Chapter 2

I never thought I’d live to feel the pain of a broken mate bond.

I never thought the same man who once bled for me—who shifted into his wolf form and fought off a pack of Rogues just to protect me—would one day share his bed with another woman.

But here I am. And here we are.

Alpha Carl.

My fated mate. My first love. My once-in-a-lifetime.

We met on the day of our coming-of-age ceremony. Among a sea of strangers, our eyes locked, and everything else disappeared. The world quieted, time stilled, and I felt it—the unmistakable pull. His scent curled through the air and wrapped around me like a promise. A dangerous, irresistible promise.

The elders of our packs—Blue Tree and White Moon—arranged our future soon after. They said the Moon Goddess had blessed our bond. We’d have our ceremonial bonding after finishing school.

In the beginning, it was awkward. Alpha Carl was wild and distracting. He hated studying and constantly found ways to interrupt me when I was deep in my books. He’d steal my lunch, flick notes at me, even fake injuries during combat training just so I’d pay attention.

To be honest, if it weren’t for the mate bond humming between us, I might’ve broken his nose.

But everything changed the day the Rogues came.

They targeted me for my beauty—filthy intentions behind greedy eyes. Carl shifted on instinct, tearing through the attackers like a storm. I still remember the blood, the howls, the way his broken arm hung limp as he shielded me with his body.

That was the first time I looked at him…differently.

After that, he changed. He started trying harder—his grades didn’t suddenly skyrocket, but he worked. When it came for university, he gave up prestigious offers and applied to a second-tier school—just to stay in the same city as me.

That Christmas, freshman year, he confessed. He planned it all—fairy lights, soft music, the scent of pine and peppermint in the air. And when he looked at me and said, “Fiona, it’s always been you,” my heart finally surrendered.

We officially started dating.

But winter brought more than romance.

Carl’s father severed his bond with his Luna that break. No warning. No explanation. One day he just walked out. His mother… she didn’t survive it. Her wolf shattered. Her spirit faded. By spring, she was dead by her own hand.

Carl locked himself away for three days. I thought he might never come out. But when he did, he collapsed into my arms and cried like a broken child.

“I hate people who tear families apart,” he whispered. “You’re all I have, Fiona. I swear to the Moon Goddess—on my life and soul—I’ll love only you. Forever. If I ever break that oath, may I die a slow and tormented death.”

I believed him.

The day we graduated, we stood before the Moon Goddess Temple and sealed our bond. The elders blessed us. Our families cheered. That psychic thread of the mate bond wove tight around my soul.

We were finally one.

The second year of our bond, I gave him the greatest gift I could—a son. Our son. Eli. Our sweet, bright, stubborn miracle.

From then on, we weren’t just mates. We were a family.

Carl worked harder than ever, building his own company from the ground up. I pursued my own career and was promoted quickly. Friends told me we were the perfect couple. Colleagues envied my life. People called me lucky.

And every night, no matter how late he came home, he’d pull me close, kiss my neck, and whisper, “Fiona, I love you. Always. Forever. Don’t ever leave me.”

And like a fool, I believed it.

Even when he came home after midnight again and again.

Even when the warmth in his eyes began to dim. Even when our conversations grew shorter, and our intimacy faded to routine.

Because the lie was easier than the truth.

Until Bonnie.

Until that one post ripped the veil off everything.

I didn’t need to scroll her profile. I didn’t need to ask him. I didn’t need a confession.

As his mate, I felt it. That unshakable knowing deep in my bones.

He had touched her.

He had been with her.

And worse… he had loved her in the very place he once swore belonged only to me.

Our home.

Our bed.

My room.

I didn’t scream. I didn’t demand answers. I didn’t sink to my knees and beg for explanations.

Instead, I did the one thing I never thought I’d do.

I printed out the separation agreement, signed it, and left it on his desk.

It was clean. It was cold. And it was final.

Because nothing hurts more than realizing the person who swore to protect your heart…Was the one who crushed it.