Chapter 1

The dim yellow lights in the healer's den were painfully bright.

By the time the healer finished treating my fractured arm and other injuries, it was already late at night.

I, Eleanor Davidson, sat leaning against a chair while receiving an IV drip. Every breath sent another wave of pain through my arm as the broken bones pulled at the nerves and the wounds throbbed.

Before long, blood had seeped through the bandages. As they were being changed, my gaze drifted toward the end of the hallway.

Lucas Davidson hurried past. He was carrying a thermos.

I thought he would at least stop to check on me, but he walked straight into Caroline Norden's ward.

Caroline had only sprained her ankle, yet Lucas had given her the only available private ward and even laid a soft blanket across her bed.

Meanwhile, I could only sit alone on a cold chair in the hallway.

When Lucas came out, he was carrying a thick blanket. He stepped over, draped it around my shoulders, and unscrewed the thermos before holding it to my lips.

"Drink some warm water to warm yourself up. How are you feeling? Do your wounds still hurt?"

Instead of answering his questions, I asked, "Lucas, why did you give Caroline the only stretcher?"

Lucas seemed to think I was being unreasonable. His brows furrowed slightly. "She's an Omega. She's not as strong as you are. Besides, you're the pack's Luna. You should be willing to make sacrifices."

My heart sank. "But I was injured too. The weather was freezing, and the roads were slippery. My wounds hurt so badly that I couldn't wait for the rescue team to come back.

"I had no choice but to walk back by myself. If the enforcement team hadn't found me along the way and taken me to the healer's den, I might have frozen to death–"

"Eleanor." Lucas frowned impatiently and cut me off. "I was only trying to consider the bigger picture. Look, I got her settled and came straight back to keep you company, didn't I?"

He crouched down to examine my injuries. A flicker of concern appeared in his eyes as he gently took my hand. "Just focus on resting for the next few days. You recover quickly. Once you're better, help Caroline finish up some of her work.

"She just joined the pack and got injured right away. She can't keep working like this. I don't want outsiders thinking I'm mistreating her."

He had been comforting me gently just a moment ago, yet now he was handing me Caroline's work assignments.

Did that mean he wasn't worried about outsiders thinking he was mistreating me?

Pain shot through my wounds. I closed my eyes and was too exhausted to argue. All I managed was a single word. "Okay."

He visibly relaxed. He then sat down beside me and tucked the blanket more securely around my shoulders. "Are you feeling sleepy? You can lean against me for a while. I'll arrange a ward for you once one becomes available."

I noticed the keychain hanging from his car keys. It held a photo of the two of us. When I'd given it to him, he'd laughed and called me childish, but he'd kept it on his keys for three years.

I reached out and unclipped it. The photo's plastic casing was badly worn, but the photo inside was still as clear as ever.

Unfortunately, our love had grown just as worn as the casing.

Lucas asked softly, "The casing is old. Do you want to replace it?"

I didn't answer. I simply tossed the keychain into the trash.

Lucas glanced at it. He assumed I was throwing a tantrum. With a sigh, he picked it back up. "Why did you throw it away? Eleanor, be reasonable. You've always been the more understanding one. Let me take care of this. I'll just replace the casing."

With that, he carefully wrapped the photo in his handkerchief and slipped it into his pocket.

I said nothing more. My hand trembled slightly as I held some documents, and eventually, I closed my eyes.

Early the next morning, Lucas was helping Caroline change her bandages.

Her eyes were brimming with tears as she grabbed his hand tightly. Lucas, meanwhile, was soothing her with a tender expression.

I slowly clenched my fists before relaxing them again.

I returned home and found the mate bond severance agreement that had been gathering dust at the back of my closet.

Lucas had given it to me three years ago, on the day of our marking ceremony.

He had promised to love me for the rest of his life. He'd also told me that if he ever did anything to hurt or disappoint me, I could use the agreement bearing his signature to end our relationship at any time.

I'd thought that day would never come. I never imagined it would arrive so soon.

I picked up the agreement and headed to the werewolf council.

After reviewing my application, the staff member looked up and asked, "Are you certain you want to sever your mate bond with Lucas?"

I thought back on everything we'd been through. I then nodded firmly. "Yes."

I signed the agreement, and the staff member informed me that the mate bond would be completely severed in three days.

After leaving the werewolf council, I called my mentor, William Spencer.

The moment he answered, my voice unexpectedly cracked, and I couldn't help but sob while I spoke.

I possessed the most advanced healing abilities. My hands had once been capable of pulling dying werewolves back from the brink of death.

William had always considered me one of his most promising students, but I'd given up the opportunity to pursue further training just to become Lucas' mate.

I asked William if there was still a chance for me to resume my studies.

He sighed over the phone before finally replying in a solemn voice. "Eleanor, you'll always be my finest student. The doors of this healer's den will always be open to you."

I wiped away my tears and immediately booked a flight to his healer's den three days later.

It was time to reclaim my life.