In that brief moment, he seemed to believe in our fate as mates. I had never felt such certainty before. Looking into his eyes, his lips found mine under the stars, and for an instant, it felt like we were the only two in the world. It was the kind of memory you hold onto when facing the storms ahead. But now, that memory—a vision of us together—had turned bitter.
Every time he chose her over me, every moment he made me feel small, it chipped away at the bond we once had.
My phone buzzed endlessly in my hand, that perfect night felt like a cruel joke.
His last message echoed in my mind, painting himself as the victim, blaming me for his inability to choose. When I didn’t reply, his name lit up on the screen, ringing sharply in the quiet room.
I looked at the screen, my thumb hovering over the reject button. I could hear his voice in my head getting louder with each unanswered ring—a mix of anger, frustration, and blame for not wanting to stay.
Finally, I snatched the phone, the tension thick in the air until I answered.
"Ember," Margaret’s voice came through cool and calm. I thought it was Darius who was calling this time. It was her.
She was the pack’s healer and one of my close friends. "There’s a gathering at the Silver Moon Restaurant. Everyone wants to say sorry. Let’s put this behind us, okay?"
I took a deep breath, my mind racing. "Will the Alpha and Elara be there?"
There was a short pause, and I could almost feel her thinking. "Yes."
"Great. You can pick me up tomorrow," I replied. If they wanted to apologize, it shouldn’t just be about me.
Everyone needed to own up to their part in this mess. I went to the pack-house, where I saw him taking responsibility like an Alpha, even though he was Beta.
“Jaxon…”
He glanced at me, his eyes sharp and calculating, “What?”
“You need to know something…”
