Chapter 1

“Let Mira in. I’m ready,” I said as soon as Kaelen ended the call with Elara, before he could explain why our marking ceremony had to be stopped again.

For a moment, he only looked at me. Perhaps he had expected me to argue, or ask him to stay, but after so many canceled ceremonies, there was nothing left for me to ask.

Kaelen came closer and took my hand. Guilt and regret were written across his face, but I had seen both too many times to find comfort in them.

“This is the last time, Emma. I promise,” he said softly. “Elara’s wolf had lost control. She needs my Alpha aura to stabilize her. We can do it after she recovers.”

He always said it would be the last time.

I had believed him seven times, and every time, I had watched him leave me behind for the same woman.

Whenever Elara called for him, Kaelen would stop our marking ceremony.

Each interruption triggered the backlash of an unfinished mate bond. As an Omega, I could only endure it with Mira’s pain-relieving potions.

The pain was no less brutal than being rejected by my own fated mate.

It would tear through my wolf for weeks, leaving me too weak to stand, eat, or even shift. And while I lay in bed suffering the consequences of his choice, Kaelen would be with Elara, guarding her through the night and giving her the comfort he had taken from me.

“You should leave now,” I said. “I wouldn’t want you accusing me of delaying you.”

Kaelen’s expression tightened.

“Why would I accuse you of that?”

I looked at him.

The last time he stopped our ceremony, the backlash sent my wolf into a frenzy. Mira had not even managed to give me the potion before I lost consciousness.

Kaelen had no choice but to stay with me.

Half an hour later, Elara called and urged him to come. He left immediately.

The next morning, he accused me of clinging to him because I knew he needed to go. He called my pain another attempt to compete with Elara.

After that, he did not return for three months.

“You did last time,” I said.

His jaw hardened.

“Your collapse had nothing to do with the ceremony. You never fainted before. How was I supposed to know you weren’t pretending just to get my attention?”

“Is that what you really believe?”

The hurt on my face made guilt flash across his expression, but it was no longer enough to soften me.

“As your fated mate, I’m the only one who suffers the backlash every time you stop the ceremony,” I said. “You get to leave and protect the person you care about while forgetting that I’m still here in pain.”

His expression changed. He reached for my hand, but I pulled away.

“You keep saying Elara needs your help,” I continued. “Does helping her always have to mean sacrificing me?”

He looked me in the eyes and finally let out a sigh. “If you really don’t want me to go, then I’ll stay with you.”

For once, it seemed like he was actually giving in for me.

But then he added, “‘At least I’ll wait till you’re stable, and then leave...”

I just shook my head. “Don’t bother.”

This was the last time I’d suffer because of him.

From now on, I didn’t need him by my side.

Half an hour later, Mira showed up in the room.

Mira looked at me with pity and pain in her eyes.

That pity angered me even more than Kaelen’s guilt.

She carried a bag filled with herbs and moonstones—the things she used every time his canceled marking ceremony left me suffering.

“Emma, your body is already very weak. My herbs might help reduce the pain, but every time you go through this, your wolf is weakened, and the damage is irreversible.”

“I want to forcibly sever the mate bond.”

Her hand, which was holding the pain-relieving potion, froze in midair.

She stared at me in disbelief, as if she never expected me to be the one who would give up on this relationship.

“I know you have the red potion that can do it,” I said calmly. “I’ll pay whatever you want.”

Mira hesitated for a long moment before finally handing the red potion to me.

She let out a quiet sigh.

“You spent years waiting for him to choose you. Now, choose yourself.”

At that moment, the door opened.

Kaelen walked in.

“What are you two talking about? Why isn’t it done yet?”

“It’ll be finished soon,” I replied.

I looked at him calmly.

“You should go. You don’t need to stay with me.”

He was already walking toward the door when he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something.

When he looked back at me, his eyes were filled with guilt.

“Emma, I promise I won’t break my word this time.”

“Trust me, when I come back, I’ll definitely make it up to you.”

Compensation? I didn’t need it anymore.

Because in four days, I would be leaving him forever.