Chapter 1On the third day after my father's passing, Roland still hadn't shown up.
"Sheriff Scott, I've made up my mind."
"I'm staying here to teach, just like my father wanted."
I zipped the last suitcase and met his eyes.
He scratched his chin, voice rough.
"Kid, you fought like hell to land a spot on pack territory. Now you wanna come back here and scrape by?"
I shook my head.
My thumb brushed the worn leather strap on my wrist - Dad's old watch. The only thing he left me.
"I'm not scared of hard living."
"Give me seven days. I'll dissolve the mating bond."
...
By nightfall I was back on pack land.
I stepped through the front door at seven.
Dinner sat on the table, cold, untouched. Just as I'd left it.
Before I even set my bag down, boots hit the porch.
Roland strode in. Tall, sharp in his Alpha patrol uniform. Voice like frost.
"Anything left to eat? Pack kitchen's already closed." He didn't look at me. "Warm something up for Naomi, will you? She's been unwell. Can't cook."
I turned.
My face was pale. Hollow.
"I just got back. I didn't make anything."
Roland frowned.
He didn't ask where I had been. Didn't notice I looked like I'd crawled through hell.
He just walked past me into the kitchen.
His mind was already somewhere else.
With her.
I stood there, watching him fumble with eggs and boil noodles.
In five years of being his mate, he had never cooked. Not once.
Ever since Naomi came crawling back to the pack after her rejection, I'd learned to expect this version of him.
The one who could care. Just not about me.
He packed the noodles into a cheap aluminum container and tried to move past.
I stepped into his path.
"I need to head home in a few days. Sign this. It's a travel request for the Elders' approval."
I slid the half-finished dissolution form onto the table. Pointed to the empty line.
Roland barely glanced at it. He scrawled his signature.
"She's been weak these past few days." A pause. "Once she's better, I'll go home with you."
I dropped my gaze, hiding the sting behind my eyes.
"Okay."
He brushed past.
And I caught it again.
The scent on his collar. Moonflower extract. The expensive kind I could never afford.
The kind she wore every day.
The door clicked shut.
I walked to the table and folded the paper. Carefully. Quietly.
A week ago, Sheriff Scott's voice crackled through the pack relay line.
"Daphne, your father collapsed during class. Brain hemorrhage."
He didn't make it.
I ran blind. Found Roland just before he slipped out.
"Please - my father - will you come?"
Before I finished, a voice sang from the porch.
"Roland! Move faster. You promised me the trading post."
His hand pulled free of mine like I'd burned him.
"I have plans. Go ahead."
"I'll join when I can."
That when never came.
My father was buried. Roland stayed busy.
All I carried home was the memory of Dad gripping my hand in the hospital cot, voice barely a rasp.
"Roland's a good Alpha. He serves the pack. Don't blame him."
"Don't fight when you return to him."
But Dad -
Roland wasn't serving the pack that day.
He was with Naomi.
At the trading post.
I wiped my eyes and cleared the dishes.
Countdown to leaving.
Six days.
Chapter 2
Day one. I walked into Elder Collin's quarters alone.
"This is the petition to dissolve my bond with Roland. I'd appreciate it if the Council could approve it quickly."
Elder Collin paused his mug mid-air.
He took the papers and gave them a long look. When he spotted both signatures, a heavy sigh left him.
"You and Roland always seemed solid... How'd it come to this?"
Yeah. How did we get here?
Roland and I were introduced by pack friends. He was the promising Alpha patrol captain. I was the gentle teacher from the territory school.
People swore the Moon Goddess had her hand in it.
But ever since Naomi came back after her broken bond, all I heard was:
"Alpha Roland really treats Naomi like a true Luna."
I shook the thoughts away. Met Elder Collin's eyes.
"Elder, you can't force the bond. We just want to part without bloodshed."
He didn't argue. Just slipped the petition into his drawer.
"Give it a couple days. Come back for the seal."
I left and headed toward the trading post in town.
Walked past the scent aisle. And there it was. Moonflower extract. $390 a jar.
Five years as his mate, and I never splurged on it once.
I must have stared a moment too long.
Lucy at the counter caught my gaze. Loud, warm laugh.
"Saw Alpha Roland grab five or six of those last week. Dang, he burns through ‘em. Daphne, that male really treats you right!"
My grip on the basket went tight.
I hadn't been home for days.
And Roland had never bought me moonflower oil. Not even a sample.
That scent on his collar last night?
It wasn't mine.
He bought it for Naomi.
I cooked, cleaned, kept his den for five years. Never got a travel-sized drop.
Naomi shows up, and suddenly it's five jars without blinking.
I couldn't tell if I felt more rage or just... small.
I met Lucy's eyes and forced a smile.
"Actually, I'll take the most expensive jar. I'm buying it for myself."
Day five.
First stop: Elder Collin's quarters. He handed me the dissolution decree. Signed. Sealed.
Next stop: the pack school office. I handed in my resignation.
The semester hadn't started. Most staff weren't around.
I headed to my desk to pack.
But the entire surface was piled with things that weren't mine.
