Gone Before “I Do” のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 9

After ten years together, Aiden, my Alpha, my first and only love, finally promised to hold the mating ceremony with me during the Spring Hunt Festival.I was overjoyed. That night, at the festival party, I downed a few extra glasses of wine.However, Aiden, who had always been so gentle with me, suddenly became someone I didn't recognize. He scolded me, said I was unfit to be the future Luna if I couldn’t even follow the rules, and shoved me out of the car. Drunk and dazed, I was left alone in the dangerous Shadow Forest.Terrified but unwilling to break, I walked through that forest for five hours in the dead of night.When I finally made it back to our home, I heard him in the other room, sending a voice message to Seraphina, his first love."If you’re willing to come back," he said, his voice soft and warm, "I’ll do anything for you."Seraphina replied, "Even cancel the mating ceremony?"Time stopped.I silently counted to thirteen.Then, I heard his answer: "Yes."Listening to tha

The next morning, Aiden’s call woke me."Clara, are you up?" His voice sounded casual. "I had the kitchen make your favorite blueberry pancakes. I’m not coming back to the Lunar Hall today. Something urgent came up in the pack. We’ll take the wedding photos another day."He paused. "And about last night… don’t overthink it. I already apologized to Seraphina on your behalf.""Okay," I answered calmly.My composure surprised him."The mating ceremony is just a formality," he added. "Our bond runs deep enough. We don’t need a ceremony to prove anything. Let’s keep it simple.""Sure."Keep it simple.This mating ceremony would have no blessing from the Moon Goddess, no token of devotion, and no witness from the pack.And soon… no bride.After hanging up, I crossed off "take wedding photos" from the calendar, dragging the pen with force. That calendar held every hope I had. I used to believe each wish would come true before the ceremony.Now, every blacked-out line glared back like an unhea

Once I cut off all contact with the outside world, exhaustion crashed over me like a wave.For days, I had been tense, caught in a constant cycle of betrayal and heartbreak. Now, high above the earth, cut off from everything, I could finally breathe.I fell asleep, deeper and more peacefully than I had in years.In my dreams, Aiden's face kept reappearing.When we were seven, just young and clueless pups, he clumsily wove a crown of wildflowers and placed it on my head. He said he’d be my Alpha, and I’d be his one and only Luna.At eighteen, beneath a full moon, we had our first kiss, tasting the sweetness of young love. He had sworn to the Moon Goddess he would give me the grandest mating ceremony the pack had ever seen, so all wolves would witness our bond.When had it all started to change?Was it the moment Seraphina returned? Or was it long before that, in all those tiny moments I had ignored?I couldn’t remember.Aiden’s name had been woven through every part of my youth

Aiden didn’t leave. He abandoned all his duties and ignored the Council of Elders. Like a desperate, wounded wolf, he hovered around me, refusing to give up.Seraphina finally snapped. She stormed up to me furiously."Wow, Clara. Vanishing to get his sympathy? Don’t get cocky. He’ll come back to me in the end."I looked at her calmly.This woman had cast a shadow over half my life. She never took something because she loved it. She took it because she could and because she liked the thrill of it.I used to hate her and her disgraceful mother.But now? I just pitied her.In their world, love was war, and men were the spoils. They never thought that outside this mud pit, there might be an entire sky waiting."That’s your problem," I said. "You’d better take him away fast. Stop disturbing my peace."My disregard set her off."What makes you so smug? He loves me!" She started flaunting all their memories, stories of their so-called romance, the kind I used to dream of.To her, t

Eventually, under pressure from both councils, Aiden’s pack paid a steep price for his recklessness.To calm the fury of my mother’s people, they stripped Aiden of his Alpha status, and he was exiled, banned for life from ever stepping foot on our land again.As they led him away, he broke free of the guards and stumbled toward me. His voice was hoarse."Will we ever meet again?""Never." My answer landed like ice.His proud body shuddered. His golden wolf eyes that had once been so full of power blurred with tears. The Alpha who once ruled with fire and iron now cried like a lost child.Pathetic. Broken."How did it end up like this? Clara, you were with me for so long that I started seeing you as part of me. I thought no matter what I did, you’d always be there."I never imagined you’d leave. I never thought losing you would feel like this. After you left, my world collapsed."I never meant to hurt you. I just couldn’t resist her. I wanted her passion and your comfort. I tho