Chapter 2

Bitterness spread through my chest, seeping into every nerve like venom.

This was actually the third time Julian and I tried to have a mating ceremony. The first two times were canceled at the very last second, right before the claiming bite, simply because Chloe said she "felt sick."

Every single time, Julian chose to be with her without hesitation. He left me alone to face the awkward stares of our guests.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my voice to stay cold. "Julian, we are done."

Julian frowned. He didn't take me seriously at all.

His face twisted into a condescending scowl. "Harper, stop being childish. I’ve known Chloe for seventeen years. Her brother died in battle. Is it a crime to look after my warrior's little sister? You are my Mate. I am completely clean with her. Your hostility is out of control!"

Clean?

I let out a bitter laugh in my head. What kind of brother drains his own mate's blood time and time again just to save his sister?

I tried to be forgiving. I really did.

The worst of it was the border incident. I was on an emergency run in the outer territories when we were ambushed by rogues. It was life or death.

I was running for my life toward the safe house.

At that exact moment, Julian got a call about Chloe having a panic attack.

He didn't even check my situation.

He heard the rasp of my breath over the mind-link as I scrambled through the underbrush.

But he scoffed impatiently. "Another rogue attack? Really, Harper? Your timing is impeccable. Chloe is hyperventilating..."

"I'm bleeding, Julian!" I screamed, feeling hot blood soak my shirt as a claw tore across my back. "They're hunting me! They are going to kill me!"

There was a pause. For a heartbeat, I prayed he would hear the terror in my voice.

Then, his roar filled my head, cold and final. "Stop acting!"

He completely cut off my backup.

He redirected all my rescue teams to Chloe, leaving me alone in the kill zone.

I barely made it out alive. A rogue left a toxic scar on my shoulder that would never fade.

When I stumbled back into the packhouse, drenched in my own blood, Julian finally realized I wasn't faking.

The color drained from his face as he stared at my torn flesh.

He held me, trembling with guilt, and swore on his inner wolf that he would never doubt me or leave me behind again.

But a promise from Julian Thorne was as fragile as glass. On the night of our mating ceremony, the moment Chloe "needed" him, he broke that vow without a second thought.

A week later, I was about to leave for the North.

I was at the clinic packing up my desk when the pack's internal network suddenly blew up.

Julian had just issued a Code-Red Directive.

It read: [To stabilize Chloe Mercer's broken wolf, Alpha Julian Thorne will initiate the Spirit-Binding Ritual. All Healers are ordered to stand by next Saturday.]

The group chat exploded instantly:

"An Alpha’s spirit power? Isn't that strictly reserved for a marked Luna?"

"Tearing away his own soul to save her is extremely dangerous! He’s risking his life for Chloe?"

"And he named Harper to lead the ritual?! Asking his future Luna to watch her mate bind his spirit to another woman... that is just cruel!"

Reading the shocked messages, I took a deep breath and typed my reply:

"Julian and I are no longer mates. The Spirit-Binding has nothing to do with me. I will not be attending."

The chat went dead silent.

Then Julian’s reply popped up. Every single word dripped with his self-righteous savior complex:

"Harper, don't throw a fit at a time like this. Chloe’s inner wolf is completely shattered. Only my spirit can keep her alive. You are the best Healer in this pack. Put aside your personal bias and show up next Saturday to lead the ritual. I only feel safe if you are the one watching over me."

Reading that, my blood ran cold.

Seven years of a fated bond. To him, as long as he slapped the word "saving a life" on it, my boundaries and dignity could be trampled on like dirt.

He actually thought making me hand-deliver his soul to another woman was a sign of "trust."

I didn't cry. This man was no longer worth a single tear.