come crawling back sooner or later.
It wasn’t until weeks later that they learned I had begun the Healer’s closed-door training. All ties must be severed, and complete solitude was required. I wasn’t allowed to return for ten years.
That was the moment they finally fell apart.
…
The day I booked my flight happened to coincide with our pack’s annual Full Moon Festival.
My mentor, Skylar, gave me a reminder.
“Child, we leave in seven days. If there’s anyone you still can’t let go of, make sure to say your goodbyes.”
Early Spring in the Northern Reach was bitterly cold, as usual.
I lingered for a long time on the street outside my apartment, hesitating. Finally, I took out my phone and dialed Ethan’s number.
We had grown up together in the same orphanage, after all. We were childhood friends, as close as siblings. No matter how things ended between us, it felt only right to share one last meal before saying our goodbyes.
However, he hung up on me several times before switching off his phone entirely.
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to dial Damian’s number instead. After what felt like an eternity, someone finally answered this time.