Papers. Mugs. Makeup. Completely claimed.
My laptop was buried. When I dug it out, the cover was dented. Creased beyond repair.
The teacher at the next den leaned over. Whispers.
"All that? Naomi's."
"While you were gone, Alpha Roland brought it over himself. Said no point letting the space go cold."
Naomi.
She'd moved back a month ago after her own bond shattered. Now a substitute - barely on the pack payroll.
I let out a short, bitter laugh. Moved her things to the floor.
Almost finished packing when a gasp hit my ears.
Naomi in the doorway. And of course -
Roland right behind her.
"Roland, look. Someone threw all my stuff on the ground."
Roland stepped forward. Voice already tight with frustration.
"Daphne, it's just a few things. Why are you being so petty?"
Naomi tugged his sleeve. Big eyes. Innocent as snow.
"I'm so sorry, Daphne... I thought since you weren't using the desk, I'd borrow it for a little while. I didn't mean to upset you... I didn't think you'd toss my things like that."
She started to bow.
Roland stopped her instantly. His hand pressed her back.
Voice cold as winter stone.
"Daphne, you're taking this too far. Naomi meant no harm. Just let it go."
How many times had he defended her like this?
I'd lost count moons ago.
I grabbed my box and walked straight out.
But as I passed Naomi, her foot shot out.
I tripped. Hard.
Roland's eyes widened. He reached - too late.
I hit the floor. Box flew open. Papers scattered everywhere. My wrist scraped raw on the stone.
Roland rushed over. Bent low. Grabbed a couple sheets.
Then he froze.
"Your resignation letter?" His voice cracked. "And this one's..."
Chapter 3
I scrambled to my feet and snatched the papers from his hand.
"I've got it. Just - don't touch my things."
Roland stared at me, thrown by my reaction.
"You're leaving the school?"
I opened my mouth. Before I could speak, he chuckled.
"Well hey, that opens a slot, doesn't it? If Naomi gets the permanent den, I'd rest a whole lot easier."
Every word I had died in my throat.
I looked at him. Really looked at him. Then turned and walked out.
Didn't even pick up the scattered papers.
After filing my resignation, I found Roland waiting outside the pack school gates.
He held a cardboard box. Pressed his lips together. Handed it over.
"Your things."
My heart softened. Just a little.
I almost thanked him.
Then he added -
"Hey. Could you write Naomi a recommendation? It'd really help her secure a full den position."
A gust of wind kicked up, stinging my eyes.
I rubbed the corners. Voice flat.
"Sure."
Consider it my parting offering. After all these years as his mate.
Roland's mouth crooked into a grin.
Then, as if he'd just remembered -
"What about you? Got something else lined up?"
I turned my head. Vague.
"Yeah. Another teaching den. Different territory."
He nodded. Relieved.
Then he set the box down and pulled me into a hug.
"Daphne, claiming you... that was the best decision I ever made. Once this all settles, I'll take you home to see Dad. We'll share a drink. Talk. Just the three of us."
I leaned into him.
My chest went tight.
Too late.
All of it was already too late.
Before he could say more, footsteps. Soft. Deliberate.
"Roland, I'm not feeling so great. Can we go back to the den now?"
I glanced at her. Rosy cheeks. Glowing.
Healthy as a she-wolf in her prime.
Still, I stepped back.
Roland did exactly what I knew he would.
He let go of me like my skin burned. Guilt flickered across his face.
"I should get Naomi home. We'll talk later, alright?"
His arm slipped around her like she was made of moonlight. Careful. Protective.
Like she was something sacred.
I said nothing.
Bent down. Picked up the box.
On the way out, I tossed it into the nearest fire pit.
I didn't want anything Roland's hands had touched.
My last night on pack land, I cooked a full feast for the ones who mattered.
Mostly Roland's patrol brothers. Males I'd known for years.
I carried out the final dish. Their laughter hit my ears before I turned the corner.
"C'mon, Alpha Roland - why don't you and Naomi do a toast together?"
"Yeah! Interlock arms. Like a claiming ceremony."
Naomi sat beside him. Cheeks flushed from the wine.
"Oh stop. Roland's still a mated male."
Someone snorted.
"Please. We all know if the Elders hadn't forced that bond, he'd still be with Naomi. And Daphne's not even here anymore."
The dish was still hot in my hands. But it felt like ice.
These were the same males who once called me "Luna" with bowed heads.
Now they spoke like I was already a ghost.
Roland slammed his glass on the table. Jaw tight.
He was about to speak.
I stepped in first. Clearing my throat. Setting the dish down.
"Dinner's ready."
I smiled and moved to take my seat.
Roland froze. Stared at the spread like it had offended him.
"What's with all the dishes Naomi can't stomach?"
Naomi waved a soft hand.
"It's fine. I'll just have some greens. I'm sure Daphne didn't mean anything by it."
Her eyes went glassy. On the verge of tears.
Roland stood. Clearly annoyed.
"I'm taking you to the pack dining hall, Naomi. You don't have to eat this."
"Wait."
