Chapter 1The night before my moon blood hit, I caught it on my intended mate's phone:
"Her cycle starts tomorrow. Tampons + painkillers."
My wolf purred. He's perfect.
Next morning? Cramps slammed me like a silver bullet. I was drenched in sweat, clawing through my bag - nothing. Then the wetness came. Blood soaked through my jeans, and the scent hit my own nose - strong, metallic, unmistakable.
Pups started pointing. Snickering.
Then I saw the junior she-wolf's post on the pack feed:
"OMG my mentor is literally psychic! Had tampons AND Advil ready before I even knew I needed them! Best day ever!"
The photo? My prescription-strength Advil. My one-brand-only tampons.
I ripped the claiming ring off my finger. Walked straight to the Principal's office.
"That spot in Frostfall? Mine."
I submitted the application just as the bell howled.
Principal Peterson - an old she-wolf with sharp eyes - kept shooting me glances. Finally, she let out a low growl.
"Sofia, you were picking out mating ceremony fonts two days ago. You and Alex are binding next moon. What happened?"
I knew what she really meant.
Exchange programs? Three years minimum. That kind of distance shreds a bond before it even forms. Everyone here watched me pine over Alex Hudson for four years, date him for three more, just to finally win that ring.
Why blow it all up now?
Because distance only works when both wolves are still in the same pack. And I just realized - his wolf checked out ages ago.
I scraped the dried blood from under my claws - leftover from my pathetic tissue-patch job.
"Guess it wasn't meant to be."
"Do me a favor? Keep this between us."
Pity flickered in her wolf eyes.
"You got it. No one hears it from me. First group flies tomorrow. Say the word and you're on it."
I nodded, mumbled thanks, and bolted - my wolf already sprinting for the exit.
My phone buzzed. Alex again.
"Seriously? I've been sitting here ten minutes."
Ever since we moved in together, I had to leave with him. Every. Single. Night.
"Can't have my little she-wolf walking to the car alone," I used to swoon.
Back when he taught seniors and I had freshmen, he'd clock out two hours after me. I'd park in my classroom, killing time on the pack social feed, acting like waiting was nothing. Never once complained.
Now ten minutes was too much.
I stared at the screen, bracing for the howl of heartbreak.
Nothing came.
I typed: "Tied up. Just head out."
Then powered off.
An hour later, I'd boxed up all the handoff crap for whatever poor wolf got stuck with my classes. My shoulders ached from the tension by the time I hit the parking lot.
Pulled out my phone for a ride-share.
HONNNK.
My wolf nearly jumped out of my fur.
Alex's car. Idling right behind me.
I stood there like a fool until he laid on the horn again and stuck his head out.
"You planning to stand there all night or what?"
I glanced down at the disaster that used to be my jeans - that massive bloodstain. His precious leather seats.
Opened the door anyway.
He looked me up and down, then shoved a black grocery bag at me.
"Hang on."
I grabbed it, confused.
"You KNOW it's coming and you can't even remember to pack tampons? Sofia, come on. You're not a pup. Can you handle basic hygiene like a grown wolf?"
"You've been walking around like a crime scene all day. Half my pups asked if you were dying. Do you have any idea how that reflects on me?"
How it reflects.
The blood smell hit my nose again - stronger now, sharper.
I did pack tampons this morning. But then I saw his cute little reminder and actually believed he gave a damn about me.
Turns out he does give a damn.
Just not about me.
Chapter 2
I opened the bag.
Inside sat some dusty pink pad caked in grime - the kind of generic crap even a rogue wolf wouldn't touch.
"If you didn't have any, you could've asked someone. But no. You hid all day and made me wait an hour."
"Go change. And keep that mess off my seats."
He kept rambling. I stared at his perfect mouth moving and just felt... drained. My wolf curled in my chest, ears flat.
I closed the bag.
"Alex. I can't use this brand."
Truth is, I can't use ANY regular pad. They all have adhesive backing, and I'm violently allergic to the glue. Even touching it makes my skin erupt - hives crawling up my arms. My wolf goes haywire from the itch alone.
Let alone sticking it on the most sensitive part of my body during moon blood.
So I only use one specific brand. The ONLY one that doesn't send my wolf into a scratching frenzy.
I told him about this when we first started courting.
"Hey, just so you know? I'm allergic to adhesive. Only this one pad works. If you ever see it on sale, grab me some?"
Alex didn't even glance up from his game.
"You're so high-maintenance."
My hand froze. I forced a smile.
"Sorry, yeah. I'll just stock up myself. It's complicated. You wouldn't get it..."
That's how he talked to me. Like every word was a claw to the throat.
But other than that? He was great. Did pack chores. Cooked amazing meals. Fattened me up by five pounds. Never stopped me from buying stuff - even when I'd bring home weird den decorations that clashed with his whole minimalist cave-vibe. He'd just shake his head.
"So childish."
Over time, I convinced myself that's just who he was. Blunt. Forgetful. Occasionally cruel.
And since I chased HIM first - my wolf howling after his scent for years - I figured I had to take the bitter with the sweet.
So I stuck it out for three years.
Until today.
Until I couldn't anymore.
"Why can't you use it?"
He'd asked me that seventeen times over the years. I'd explained sixteen.
This time, I just tossed the pad in a trash can. My wolf snarled softly.
"I just can't. And since you're so worried about your car, I'll ride-share home."
His jaw tightened. Then he yanked open the passenger door and shoved me inside.
"It's too late for you to ride alone. Whatever. I'll get it detailed tomorrow."
Always half-considerate, half-cruel.
