Chapter 2

On the last day of River's trials, I boarded a flight to a remote town in Alaska.

The air bit at my skin, but I welcomed the cold.

It reminded me that I was alive. That I was free.

For years, I’d tried to be the mate Eric needed—the polished Luna, the perfect Omega.

I smothered my instincts, buried my wildness beneath silk dresses and obedient smiles.

But none of it ever reached him. Not truly.

“Any Omega could do that. It’s nothing,” he would say when I presented pack reports or ran community events.

The sycophants in the pack would immediately chime in.

"So true, Alpha! Lyra is so lucky. It's only by your power that she lives so comfortably."

"And the corporation's new CFO, Aurora—I hear she's an old flame of yours. Alpha, you two should be seen together more. Show us what a real power couple looks like!"

They'd say these things right in front of me, with no regard for my feelings.

Aurora. I knew that name all too well.

Eric's unforgettable first love from the wolf academy, his childhood sweetheart.

For years, she was an invisible wall between us.

Just when everyone in the pack thought the academy's golden couple would be mated for life, Aurora broke up with him before graduation.

She chose to explore the world rather than be tied down.

Eric was a wreck for six months.

Then came the family pressure, the weight of duty.

He took over the pack—and me, the mate chosen by the Moon Goddess, or so they said.

His lingering love for Aurora had blinded him to my decade of devotion.

On our mating anniversary, he had gone to a class reunion.

He came back reeking of alcohol, but even that couldn't mask the sharp, familiar scent.

It was Aurora's signature scent, aggressive and invasive—a silent declaration of another woman's claim.

It was a quiet testament to how pathetic my ten years as his mate had been.

But what stung more than the scent was the confusion in his eyes when I confronted him.

He hadn’t meant to hurt me.

He just hadn’t realized he still could.

So I walked away.

Leaving the pack was the bravest thing I'd ever done.

After blocking all pack-wide mind links, I breathed in the crisp air of freedom.

It felt so good.

I closed my eyes, letting the cold Alaskan wind wash over me, cleansing a decade of heartache and humiliation.

Just then, my phone buzzed. A text from Eric.

"Where are you? You didn't take the moonstone necklace from the Mating Ceremony. I'll bring it to you."

That necklace had once been my most treasured possession; now, it was a thorn in my side.

"If I left it, it means I don't want it. Do whatever you want with it," I typed back, my vision so blurry I could barely see the screen.

I wiped my eyes on my sleeve, trying to stifle the sob building in my chest.

If we were done, we had to be truly done.

Without waiting for a reply, I blocked his number.

On the way back to my cabin, my phone rang again. An unknown number.

"Hello, is this River's mother? I'm a counselor at the Elite Wolf Academy!"

The voice on the other end was enthusiastic. "River placed fifth in the trials this year! It’s a fantastic achievement! However, he's expressed an interest in attending a human school. We were hoping you could speak with him before he makes a final decision!"

I gripped my phone, barely able to speak.

My little boy… fifth place…

I wanted so badly to feel proud, to hold him and celebrate.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, voice steady but soft. “His father and I… we’ve severed our bond. I’ve left the pack. That's not my place anymore..”

The counselor went silent, clearly stunned.

Then, she pressed on, "A good academy is crucial for a cub's future. Regardless of your situation, you're still his mother! We haven't been able to reach Mr. Eric, so if you could just—"

"I'm sorry, I can't help you," I said firmly, and hung up.

How I wanted to be part of his life, part of his choices.

But some battles are fought alone.

Cubs are experts at reading people.

River had witnessed every slight.

Every time Eric cut me down with a cold word or a dismissive glance, River was there.

Watching. Learning.

And like any smart little wolf, he adapted.

He mirrored Eric—his tone, his distance.

My constant surrender only emboldened them.

But I'd never had a choice.

From the moment I took my first breath, my life had been mapped out by my mother.

My only purpose was to be a pawn in a pack alliance, a bride with a price tag.

I tried to fight it once.

The price was my mother's cold fury and days locked in a dark room, the weight of my family's expectations crushing me.

"Pipe dreams! Your path was set long ago. You don't get a choice!"

I don't know what my mother did to forge the mate bond between Eric and me, but I knew it wasn't natural.

The first time I met Eric, I saw the rejection in his eyes.

He slammed the door and left that day, refusing to even look at me.

And gods help me, a part of me was relieved.

Surely an Alpha like him could fight this, right?

But in the end, he took over the family business and, as expected, took me as his mate.

I had no choice but to bow to my fate.

After we were mated, he was different—not warm, but… restrained.

The sharp edges dulled. The anger faded into cool detachment.

He remembered my birthday. He bought me gifts—a bracelet with his pack crest, a necklace that matched my Luna rank.

But the smile never reached his deep, golden wolf eyes. It just played on his lips.

Still, I told myself it was better than the silence.

Now, the silence is mine.

As I was preparing to leave Alaska, my phone was bombarded with communication requests. All from Eric.

He was using the pack network now. Which meant he was getting serious.

He could find me if he really wanted to.

A sour feeling churned in my stomach.

It felt like our roles had been reversed.

Now that the bond was gone, he was the one who couldn't let go.

But why?

Why now, when he never cared about my pain before?

After countless attempts from different numbers, I finally answered.

"Lyra?" His voice was calm, but I heard the tension under it.

Like he’d been rehearsing this opening line and still wasn’t sure it would land.

"What are you doing in Alaska? You never said you wanted to go. Tell me when you're flying back, I'll pick you up."