“I'll make it up to you for the anniversary celebration next time, okay?” He suggested his voice a weak plea for reconciliation.
A ghost of a smile played on my lips, empty and devoid of feeling. “Nah, don't worry about it. I’m not mad,” I replied, the words hollow and meaningless.
He looked at me, searching for a response, and then pulled me into a hug. The gesture felt as empty as his promises. “There’s a gathering of different packs this weekend,” he murmured into my hair. “Let’s go together.”
It was obvious that Dane’s background was far more prestigious than mine. He was the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack after all. Not only that, but he was highly respected as well. I had attended gatherings and banquets with him, but everyone barely acknowledged me, treating me as an outsider.
Yet, they didn’t hesitate to ask for my help with minor health issues, leveraging my position at the pack's clinic. In the past, I had often brought Dane meals or medicine whenever he was sick, but he, whenever we weren't alone, would never acknowledge my presence. It was as if I was a ghost in his life as an Alpha, invisible and unacknowledged.
I snapped back to reality and replied, “No, I might have to work at the clinic overtime next weekend.”
“Suit yourself,” the Alpha hissed through gritted teeth, his frustration evident.
I didn’t attend the gathering, but I wasn’t prepared for what happened next. My phone buzzed incessantly while I was in the clinic, immersed in writing medical records. But before I checked my phone, I was preoccupied with something far more troubling.
For days now, I had been trying to connect with Cassia, my wolf. As a healer and a werewolf, the bond with my wolf was integral to my strength and well-being. Cassia had always been a steady presence in my mind, a source of power and comfort. But recently, I couldn’t feel her at all. It was as if she had vanished, leaving a gaping void where our connection used to be.
I sat at my desk, closing my eyes and focusing inward, trying to reach her. “Cassia, are you there?” I whispered, desperation creeping into my voice. But there was no response, just a suffocating silence.