Independence Werewolf Short Stories & Regret Novels

By the time Kaelen canceled our marking ceremony for the seventh time, I no longer asked him to stay. I simply watched him fasten his cloak and prepare to leave for Elara. “Elara’s wolf had lost control. She needs my Alpha aura to stabilize her. We can do it after she recovers.” He promised we would finish the ceremony once she was safe. He also promised this would be the last time. But I had already heard that promise six times before. Each time he broke the ceremony halfway through, our unfinished mate bond tore through me like a rejection. I was always the one left shaking on the floor while he rushed to hold another woman through the night. This time, I did not beg. Kaelen mistook my silence for understanding. Before leaving, he kissed my forehead and said, “Wait for me.” I smiled and nodded. Then I called the only witch who knew how to destroy a fated bond. Kaelen believed he was postponing our future for some time. He could never have imagined that the mate he had neglected again and again would be the one to sever their bond with her own hands.

The day my mother pulled up to school in a Cullinan, I was digging through a trash can for stale bread. She was furious. She snatched the bread right out of my hand and crushed it under her heel. "I give you a living allowance and you're out here going through the garbage? Are you trying to make your own mother look like a joke?" I was about to explain when Ms. Laura grabbed my arm and whispered in my ear. "Don't talk back. Your mom's been a CEO her whole life. She can't handle being challenged in public, especially not by her own daughter." Ms. Laura was my mother's best friend. My living allowance went from my mom to her, then to me. Two hundred a month. When I stayed quiet, Ms. Laura went over to my mom's side. "Elsa's just trying to experience what a tough life feels like. That's the mindset of someone with real grit. Don't crush her spirit." The suspicion in my mother's eyes didn't fade, but the edge softened a little. "This dedicated to roughing it? Fine. But she can't keep this up. People are gonna think my company went under." "Go swipe your meal card and bring me a school lunch. I want to see what they're feeding you here." I lowered my head. Quietly. "I don't have any money." My mother exploded. "No money?! I transfer twenty thousand to Laura every month for your living expenses! I send you the most advanced suppressants and nutrition supplements straight from the company lab! It's only been five days into this month and you're telling me you're broke? Where is all that money going?!" The entire courtyard went dead silent.

I was born with broken blood and fragile senses. At twenty, I was revealed as the fated mate of Gavin Silverthorne, Seattle's top pureblood Alpha. The entire pack mocked him behind his back. Still, I celebrated in secret. We grew up together. I had loved him in the dark for years. Every Spring Hunt, every full moon, whenever danger struck, he was the first to put himself between me and the threat. Without the Moon Goddess's blessing, I would never have felt worthy of him. I thought he felt it too. Every time he stepped closer, my heart raced with joy. Yet he never truly touched me. Whenever I leaned in, his muscles locked up, like my presence was pure torture. I was a fool. I mistook it for restraint. Then came the annual pack summit. Under the blinding lights of the group photo, I gathered my courage and stepped to his side. "Stay away from me," he muttered under his breath. The shutter clicked. He did not stay for a single second. He walked away, leaving me stranded under the stage lights. That was the moment I finally understood. To him, I was nothing but an embarrassment. Ten years of quiet, desperate love died right there. That night, I tore up my Seattle pack contract. I booked a one-way ticket to Manhattan. Any life tied to Gavin Silverthorne was a life I no longer wanted.

I had been crushing on Alpha Silas since we were pups. When he was attacked by a Rogue's dark magic and his wolf went feral from heat, I didn't hesitate to offer my body as the cure for him. We spent the entire night tangled together. It seemed only natural that I would become his Luna. But on the day of our mating ceremony, Silas's soulmate Sloane was so heartbroken that she fled the pack—only to be captured and killed by Rogues. After the ceremony, the pack finally found her body, and Silas stared at her corpse in dead silence. I thought we would grow closer over time, that he would eventually fall for me. But on the day I went into labor, he ruthlessly and unilaterally snapped our mate bond. Watching me writhe in agony from the shattered bond, he just sneered. "If I'd chosen Sloane that day, she wouldn't have died. You killed her just to get the Luna title.You're going to pay for her life with yours." I died in excruciating pain, and the pup inside me faded away too. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the Rogue's dark magic struck Silas. This time, I chose to push him into Sloane's arms.

