Escaping from the Marking Ceremony

"Mason is drunk. Can you come pick him up?"

A phone call was almost it took to destroy my world. Mason and I were to be bound as mates in three days, so he went out for his bachelor party. I soon received. Call that he was drunk and I should pick him up.

My eyes stayed on his open laptop a bit longer. The screen showed pictures of a woman and Mason. There were a thousand pictures. Something about them stifled me. He never took pictures with me nor did he have something like this stored just for me.

"I am coming over," I managed to answer then picked up my bag and headed out.

On the way there, my phone rang again. It was my friend Lily

"Hey, how is the wedding planning going. Sorry I won't be able to make it," she said.

"Is it urgent?" I asked her.

"You know we have been having encroaching on my pack 's territory. It can't wait. Sorry it had to be on your wedding," she said.

"No problem. I would have helped out if I could spare time. Are there enough werewolves for the hunt?" I asked her.

"We still need more werewolves. Some ranks are lacking," she said. At this point I had walked into the bar where Mason and his pack and clansmen were having the bachelor party. As I approached the room, I heard voices inside and paused.

"Diane, you are back just in time. Mason is about to marry some beta," I heard someone say. This voice was familiar. It was one of Mason's clansmen.

"Mason had stalled bonding with her for years but she still stayed. The moment he agreed, you returned. You are back for Mason, right?" He said and my body went cold.

I knew I was not so popular amongst Mason's clansmen, but I thought they liked me somewhat. From his tone, the girl in question was quite liked. The men inside talked to her as though they had known her their entire lives. I had never been accepted by his pack this much. I was curious about who she was

I could hear Lily still talking over the phone and stepped forward only to pause. A bar staff had just walked out of the room and through the door, I saw Mason clinging to a woman I had not seen before.

"Opal, are you there?" I heard Lily ask.

But the room inside reminded noisy. The wolves inside were one of the best hunters in the pack. I did not believe they did not know I was outside.

"Your future mate is coming to get you soon Mason. You should let Diane go," one of the men inside said.

"Opal? She is just a friend who clings to me. She is not my future mate!" I heard Mason say. At this point I could only smile. A calm washed over me as I heard this, as though he was talking about someone else.If it were the old me, I would’ve yelled, argued, demanded answers.

I would’ve looked him in the eye and asked, “Why? Why did you treat me like that back then?”

But now?

I didn’t say a word.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t shout.

I just stood there—quiet, numb, exhausted.

The fire in me was gone.

All that was left... was silence.

Because I always knew I was not that important to him but could never let go.

Seeing him there clinging to another, I sudden knew I should let him go but why was I holding on to him?

I had convinced myself that as long as I stayed, he would love me. But somewhere within me, I always knew the truth.

"Keep a spot for me to join you, Lily," I said to her softly. I am tired. The years had worn me down.

"What? Why? What about your marking with Mason?" Lily asked.

"The Marking is off," I answered and ended the call. I walked into the room and they all went silent. I looked at the always aloof Mason with his hand wrapped around another woman and took in a deep breath. The woman looked familiar. I had seen her photos before. Thousands of them.

I looked around the room then back at Diane.

"I am the friend. Please bring him out." I said and walked out of the room.

I walked out to my car and waited for Diane to bring him down.

Soon Diane brought him down and I unlocked the car to let her place him inside.

Diane used this moment to advise me on how to take care of Mason.

"When he wakes up, his hangover over will be bad. Honey water works on him, so you should make that for him. It is also best if you keep watch, he usually kicks the covers while drunk and will catch a cold," Diane said. She continued to ramble.

Every word of hers hurt to hear.Mason had never let me close enough to know this. The moment she closed the door and offered to add each other on social media, I drove off. I was done.