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Author: Felix Dan
The day before the bonding ceremony, I returned to Cassian's house.

The carved wooden wolf my mother left me was still there.

It was the only thing that had survived the fire that destroyed my home.

The bridal room was already decorated.

All my belongings had been shoved into a wooden chest and left by the door.

Vera was standing in front of the mirror in the bonding gown that should have been mine.

The moonflower was still tucked behind her ear.

It had already withered.

The petals had curled up and turned brown, like burned paper.

Cassian was leaning in the doorway. When he saw me, he raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you so pale? Still putting on a show?"

Vera lifted her skirt and twirled.

"How do I look? Cassian said I get to rehearse the ceremony tomorrow for you.

"And if you're still throwing a tantrum, I'd be happy to take your place for real."

A few people nearby chimed in.

"Just wait until tomorrow. There's another test coming."

"He'll announce in front of everyone that he's bonding with someone else. Then let's see how sorry she is."

Cassian didn't stop them.

I dug the carved wolf out from the bottom of the chest.

One of its legs had been snapped off.

Part of a shoeprint was still visible across the broken edge.

Vera caught sight of it in the mirror and hid a laugh behind her hand.

"Oops. Was that me?

"It's just a worthless piece of junk. Who'd want it anyway?"

I ignored her.

I held the wooden wolf in my hand and looked up at Cassian.

"Cassian, my wolf is dead."

For a moment, the room went silent.

Then Vera burst out laughing.

"Did you hear that?

"We tricked her into thinking Cassian was dead, so now she's trying to trick us into thinking her wolf is dead.

"She learns fast."

The whole room laughed.

Even Cassian smirked.

"Nice try, Eileen. We've already pulled that stunt.

"If you're really sick, I'll have Marta check on you after the ceremony tomorrow.

"Be there at moonrise. Don't be late."

I looked at the withered flower behind Vera's ear.

"That flower could have saved her."

Vera reached up and touched it.

"Oh, it's all dried up.

"Well, why didn't you say something sooner?"

She turned and dug a small wooden box out of the chest.

It was the gift I had planned to give Cassian on our bonding night.

The box was supposed to hold the clay jar.

I'd removed it beforehand.

All that was left was a card.

Vera read it out loud.

"The first one is you."

She snorted.

"The first what? The first heart? How cheesy."

She tore the card in half and handed it to Cassian.

Cassian glanced at it and tossed it into the brazier.

"Throw it out."

Flames licked at the corners of the paper.

I didn't try to grab it.

He would never know what the first one was.

And he didn't deserve to know anymore.

I walked out the door holding the wooden wolf.

Cassian's voice followed me.

"Eileen, come back when you're done throwing your fit.

"The rest of the pack thinks you're a jinx. They can't get away from you fast enough. Where else could you go besides here?"

I stopped for a second.

"I have plenty of places to go.

"I only stayed because of you."

He scoffed, turned, and went back inside.

No one stopped me.

I went to see Gideon, the elder in charge of enforcing pack law.

I placed the silver spike and Marta's certified report of my injuries on his desk, along with my formal request to leave the pack.

Gideon read everything and was quiet for a long time.

In the end, he pressed his seal onto my release papers.

"At moonrise tomorrow, your release takes effect."

I left an echo stone with Marta.

That night, a crow landed on my windowsill.

His note was tied to its leg.

"The bridal room is ready. Don't be late tomorrow."

I left the note tied to its leg.

The crow stayed on the windowsill all night.

At dawn, it flew away on its own.
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  • After I Repaid My Debt to the Alpha, He Begged Me Back   9

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  • After I Repaid My Debt to the Alpha, He Begged Me Back   7

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  • After I Repaid My Debt to the Alpha, He Begged Me Back   5

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