My cousin stole my fiancé's suppressant on the night of the full moon — just to test how much he loved her. Then she locked me in a room with him while he was out of his mind with pain. Watching Adrian writhe in agony, I wrapped my trembling arms around him and let him mark me. My cousin was devastated. She married the brutal Alpha of the neighboring pack in a fit of spite. When Adrian found out I was pregnant, he had no choice but to make me his Luna. But in five years of marriage, he never once came to see me or our son. After rogues kidnapped us, I thought he'd finally let us go. Instead, he shifted and fought to bring us back — only to die alongside those rogue wolves. I held his bloodied body and watched the light drain from his eyes. With his last breath, he gripped my hand: "Stop saving me! I regret everything… I never needed you to save me…" My heart shattered. Cold wind tore through the hollow in my chest until I couldn't stop shaking, and the world went dark. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that full moon night — five years in the past.

I'm about to get married under the witness of the Goddess of the Moon. However, Carl Erickson, my partner of ten years, doesn't know it yet. Carl has recently hired a new assistant—Ivy Keating. Everyone in the wolf pack knows something amorous is going on between them; they frequently "discuss work" until the wee hours of the night. A celebration that's supposed to be for our anniversary turns into Ivy's birthday celebration. Carl orders a ten-layer mango cream cake for the celebration—it's Ivy's favorite. They get cream everywhere, but they've forgotten I'm seriously allergic to mangoes. A regular mango is as lethal to me as wolf venom is. I'm taken away by an ambulance to be rescued, and I'm alone when I wake up. Carl is still at the party, celebrating Ivy's birthday. My wolf growls unhappily, and my love for Carl dies. It's then that I agree to the marriage my family has arranged for me. I'm going to marry a true Alpha.

In the seven years that I have been bound to my Alpha heir mate Garrett, he had slept with every single friend around me. I pretended I saw nothing. I kept fulfilling my duties as the future Luna. Until the day I gave birth, his new mistress led rogue wolves straight to me. Their claws pierced through my belly with cruel precision. My mother was even killed by them when she tried to save me. In that desperate moment, I used the mind link to contact Garrett and begged him to save us. "Aria, when did you learn to pull these tricks? Don't think your pathetic acting will make me care about you." After saying that, he shut down the mind link. But he did send a car—to pick up his new mistress. By the time the patrol found me and rushed me to the hospital, the baby in my belly had been clawed out. My mother died too. The rogue wolves' poison coursed through her wounds until her body gave up. When I woke up, I stared numbly at Garrett's grandfather, the current Alpha of the Shadowmoon Pack. "Let me go," I said flatly. "Whatever I owed your pack, I've paid it back with my life."

Just before our mating ceremony, my fated mate, Keane Blackwood, told me out of nowhere that he had to mark his widowed sister-in-law, Elara, first. He needed a pureblood heir. And I was a half-blood werewolf. "Talise, Elara is the best choice. Don't worry. This is purely political. You're the only one I love. "It's only for a year. Wait for me." His warm palm cupped my cheek, and he looked at me with the same love I'd always seen in his eyes. I believed him. But the very next day, news broke that Elara was pregnant. Three months along. They'd been sneaking around behind my back for a long time. "Why did you hide it from me?" I ran to confront him, my eyes red and my lips trembling. "It's all for the pack." He sighed, looking tired. For the Blackwood pack, he could put off our dates, stay out all night, and put my feelings dead last. In the end, even my anger was dismissed as immature, and I was supposed to graciously hand over my own mate. Suddenly I was so tired I could barely stand. But Keane didn't seem to notice. He even asked me to give up the Luna's master suite on the top floor. I scoffed, turned, and stormed home. Then I opened my laptop and replied to the email from the Mediterranean medical project. "I accept your offer," I wrote.