I gripped the seatbelt until my knuckles went white. My throat tightened - my wolf wanted to howl, but I swallowed it down.
I pulled out my phone and messaged the mating-ceremony studio we'd booked.
"Hi. I need to cancel our shoot next week. What's the process?"
The typing bubble appeared and disappeared a dozen times before she finally replied.
"Ms. Taylor, three days ago your bonding shoot was changed to a birthday photoshoot for two. And Alpha Hudson requested we move it up. The edited photos are ready tonight."
"Did he not tell you?"
My finger hovered over the screen. Shaking so hard I almost dropped it.
I pressed my wrist down with my other hand to steady myself. My wolf whimpered.
I glanced at Alex. Eyes on the road. Focused. Normal.
Like always.
He must've felt me staring because he shot me a look.
"What? Still pouting because I called you out?"
I didn't answer. Just waited until my hands stopped trembling. Then I typed back.
"Can I see the photos?"
The bubble flickered again before she sent them. Photos. And a ten-second video.
"Ms. Taylor, your intended mate swore we wouldn't get in trouble for this. Please don't make this difficult for us..."
I stopped reading.
Opened the first photo.
A familiar face stared back. My eyes burned.
Mia Reed. The new junior she-wolf. The one who got MY tampons and MY painkillers.
Dozens of photos. In every single one, Alex stood right beside her. Matching outfits. Laughing. Looking like the perfect pair-bond.
I clicked the video.
Mia pouted at the camera, rubbing her shoulder.
"Ugh, my shoulder's killing me. Alex, can you rub it real quick?"
And there it was. The version of Alex I'd never seen.
Soft. Gentle. Warm.
"Alright, drama queen. One more set and we're done. Then I'll buy you dinner."
Her whole face lit up. She threw her hands in the air.
"Yay!"
My eyes stung. I touched my face, expecting tears.
Nothing.
My wolf was silent. Still. Waiting.
I was done crying over Alex Hudson.
But I did remember something.
Chapter 3
Right after he claimed me, I begged him to book bonding photos before it was too late.
He refused.
"You KNOW I hate getting my picture taken. Bonding photos just sit in a box. Why are you forcing me to do something I hate?"
I bit the inside of my cheek. My wolf tucked her tail.
"They won't just sit there. When we're old and our memories fade, we'll look back. And our pups will see how happy we were."
"I promise. Just two setups. One for the ceremony backdrop, one outdoor. You won't even be tired."
He looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
"So dramatic."
But I wouldn't drop it. I begged for weeks. He said things that made me lock myself in the bathroom and sob into my fur. Finally, he gave in.
I researched everything - ceremony dresses, locations, photographers. Stayed up until 3 AM making shot lists, then taught pups on four hours of sleep.
Since our bonding ceremony was a moon away, I paid double to jump the waitlist and rush edits.
But the shoot I spent weeks planning? Alex gave it to someone else.
The Alpha who "hated photos" suddenly had infinite patience for Mia Reed. Five setups. Costume changes. All smiles.
Made me wonder if he hated photos - or just hated taking them with me.
The car stopped in our building's garage. I opened Mia's pack feed. New post. She'd blurred Alex's face out.
"OMG early bday present! Got the CUTEST pics ever thanks to a special someone ?"
Alex stood outside scrolling. A second later, a red heart appeared under her post.
He never liked mine.
"You coming or what?"
He knocked on the window. I stared at him through the glass. My wolf's hackles rose.
"You took Mia to do a photoshoot using my bonding package. Why not just do the actual ceremony photos with her? You two looked pretty comfortable."
His face went stiff. Then his eyes flashed - anger flickering in his wolf.
"Sofia, what the hell?"
"You stole MY bonding shoot to take birthday pictures with another she-wolf, and you're asking ME what's wrong?"
"Alex, YOU'VE lost your mind!"
I thought I could stay calm. But I screamed it. My throat raw. My wolf straining beneath my skin.
He just clicked his tongue.
"Mia's twenty-two and fresh out of grad school. It's her birthday and she doesn't know anyone in town. I'm her mentor. Of course I'm gonna help her celebrate."
"And it's ONE shoot. We'll reschedule ours. Why are you being so dramatic?"
I looked at his unbothered face. The anger drained out of me completely. My wolf went still.
"Fine."
Won't need them anyway.
His shoulders relaxed. He typed something. After I got out, he climbed back in the driver's seat.
"Head up without me. Mia's throwing a staff dinner tomorrow for her birthday. She needs help meal prepping. I'm gonna swing by and help her out."
I blinked. I'd planned to talk about canceling the bonding ceremony tonight.
No point now.
I nodded. Went upstairs alone. My wolf whined low in my chest.
Dragged my suitcase out of the closet. But looking around our den - my books, my throw pillows, my ridiculous cactus collection - I couldn't pack any of it.
Just grabbed my stockpile of pads and painkillers. The only things that made my wolf feel safe anymore.
Called the ceremony venue. Canceled the reception. Lost the $8,000 deposit.
Took every cent of the $15,000 Alex gave me as a claiming gift and left it on the nightstand in an envelope. Twisted off my bonding ring and dropped it on top.
Then I grabbed my half-empty suitcase, ordered a ride to the airport, and right before takeoff, sent one last text.
"Let's call off the ceremony. I'll handle both our packs. Hope you find someone you actually love."
Hit send. Airplane mode.
My wolf finally let out a quiet whimper. Then silence.
I passed out against the window.
When I woke up, we'd landed in Darkfall. I turned my phone back on.
327 missed calls flooded my screen.
