Chapter 2
Selene’s POV
After signing the Severance Scroll, I sat quietly in the empty meeting room, the golden afternoon sun slanting through the high windows, painting long, lonely shadows across the floor.
The Pack Attorney’s words still echoed in my ears.
“The Severance will be finalized within one moon cycle. Once the Elders approve, your Mate Bond with Alpha Julian Blake will be fully
dissolved.”
Thirty days.
Thirty days until the final thread connecting us snapped completely.
I should have felt relief.
But instead, a hollow ache gnawed at my chest, spreading outward like a slow poison
“It hurts,” my wolf whimpered faintly, her voice like a fading echo inside me.
Now, I answered silently, clutching my palm into a fist until my nails bit into my skin.
My wolf was right. The severing of the Mate Bond wasn’t just a legal process; it was a wound carved into the soul. Piece by piece, I was unraveling.
That night, Julian didn’t return to our quarters. He stayed in the study, as he had so many times before, hiding behind work and meaningless.responsibilities while I withered in the silence of our once–shared life.
The next morning, when I emerged from the cold, empty bedroom, Julian was already dressed in a pristine black suit, cufflinks gleaming under the dim hallway lights.
Seeing me, he offered the same familiar smile he always did effortless, charming, oblivious.
his silver
“I have urgent matters today,” he said, adjusting his tie. “I won’t be able to accompany you to the pup’s prenatal check, Go ahead yourself, alright? I’ll bring back your favorite strawberry cake tonight”
Pup’s check.
A pang twisted through my chest so violently that for a moment I couldn’t breathe.
There was no pup.
There was no future.
There was only a hollow woman standing before a man who didn’t even realize what he had already lost,
Facing his expectant gaze, I forced my lips into a mechanical smile and nodded.
He chuckded warmly, pointing playfully at his cheek.
“Leaving kiss?!!
A ritual Irem a time when i still believed love was enough
Now, it felt like a mockery.
Tphook my head lightly. “You’re running late,” said flatly. “You should go
Julian looked momentarily puzzled, then chuckled again, rattling my hair
Without another word, he left, his scent ingerlig in the air
As the door closed belund him, the wilpha in ma
1 sank to the floor, pressing a trembling hand
reach
rather than a mate be
curtly but now suffocated ine
“Don’t cry,” my wolf murmured weakly. “He’s not worth our tears.”
I’m not crying for him, I thought bitterly. I’m crying for the fool I used to be.
When I finally found the strength to rise, I changed into a plain, loose sweater and jeans.
Today wasn’t for the clinic.
It was for survival.
I headed toward the Syndicate Research Center, my steps mechanical, my mind numb.
The late autumn air was sharp, the streets nearly deserted, the golden leaves swept into forlorn piles along the cobblestone paths.
At the Research Center, the auditorium was already packed. Young wolves buzzed with excitement, their chatter filling the cold air with
warmth I couldn’t feel.
“Ethan Caldwell’s speaking today!”
“He’s the youngest ever to win the Wolfbane Award!”
“He’s amazing! They say even the Elder Council consults him!”
I slipped quietly into the back of the hall, pressing myself into the shadows. I wasn’t here for the lecture. I was here for a new beginning.
On stage, Ethan stood under the soft lights, tall and poised. His aura was different from Julian’s less polished, but more real. There was a quiet steadiness to him, a sense of grounded strength.
I watched for a few moments, feeling nothing but a distant sense of loss.
Once, I too had been like those cager–eyed students
ambitious, passionate, believing the future was mine to shape.
But that future had been stolen. By tradition. By duty. By misplaced love.
Deciding I couldn’t bear to stay any longer, I turned to leave
“Selenel”
The familiar voice cut through the haze. I turned and found Ethan striding toward me, his smile genuine, his eyes bright with
recognition.
“Senior Brother,” I greeted, a genuine, small smile finding its way to my lips for the first time in what felt like years. “Long time no
We exchanged a few polite words, but I couldn’t hide the tension radiating from me. Ethan noticed.
“You look tired,” he said, his brow furrowing with concern
“I’m in the middle of some big changes,” I said lightly, brushing it off.
Then, gathering every shred of courage lett inside me, I asked, “Is there any chance… any chance I could join your outland research
for a limartbeat, the noise of the auditorium faded, and all that remained was the pounding of my heart.
Lthan’s eyes widened
“Of course,” he said without hesitation “pelene, we’d be honored to have you.
Something inside ine trembled Beliet. Fear. A teulative hope.
urant for more than this place,” he added, his voice low and sincere. “Everyone knew it. Even back then,”
re? 11’s beyond Pack territories. Beyond anyo
outlands are far,” be boitated, searching my face.