Two days before the full moon, my mate Derek, our pack Alpha, decided to take his Omega assistant Sarah hunting in the forest. I didn't argue or make a scene. I even lovingly packed his bags for him. He mocked me, saying my pregnancy had finally taught me to be gentle. After he left, I immediately went to terminate the pregnancy. All because in my previous life, when I prevented him from accompanying that Omega, his little assistant was brutally murdered by rogue wolves in the forest. Derek acted indifferent on the surface, but when I was about to give birth, he sliced open my belly with a silver dagger, removed our unborn pup, and cut it to pieces before my eyes. Only then did I understand he had resented me all along. With this second chance, I will leave him with nothing.

I am Alpha Dominic’s fated mate. I saved him when he was at his lowest. He didn't care that I was just an ordinary Omega. Countless times, as we mated, he’d kiss me like he was starving for me, whispering that I was a gift from the Moon Goddess herself. But that was before his ex—the high-born she-wolf, Chloe—came back. He started letting his pack walk all over me. And when my grandmother was framed for poisoning Chloe, he had her thrown in the dungeon cells without a second thought. I begged him, but Dominic just shot me a cold, warning look. "Evelyn, our mating ceremony is a week away. Don't let this scandal ruin it." He didn't know. That night, my grandmother died in those cells. And I made a decision. I refuse to be his Luna.

It's the final round of this year's Pack Pup Tournament. I can't take my eyes off my pup, Patrick Grant, as he wins the title. When the host calls Patrick's parents onstage to celebrate, I leap up, thrilled. But then I see Nicholas Grant, my Alpha mate, walk up with his secretary, Natalia Lawson. They stand side by side under the spotlight, kissing Patrick on both cheeks. It's as if Natalia is the mother, as if she's the Luna of our pack, as if they're the perfect family. I can only stand there in the audience, feeling the weight of countless startled stares, too ashamed to lift my head. Later, Nicholas brushes the incident off. "You were seated farther back. It was easier to bring Natalia up on stage," he explains. Easier? I swallow the humiliation and force myself to believe it was just an unfortunate coincidence—until today, that is. I sense through our blood bond that something's wrong with Patrick, so I drop everything and race to the pack hospital. But when I arrive, Patrick is lying in Natalia's lap, whining to her in a soft voice. I step forward to introduce myself, but the healer only looks surprised. "The emergency contact form lists Natalia as his mom, though." It turns out Patrick himself had stripped me of my role as his mother. And Nicholas didn't stop him. I finally understand. I don't belong in this family anymore. That night, I tell Nicholas I want to dissolve the mate bond between us. He doesn't even look up as he says, "Don't be dramatic. You'd dissolve our bond over a single name on a form?" "Yes."

The day before the Imperial Academy trial, my online boyfriend told me his friend had drawn me as his partner. Before I could even process what he meant, he dragged me into a group chat. "Congratulations, Liam! You drew yourself a 200-pound partner!" Right after that, someone posted a photo of me from three years ago for everyone to see. In it, I wore an XL ceremonial robe, my face so chubby my ears practically disappeared. The chat instantly exploded with laughter. "God, that's not a werewolf. That's a porcupine on two legs." "A bet's a bet, Liam. You drew her yourself!" "Who says his partner is useless? She could sit on the prey and crush it to death! Hahaha!" Before long, someone started a betting pool. They were betting on whether I'd dare show up for the trial the next day. My online boyfriend bet 10,000 gold coins that I wouldn't. "Don't blame me, guys. You drew her yourself!" Liam, the werewolf who had drawn me, didn't say a word. Then Claire, the girl everyone in the chat had crowned the prettiest girl at the academy, suddenly tagged me. "Sweetie, don't listen to them. You'll still come tomorrow, won't you?" I watched the insults fly across the screen and laughed. None of them knew I'd lost 100 pounds for this trial, dropping from 200 pounds to 100. For the past two months, I couldn't leave the house without some werewolf hitting on me. Without saying a word, I placed my own bet. 30,000 gold coins that I'd show up on time.

