Chapter 5

That night, for the first time in ages, Caspen came home early.

I pushed open the bedroom door and was hit with the strong scent of cigars.

He was standing on the balcony, a glowing ember between his fingers, the night wind whipping around him.

Ever since he became Alpha, he had quit smoking to maintain his absolute composure.

There was only one name that could rattle the Alpha of Alphas.

Victoria.

I quietly backed out of the room.

Half an hour later, Caspen came to bed, smelling of soap and steam.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, encasing me in his broad chest.

This wasn't his usual, possessive claim.

For the first time in two years, he was approaching me with this quiet, gentle initiative.

"Do you want to talk?" His deep voice rumbled above my head.

My whole body went rigid.

Talk about what?

The missing mate bracelet? Or the romantic steak dinner?

I clenched the corner of the blanket and said nothing.

Caspen changed the subject. "Why did you open the Mind Link today and then cut it off?"

My heart leaped into my throat. He knew?

Before I could answer, he quickly offered me an excuse, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Was your control unstable? Did you do it by accident?" He tightened his arms. "Next time you're not feeling well, just call my Beta to pick you up."

He gently turned me over to face him and lowered his head to kiss me.

The movement was light.

It held a clumsy tenderness and restraint that he himself didn't seem to notice.

If this had been yesterday, I would have drowned in that kiss.

But now, all I felt was sorrow.

I had seen what he was like when he loved someone.

I had seen him on the night of the Blood Moon, tearing the world apart for Victoria in a frenzy of passion.

I had seen the fire in his eyes, a blaze that could burn down forests.

This tenderness, this restraint—it wasn't love. It was pity. The kind of gentle apology you give someone before you break their heart.

He didn't love me at all.

The next day, I went to see Elder Lyra with red, swollen eyes.

The Elder asked no questions. She calmly took out a magnificent piece of moonsilk tapestry.

In the bottom right corner, there was a tiny, barely noticeable flaw.

Elder Lyra picked up a pair of silver scissors from the table and, without hesitation, sliced the entire tapestry in half.

"Elder!" I jumped up in horror.

"A single flaw can ruin the whole cloth," she said, tossing the scissors aside. Her gaze was as sharp as a blade, piercing my soul.

She took my cold hand.

"A wolf's fate should not be one of quiet suffering. Alora, when a thing is broken, you cut it loose."

Back at the apartment, I pulled my suitcase out from under the bed.

I had so few things.

In this "home" I had lived in for two years, I was like a transparent guest.

Three sets of worn clothes, a few books, and a battered hairclip.

It took me less than ten minutes to pack.

It didn't even fill a single bag.

Night fell.

I walked to the study door, ready to make my final request. I had to end this.

The door was ajar.

Caspen's low voice drifted out. He was on the phone.

"Victoria."

The way the name left his lips was soft, laced with a tenderness I'd never heard, a tenderness that sparked a jealous fire in me.

I held my breath, my fingers digging into the doorframe.

"The issue on my end can be dealt with at any time," Caspen said, his voice pausing, followed by a heavy sigh.

"It's been too long. I don't want to wait anymore…"

Every word was a knife twisting in my heart.

The issue on his end?

Was that me? Was I the obstacle?

So, he was even more eager to end it than I was. He couldn't wait another day.

I backed away silently and gently closed the door.

Even a final goodbye felt pointless.

In the dead of night, Caspen returned to the bedroom.

Exhausted, he pulled me into his arms out of habit.

In the darkness, his hot lips pressed against my neck.

His Alpha instinct took over, and he began to possessively nip at the mate mark he had placed there.

He was marking his territory, even as his heart was already making room for another.

I felt the sting of his teeth, but my heart was a frozen lake. Numb.

I would never again be tormented by him.

His breath was hot, and just as his hand moved to my breast, I turned away, my expression calm.

"Caspen," I said, my voice calm and clear. "Let's break the bond."