“Mom… we didn’t complete the bond,” I said quietly, phone pressed to my ear. “Emma twisted her ankle during Pack drills. Logan went to the clinic to stay with her.”

I didn’t cry.

Didn’t even feel surprised.

It had happened too many times.

At some point, you stop waiting for the pain—you just expect the letdown.

There was a sharp inhale on the other end of the line.

Then my mother exploded.

“He rescheduled?! Just like that?! The guests today—do you know how many of them are high-bloodline Alphas? Council members? You think they came to watch him play pretend with your life?! If this gets out—he didn’t even think about what this does to you! To our name!”

Then, suddenly, she went quiet.

The silence wasn’t rage anymore. It was… resignation.

Like something inside her finally caught up.

“I remember,” she said softly. “All the times you stayed. The way you kept bending yourself, hoping he’d eventually meet you halfway.”

A long breath.

Then her voice steadied again, gentler this time.

“So… do you want me to talk to his family? Maybe reschedule the ceremony for next week? Or… do you have other plans?”

I stared out at the city, the concrete cold under my feet, the bond certificate still unsigned in my bag.

“No,” I said. My voice didn’t shake. “I’m not going through with it.”

A pause. And then—

“I’m not going to be with Logan anymore. I’m going back to the Ridge. Back to my Pack.”

Three days.

That’s all I had left in this city. I already started packing—slowly, quietly, like if I made too much noise, someone might stop me. But no one would.

We planned to see a movie today. His idea. Said he missed spending time with me.

I actually put on makeup. I waited at the theater for twenty minutes before checking my phone.

“Something came up. Emma got a fever after yesterday’s drill. I’m heading over. Sorry.”

I didn’t reply.

But right after, another message came in.

Not from him.

From her.