It was right before the Full Moon Gala for our seventh mating anniversary. My fated mate, Alpha Caleb, pinned me against the wall for a deep kiss. His large hands roamed my body, eyes burning with lust. He almost couldn't resist stripping me naked right then and there. Blushing, I pushed him away. "We have the Full Moon Gala to attend. How can they start without the Alpha and Luna?" He let me go reluctantly, wrapping an arm around my waist as we headed to the venue. Seeing the hickey on my neck, his Beta, Marco, smirked and asked him in the pack's obscure old Lycan tongue. "Alpha, who's hotter in bed? The Luna or your new Omega assistant?" Caleb casually handed me a pastry, then carelessly replied in the old Lycan tongue. "That Omega is so tight she drives me fucking crazy. But keep your mouths shut. If the Luna finds out, she'll leave me. Her temper is fiercer than that Omega's body." His Beta and Gamma chuckled, promising to keep their Alpha's secret. I stood right there, while my inner wolf let out a mournful whimper. Caleb had no idea. To help him run the pack better, I had pored over ancient texts and mastered their secret tongue long ago. I also knew long ago that he had an Omega mistress. But I didn't cry or throw a fit. I simply submitted an application to the Hidden Sanctuary of the Supreme Healers' Council in silence. In three days, I would do exactly what he feared. I would sever our mate bond completely and leave his territory forever.

At my bonding ceremony with Liam Jones, the pack witch appeared and dropped a bombshell—my long-lost sister, Victoria, was still alive. She could bring Victoria back, but there was a catch. She turned to my parents and asked: “Are you willing to trade Margret Davis for Victoria Davis? The two will swap bodies.” My parents' faces lit up with excitement. They didn't hesitate for a second. Yes. They said the only reason they had me was because Victoria had vanished, and their mind-link with her had gone silent. I'd spent twenty years living a life that was never mine, while my sister suffered for over a decade. This was what I owed her. Then the witch turned to Liam. Victoria had gone missing because she saved him—I knew that. But if he could just say no, even if it was a lie, even if he was just pretending… Then at least there'd be one person in this world who wanted me to stay. One last reason for me to hold on. A long silence stretched between us. Finally, he spoke. "She went missing because she saved me. I have to bring her back." He gave a firm nod. "Yes." Then the witch sprinkled a vial of purple liquid over me. She looked at everyone with a cold smile. "The potion takes time to work. In one month, Victoria and Margret will swap."

After learning the silver poison had sunk deep into my heart with no cure left, I secretly returned to the pack I'd left five years ago. I just wanted to see Leon Frost one last time. The one who was now their Alpha. Instead, I walked right into news that he was about to mate with his new chosen, Shelly Davis. Worse—they caught me. My mother had me in a wheelchair. Leon's eyes flickered with something unreadable when he saw me. He didn't speak. But Shelly sure did. "Well. Look who finally crawled back. Five years and you look like hell. Can't even walk anymore?" Her voice dripped with mockery. I held back the tears and tugged at my sleeve, hiding the decay spreading across my arms. "It's nothing. Just tripped and hurt my leg." Shelly's laugh cut through the air again. "Since Leon and I are holding our bonding ceremony, you should come witness it. Ten days from now. Full moon night." I kept my face calm and forced a smile. "Can't make it. I'm heading somewhere far away." Then I glanced at Leon—his face still empty, still silent—and signaled my mother to wheel me home. The further he got, the harder the tears fell. Leon, I wasn't lying. I have less than ten days. Before your ceremony even starts, I'll be gone.

