The Eighth Time

In our pack, the Moon Goddess placed great importance on the mate bond.

Once two wolves were bound as mates, that connection was unbreakable, unless severed with a witch’s potion.

The potion was not only expensive, but it also caused excruciating pain to the werewolf drinking it.

Henry poured the potion for me, his face full of guilt as he tried to comfort me.

“Don’t worry, my love. It’s just like before. I paid five times the normal price for this batch to make sure the pain is as mild as possible. You won’t hurt much.”

Pain, however, no matter how mild, would still leave scars when experienced eight times, right?

I stared at the potion in the glass. I then suppressed the urge to ask him why and drank it all in one go.

After taking the potion, we still had to visit the Pack Council to update documents.

I had been there with Henry so many times that the wolves on the council recognized me on sight.

They couldn’t help but find our situation ridiculous, even joking, “Nicole, when’s round nine? You two planning to renew your mate bond again next week?”

I looked at Henry’s figure as he rushed off, before shaking my head, expressionless.

“There won’t be a ninth time.”

I had just stepped out of the Council building when I saw Henry affectionately ruffling Alice’s hair.

With how brightly she was smiling, no one would’ve guessed that just this morning, she was holding a silver dagger to her throat, threatening to hurt herself.

She had smashed everything she could in Henry and mine’s bedroom.

I stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the ruins of what I had carefully decorated.

Henry had come running, kicked aside the broken decorations and balloons, and hugged Alice tightly, whispering for her not to hurt herself.

He didn’t even notice the lettering on the fallen signboard that read: “Happy 3rd Anniversary.”

That’s right. Today was our third mate bond anniversary.

However, just like the past three years, the celebration was nothing but a joke.

Henry and I had bonded as mates and broken it eight times throughout our three-year relationship. The last time we re-bonded was only a month ago.

And today, on our anniversary, we ended it again.

The witch had warned me that even the most expensive potion, said to have the least side effects, would still leave scars on the heart and the body.

I think, by now, my heart was full of scars.

When Alice saw me come out, she arched her brows at me with obvious provocation, her smugness impossible to hide.

She pouted and shook Henry’s arm.

“Henry, why doesn’t Nicole seem upset? Are you sure you guys drank the potion?

“Maybe she refused to go through with breaking the bond and dragged you to the Council to put on a show for me? Did she think she could mess with my head so I’d stop chasing after you?”

This time, Henry didn’t defend me like he used to.

He just sighed helplessly.

“You’re impossible,” he said as he rolled up his shirt sleeve.

When I stepped closer, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled up my sleeve, too.

“Here. Now do you believe it?”

Alice burst out laughing when she saw the two new scars left behind by the broken mate bond.

The pain pierced straight through my chest like a blade.

The marks on my body, etched by the potion, all because of Henry, had become nothing more than a prop to entertain Alice.

“Let’s go, Henry,” she said cheerfully, linking arms with him.

As he turned to leave, Alice glanced back at me with a triumphant smirk, her face full of disdain.

I knew she was trying to provoke me, showing me she had won.

And honestly? Maybe she had.

This morning, she’d accidentally seen the anniversary gift Henry had prepared for me. It was something he’d planned for over a month.

Her jealousy took over, and she started to taunt me while standing in our bedroom doorway.

“Nicole, what if I ruin this special little day of yours? You think Henry will be mad at me?”

Then, without hesitation, she destroyed every decoration I’d put up, smashed everything she could reach, and pulled out a silver dagger, screaming that she was going to hurt herself.

Before I could even react, Henry burst in, knocking me aside as he rushed to her.

He held her gently and spoke in soft tones while shooting me a slightly reproachful look.

“Alice just broke a few things… Don’t be mad.”

He met my gaze, hesitated, and then sighed.

“Love, Alice saw you getting worked up. Maybe you should step outside for a while.”

Right before the door closed, I saw Alice’s smug little smile.

It was the same one she’s wearing now.