Chapter 1

Thea's POV

My flight was six days away, so I quietly began packing.

A framed photo sat on the nightstand beside my bed. I knew the other person in it better than anyone.

It was Cedric Vaughn.

When I first met him, he'd been exiled from his pack to the mountains where we lived, far from the city. I taught him how to survive out here, proudly promising that I would always make sure he had enough to eat and would never let him starve.

Cedric smiled and took my hand as he said, "I'll become the Alpha of the pack and hold the mating ceremony with you."

Now, I pushed down the turmoil inside me and looked at my mom, Portia Whitmore. "My flight is in six days. I'm leaving."

When I went to get my passport and other documents, Cedric was sitting at the desk, helping my best friend, Rowena Gilmore, with some work. They were sitting close together, discussing pack matters that I couldn't understand.

Rowena noticed me first. She nudged Cedric with her finger.

"I told you I didn't want to keep getting in the way of your mating ceremony with Thea. I can handle this myself. Stop making her wait, or she'll really end up an unwanted Omega."

Cedric didn't even look up from the book in front of him. "Thea won't make a fuss over something this trivial. Besides, what would my mating ceremony be without you there?"

I looked at Cedric and said, "There's no need to prepare for the mating ceremony anymore."

Cedric finally looked up. He froze for a moment.

Then, his face settled into that familiar look—that gentle, patient, and almost indulgent expression.

He said, "Are you going to bring up another one of those pack legends? How many times do I have to tell you that they're just stories the elders made up to fool the pups? Are you seriously saying that this nonsense matters more than Rowena's career?"

Rowena, too, looked at me with a disapproving expression. "Thea, werewolves who've received a modern education don't believe in this kind of thing. Stop being childish."

I watched the two of them draw even closer together, a wave of irritation churning in my chest. I grabbed my things and turned to leave.

Behind me, I heard Rowena trying to persuade Cedric. "Go comfort Thea. Hurry, or she'll start crying again."

Cedric's voice remained calm as he said, "I've spoiled her too much. I've told her countless times that if she wants to be my mate, she needs to know how to prioritize things and learn to keep up with me.

"With her carrying herself in such a manner, how could I possibly feel comfortable making her my Luna?"

When we first met, he told me that the mountains were more suited to werewolves than the city and that even the old legends carried a kind of magic. Now, those same traditions had become obstacles standing in the way of his career.

When Cedric broke his promise for the third year in a row, I had asked to end our relationship.

It was the first time I'd ever seen him lose his composure. The wolf who never even flinched when the world seemed to be falling apart grabbed my wrist with reddened eyes.

His voice was gravelly as he asked, "Thea Redding, are you really going to give up on us because of some ridiculous old legend?"

At that, my heart softened.

After that day, the way everyone in the pack looked at me changed. I became a traitor in their eyes. They whispered about me and shut me out.

At the time, Cedric pulled me into his arms and comforted me. "They're just ignorant. Once you and I complete the mating ceremony, you'll be my Luna. No one will dare bully you over something so trivial again."

I never got my mating ceremony. Instead, I got one broken promise after another, year after year.

Just then, a familiar hand closed around my wrist. Cedric wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Are you really mad? I know I went too far this time, but I personally promoted Rowena to be my Beta. I'm responsible for seeing this through."

He cupped my face in his hands and gently kissed my eyelids. "How about this, my darling? You can be my date at the next party. How does that sound?"

He'd once promised to take me with him to every important party on the day we officially got together. Once upon a time, I'd looked forward to it, only to watch him take Rowena from one social event to another.

Cedric had justified it, saying, "You're my mate. You only need to come to the really important events. Rowena is just a minor figure in all of this."

I pushed his hand away. "No. Forget about the parties or the mating ceremony. I want none of it."

Cedric's hand froze, and he lowered his voice. "Thea, stop throwing a tantrum. We made a promise with each other. How can you say something like that?"

For some reason, I wanted to laugh. I couldn't believe he was actually blaming me.

He was about to say something when Rowena's voice came from behind us. "Cedric, how are we supposed to analyze the numbers in this month's financial report?"

Cedric kissed my forehead, slipped a necklace into my hand, and walked away.

As I fiddled with the necklace absentmindedly, my phone vibrated.

It was a notification that some money had been transferred into my bank account, followed by a text from Mom.

She said, "Now that you've made up your mind to leave, it's time to start your new life. Don't put yourself through hell again for Cedric."