I'm the last of my father's bloodline, the old Alpha of the Moonlit Howl Pack. To keep me safe, Dad wanted me to mate with either Rhys, the pack's bravest, or Finn, our top warrior with insane fighting skills. They were supposed to be the next Alpha. But the only one they actually gave a damn about was that pathetic, vicious Omega, Cassidy. They even spat on pack tradition and marked her, thinking they could kick me out after Dad died! So, after Mom passed, and they asked me with disgust who I’d finally picked as my mate… I didn’t choose either of them. I turned my back and walked straight to Harris, the Alpha of the Shadow-fang Pack. The Alpha they say is eaten up by an ancient blood curse, a terrifying monster. However, on the day Harris was supposed to come for me, Liam and Seth actually stood in front of my den, begging me like whipped pups to stay.

I gave him three years of my life, only to be treated as nothing more than a substitute—worse than a dog. When his so-called white moonlight returned, he kicked me aside without hesitation. Fine. I agreed to the family alliance and married the most powerful Alpha of the North. Now he regrets it, begging me to return? Too late. They plotted against me with wolfsbane, wanting me to die in a filthy wine cellar. But my Mate—the true King of the North—tore the entire estate apart just to save me. They tried to steal my Alpha bloodline with dark sorcery. I made them taste exile, cast out as Rogues, despised by all. And him? He knelt before me, begging for forgiveness. I leaned safely in my Mate’s arms and watched him be banished forever. “Ansel,” I told him coldly, “open your eyes. I am the one and only Luna of the North.”

I was a mermaid fostered within the Silverwood Pack. By the laws of my kin, on the day I came of age, I had to swallow a Tide Pearl fed to me by a male. Only then could I fully shed my tail and truly join the wolf pack, remaining on land. And whoever fed me the pearl would become my mate. Miss that window, and my legs would turn back into a tail, forcing me to return to the deep sea. Before my mother died, she left behind three Tide Pearls, entrusting them to the three wolf boys I grew up with—each desperate to become my mate. But just as I was about to come of age, a lone wolf mother named Chloe arrived at the pack with her young pup, Leo. Alpha Lucas, Beta Kane, and Gamma Aiden became convinced that Chloe was the widow of the wolf who had saved their lives, and they showered mother and son with care. They knew full well what the Tide Pearls meant to me—yet choice after choice, they handed those pearls over to Chloe and her child, one by one. Their protection of Chloe was built on my sacrifice. With every pearl gone, I had no reason left to stay in the pack. At midnight on my coming-of-age day, the tide surged over the cliffs. I returned to the sea.

On the twelfth anniversary of our mating ceremony, my Alpha mate gave me a ten-million-dollar Moonlight herb. Fresh from the healing clinic after my miscarriage, I calmly dialed his number to request the severing of our mate bond. On the other end of the line, his secretary—also his childhood sweetheart—apologized through tears: "Sage, Moonlight herb is a sacred healing herb for most werewolves. I didn't know your mother died from Moonlight herb poisoning. I didn't know you despised it most. It's all my fault for making the decision myself. Please don't be angry with the Alpha." Marcus spent a long time gently comforting her, only saying to me: "If you want to sever it, then sever it. Don't regret it later." But when I really cut off the mate bond, the powerful Alpha went crazy.

In seven years together, the words Theo said to me most weren't "I love you." They were "Be reasonable." In our first year of dating, his neighbor Sophia took a liking to my wolf fang necklace and wanted to borrow it for a few days. Theo said, "Joey, be reasonable. She's young, let her wear it." In the third year, Sophia borrowed my brand-new car. Theo said, "She'll get over the novelty in a few days. Cut her some slack." In the seventh year, the day he finally became Alpha, Theo gave me a moonstone ring blessed by the Moon Goddess. Sophia clung to his arm, her voice sweet and wheedling. "Theo, that's a moonstone ring. I've never gotten to wear one before." Then she glared at me, her smile dripping with malice. "Joey, I want the ring." Theo leaned in and murmured, "Joey, be reasonable. It's just a ring." I took it off without hesitation and handed it to Sophia. Just then, a text came through on my phone. "The position is yours whenever you're ready. Just tell me when you're coming to London, and I'll pick you up."