This time, I would reject the mate bond with my husband. I would walk away from the Alpha I once loved so fiercely I defied my own family for him, erase every trace of my past, and enter a political marriage with a more powerful Alpha I had never even met.
“Flight confirmed. February 14th, 11:55 PM departure.”
Staring at the flight information on my phone, I picked up a marker and circled the date on the wall calendar.
The ink bled deep, a dark red period marking the end of this disastrous mistake.
Fourteen days until I leave.
I suddenly remembered something Beta Marcus had once mentioned offhandedly. “The Alpha says your wolf form reminds him of Scarlett, especially your eyes.”
At the time, I thought it was a stroke of luck, being similar to the woman he could never forget. I thought it would be enough to keep him by my side.
Looking back now, I realize that in his heart, I was never me.
How foolish.
A sharp pain seized my chest, every word a silver bullet to the heart.
I took a deep-violet potion from the refrigerator.
The voice of Sage, the pack witch, echoed in my memory: “This will ease the pain of a breaking Mate Bond, but it’s a temporary fix, not a cure. True relief only comes from severing the bond completely.”
I downed it in one gulp.
The bitter liquid slid down my throat, and the tearing pain in my chest subsided slightly. But I knew it was only for a moment.
Time to start packing.
