Semua Bab When the Lights Go: Bab 1 - Bab 9

That afternoon, I slipped away from home and dropped off my application to break ties with the pack.The middle-aged Beta handling the paperwork looked up, shock written all over his face."Claire, you're actually leaving? I thought you'd be the last one to ever leave. People always said you were as important to Darren as Miss Betty, that you'd stick by him no matter what..."I smiled faintly. "Yeah. I used to believe that too."I had been by Darren's side for five years, through his lowest lows and his highest highs.Every night, he would tenderly bite my shoulder and murmur close to my ear."Claire, I'm so lucky you're with me."However, I was not the only Omega by his side.With my hands balled into fists, I looked the middle-aged Beta straight in the eye. "That's right, I'm leaving."He sighed deeply. "I don't know what went down, but I'll respect your choice."I thanked him with a smile and headed for the door.That was when my phone buzzed to life.It was a message fr

"It's Betty who's into roses. Not me."My voice was quiet but unwavering.Silence stretched on the other end of the line.Finally, Darren broke it."What did you just say? I'm off to travel with Betty. We can chat about the rest later."The call ended, and I stared at my phone, a smile playing on my lips.I had planned to talk about breaking our bond with him, but clearly, there was no need.I left the pack behind and settled into a quaint little house by myself.Every so often, Darren would send over some plans for the crowning ceremony.[How about a romantic setup by the lake?][I'll make sure the lakeside is decked out with roses for you.]I never texted back.He had never cared about our bond for three years, then when I was gone, he suddenly got serious.However, he still got my likes and dislikes mixed up. He did not even remember what I had just told him.Meanwhile, Betty was on a mission of her own.She kept her updates coming, sending them my way in secret.Dar

Darren was still going at it, trying to win an argument that I had checked out of a long time ago. I turned him out, turned on my heel, and headed for the door. However, before I stepped out, I threw a glance over my shoulder and replied calmly, "Just so you know, I've got the Bond Dissolution Ceremony at the Moon Goddess Temple set for three days from now. We'll go our separate ways after that, so don't be late."The moment I was gone, Darren's composure crumbled into chaos. He racked his brain but came up empty.Darren had no more tricks up his sleeve to keep me around. He could not find a single reason that would make me look back.In a frenzy, Darren questioned the middle-aged Beta who handled the day-to-day stuff. "Why was I the last to know about Claire's situation?"The Beta was just as blindsided, and after a beat, he replied carefully, "You signed off on it. I thought you were on board."Darren's brow creased as he thought back to the pile of paperwork he signed recently. The

For three days without me, Darren tossed and turned, sleepless.He played out our reunion at the Moon Goddess Temple in his head, wondering if his tears would make me go easy on him.However, I had already moved on.For the first time, I dreamt of a life that was all mine, free from Darren's shadow, ready to start fresh and embrace real freedom.I was ready to forgive all his past mistakes if he could just keep his promises.After that, we would be square.Three days later, I saw Darren at the Moon Goddess Temple.He had bailed on 99 Luna crowning ceremonies before, but when it came time to break our bond, he was right on time.He came up to me, his eyes full of emotion."In these three days, I've thought about it a lot. Claire, I think you still love me, and I've realized I can't afford to lose you."Darren moved closer to hug me."Claire, the wolf inside me weeps for your leaving. Stay as my Luna, will you?"I backed away, putting distance between us.Could someone who h