Chapter 1

Seven days left until I leave.

At 9:00 am on Sunday, I handed my application for a forced mate bond dissolution to the clerk at Werewolf City Hall.

Last night, I booked a one-way ticket to Bordevia.

The clerk verified our marriage record and mate mark, then handed me the receipt. "It takes effect automatically in seven days, next Sunday at 9:00 am. Your mate won't be notified, and his signature isn't required. But be warned, a forced dissolution causes severe bond-severing pain for both of you."

I signed the confirmation.

That Sunday morning, my Alpha husband, Leon Gray, was scheduled to launch Livie Grant's foundation. He had promised to take me for a walk on the beach after the ceremony.

Now, he wouldn't need to rush anymore.

Outside, Serandor's rain tapped against the glass.

Deep in my consciousness, Nora, my wolf, curled up and covered her nose with her tail. She hadn't reached out to Leon's wolf in a long time.

"Are we really leaving this time?" she asked.

I tucked the receipt into my bag. "Yes."

Last night, I was sitting in the evaluation room at the healing center, waiting for Leon.

I had paused my clinical research for four years, but I maintained my license and kept up with my continuing education. That evening's practical assessment was the final hurdle before I could resume independent practice.

A mate wasn't required to attend.

Leon had insisted on coming, saying he wanted to see me back in my white coat with his own eyes.

At 5:00 pm, he checked in on me through our mind-link, asking if I was nervous. His familiar cedar scent wrapped around my mind, just as he used to hold me.

"We'll get dinner after you finish. I booked that restaurant you love."

At 6:50 pm, his text arrived. "Livie isn't doing well. I need to go to her. Go ahead without me."

I stared at the screen until the evaluator called my name a second time.

This was the fourth time this month.

The first was my birthday. The second was Nora's checkup. The third was the mate counseling session he had suggested himself.

Every single time, Livie happened to need him.

Her brother, Troy Grant, had died on border patrol 18 months ago, saving Leon's life. Leon had promised to take care of her, and I truly wanted her to recover.

In the beginning, I had even helped her find a healer to treat her trauma.

Later, she got a dedicated healer, made friends, and went back to work. Yet Leon remained the one person who could never be absent.

And I was always the one who could wait.

My palms were soaked in sweat when the evaluation ended.

Handing me the certificate, the evaluator said with a smile, "Welcome back, Ms. Vale."

It had been a long time since anyone called me by my maiden name.

Leaving the center, I wanted to share the good news with Leon.

Then a video notification popped up on my phone from the foundation's planning group chat. As the Luna overseeing medical arrangements, I was still in the group.

In the video, Livie stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, trying on a white suit for tomorrow's photo shoot.

Leon sat on the couch behind her, his jacket draped over the back.

"Are you sure about this one?" she asked the mirror.

"Yeah. It's your first time hosting. Comfort comes first."

There were no healers or medicine on the table, just untouched pastries and a takeout bag from my favorite restaurant.

Livie suddenly glanced past the camera and smiled. "Didn't you promise to go to Irene's evaluation?"

Leon checked his watch. "She's well-prepared. She doesn't need me worrying over her."

He picked up another outfit and handed it to her. "You, on the other hand, have been trying on clothes all night and haven't eaten a bite."

The video ended there.

Standing on the sidewalk, I slipped the certificate into my bag, creasing a corner of the paper.

His peace of mind was just an excuse to always put me last.

When I got home, I didn't ask when he'd be back.

I opened my laptop and looked up the process for breaking a mate bond for the first time.

A werewolf could file for a forced dissolution unilaterally at Werewolf City Hall. It took effect automatically upon expiration, with no prior notice required.

Filling it out took me two hours.

I paused when I reached the section for post-dissolution career plans.

A year ago, Silver Bay Healing Center in Bordevia had invited me to interview for a research position. Leon later told me they rejected me because I had been away from research for too long.

I had believed him.

He had just taken over as Alpha of the Cedar pack back then, and there was so much to handle. I hid my disappointment and kept helping him organize endless late-night meetings.

That night, I tracked down the interviewer's email from back then and sent over my new certification.

I wrote a single sentence. "If there are any future openings, I would love to reapply."

They replied almost instantly, "Irene, we had already decided to hire you back then. Your mate informed us that you were withdrawing due to family obligations. Didn't you receive the official offer letter?"

I read it three times.

Hands shaking, I asked her to forward the past correspondence.

Just then, the front door opened.

Leon walked in carrying the damp chill of the rain, holding a small cake box.

"I'm sorry. Is it over? Livie couldn't make up her mind today."

As he leaned down to kiss the top of my head, his eyes fell on the certificate next to the laptop.

"I knew you'd pass."

At that moment, my mate mark still flared with warmth at his touch.

My body still remembered how to love him.

He set the cake down in front of me and expertly removed the strawberry on top.

He knew I was allergic to strawberries. He also knew how to strip away a future that should have been mine.

"Leon."

I looked at him. "Did you reject the Silver Bay offer for me last year?"

His hand paused.

He asked no questions and showed no surprise. "Bordevia is so far away, and I couldn't bear to be apart from you. Irene. I didn't want to come home every day to an empty house."