Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Light Stayed Briefly: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 8

After leaving the Pack Council, I printed out the agreement to break my mate bond, just as Harold's call came through.Harold, the so-called perfect mate, spoke with a softness that belied the chaos of recent events. "My dear, I'm so sorry. Those rogues blindsided us, and I missed our fifth anniversary. Beating them back was only half the battle, and I owed you an apology gift."As the printer churned out the agreement, Harold was clueless that I was plotting my departure."Why would I be mad at you? I vowed to be the most empathetic Luna. With all these rogue attacks, you've been stretched thin. I've got a surprise for you, too."Harold's voice buzzed with excitement. "Anita, you're too kind. Even when I mess up, you still think of me."I signed the agreement, my tears falling faster than my pen, blurring the ink. "You didn't mess up. Defending the pack is always the right move."Harold sidestepped my comment, simply telling me to meet him at the Howl Office for a belated annive

It was the wee hours of the morning when Harold finally stumbled in. He reeked of booze, his shirt misbuttoned as if he had dressed in a hurry.I did not understand why dealing with a virus carried by Rogues required drinking, but I did not want to know, either.I helped him into the house, gave him water, and peeled off his shoes and clothes.He was drenched in cologne, like he was trying to mask some other scent.Clutching me close, he slurred, "My sweetheart, you're the best. No matter how late I get, you'd wait for me. If I ever come home and you're not here... I'd lose my mind."I gazed at him, my voice soft. "Silly, have you forgotten the vows we made when we formed our mate bond?""From this moment, our hearts and souls are intertwined, bound by love and truth, loyalty and devotion. Only the Moon Goddess herself could ever tear us apart. However, if...""If you ever betray me, you'll never see me again," I cut him off.Harold's lips brushed my eyelids, his voice smooth,

Panic seized Harold. He rushed in and froze at the sight of his favorite meal—grilled salmon and meatloaf—cold and abandoned on the table."Anita, why haven't you eaten? Were you waiting for me all night?" he asked, his voice shaking.Silence was his only reply.Memories of a text message sent him racing upstairs to rummage through his suitcase. He had brought along the small box I had given him, eager to uncover the surprise inside.The timer on the box had run out. With hands shaking, Harold opened it to find the words 'mate bond dissolution agreement' glaring at him, a blow as piercing as a silver bullet to the heart.He was soulless, staring at the signed agreement, my signature accompanied by a few dried tears.His eyes slowly reddened with the realization. I had seemed normal, but I had been planning my departure all along, ever since I handed him that gift. For three days, I had been silently bidding him farewell, with each passing moment.He kept walking out on me, all i

Harold was at his wit's end after a year of searching, so he put out a bounty on me online.[My Luna is mad at me, and I have looked everywhere. If anyone's seen my Luna, I'm offering a cool 1.5 million dollars.]The moment that bounty hit the Internet, I knew it was only a matter of time before Harold found me. Who could ignore the pull of 1.5 million dollars?He did not care about dragging my name through the mud or that I would be the talk of the town, the fragile omega that everyone would bad-mouth.They would all say I did not appreciate what I had, that I was just a spoiled brat riding on Harold's coattails.I brushed off my date, who was hinting at a coffee upstairs, and turned back to Harold with a smile that quickly faded to nothing but chill.His eyes brimmed with unshed tears as he stood rooted to the spot, looking at me with the fervor of a man praying to the Moon Goddess.I moved closer, my voice laced with bitterness, "To brew the witch's concoction, I had to slice