Chapter 18
I let out a cold, mocking smile.
Alpha Jerome didn’t marry other women not because he loved me- but because no one else would’ve turned a blind eye to his constant
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but because no one else would’ve
turned a blind eye to his constant philandering like I had.
Over the years, my name in wolf packs had become a joke, synonymous with weakness and humiliation.
But we each had something to gain. With his financial help, Moon Shadow Pack slowly clawed its way back from
the brink.
From now on, we owed each other
nothing.
“I’ve made up my mind.” I shook my head. “My decision won’t change.”
“I, Audrey Reed, reject you, Jerome Manwaring, as my mate.”
The pain of breaking the mate bond nearly brought me to my knees,
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but compared to the torment
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Alpha Jerome’s constant infidelity
had caused me, it was almost
insignificant.
I forced myself to stand tall, refusing
to let him see any weakness.
“I don’t accept your rejection! I don’t believe you! I’ll give you a few days. to calm down.” Alpha Jerome’s voice
sounded desperate, like a spoiled child who’d just lost his favorite toy. He straightened his neck defiantly.
“No need. Don’t come back.”
Alpha Jerome stared at me, confused, like he couldn’t comprehend why I was being so firm–so heartless.
Then, he laughed. The sound was brittle, slightly manic, as if something in him had finally snapped.
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“I get it now. Audrey… I never really knew you, did I? This is who you are. That sweet, obedient act–it was all fake, wasn’t it?”
3
His voice was hoarse with frustration
and disbelief. “Tell me the truth. Did
you ever even love me?”
It was the first time he’d ever asked
me that.
He thought back to the first time we met, at his 18th birthday coming–of–age ceremony.
At the time, I was attending the Blue Moon Pack’s annual gathering with my parents. Each year, all
the 18–year–old werewolves in the Mississippi region would come
together for this event. It was
designed to help newly adult wolves
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find their fated mates more easily,
especially since the chances of finding them within one’s own pack were
slim.
It was my first time visiting the Blue Moon Pack. I wore a pink dress my mother had chosen for me, paired with a black cloak. I had confidently stood with my hands on my hips and told my parents, “I’ll shift and become the strongest she–wolf there is! And if the Moon Goddess is feeling generous, maybe I’ll even find a super handsome mate for you guys to fawn
over.”
When I stepped into the venue, I was stunned by the sheer number of people. Jerome stood in the center, surrounded by admirers like the moon among stars. But I quietly found a corner for myself, indulging in delicious cupcakes and an assortment
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5 Points
of other treats. I needed to conserve my energy for the midnight shift.
When the clock struck midnight, I felt my heart racing, followed by searing pain that coursed through my entire body. It felt as though my bones were being shattered, and white fur began to sprout from my skin, ripping apart my delicate pink dress. The agony of my first shift was nearly unbearable, a feeling of utter destruction.
Then, suddenly, the scent of vanilla and peaches enveloped me, soothing the torment. My shift completed smoothly not long after.
As I poked my furry head out from beneath the black cloak, I saw a tall, majestic black wolf standing before
- me.
My wolf growled in my mind, “Mate.”
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From that moment, I fell hopelessly in
love.
Jerome, the future Alpha of the Blue
Moon Pack, was a bit aloof. But I didn’t mind. After all, I felt incredibly blessed–on the day of my 18th
birthday, I had been given two gifts from the Moon Goddess: my wolf and my fated mate, Jerome.
I couldn’t have asked for more, so I devoted myself to pursuing him with all my heart. Even after we became
a couple, my care for him never
wavered.
Whenever the forecast predicted bad weather, I’d nag him to take an umbrella. When he had a
fever, I stayed up all night by his side, terrified that he might need something while I was asleep.
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If that wasn’t love, then what else
could it be?
Suddenly, he hated me.
Hated me for spoiling him.
For making him believe that no matter how badly he behaved, I’d
never leave.
So he kept pushing–further and
further—until he had no limits.
It was my fault, he thought, trembling with fury.
No one else had ever stayed after
seeing the ugliest parts of him.
No one but me.
So how could I leave him now?
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He wouldn’t allow it.
Alpha Jerome’s lips curled into a cold. smile, revealing his sharp, feral teeth.
A sharp, primal alarm blared in my
chest.
My wolf, Ivy, immediately took over, shifting seamlessly.
I turned, ready to retreat into the house–but in the blink of an eye, my feet left the ground.
He had scooped me up and started
running.
For two stunned seconds, I froze, but then I sprang into action. Without hesitation, I swung my claws and sank them into his shoulder.
The deeper my claws drove into his.
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The deeper my claws drove into his flesh, the paler Alpha Jerome’s face
became.
The moment his grip slackened, I broke free.
Hearing the commotion, my parents rushed out of the house, instantly shielding me behind them.
Alpha Jerome clutched his shoulder tightly, his face twisted in pain. And yet, somehow, he managed to force a smile–a bitter, fractured one.
“How much do you hate me,” he asked, “to hurt me like this?”
His voice thundered, nothing like the smooth–talking, elegant man he once pretended to be.
My father’s face darkened. “Go tend to
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your wound first. Whatever you have to say, say it when you’re healed.”
But Alpha Jerome didn’t seem to hear
him.
It was like something inside had cracked open.
Tears actually welled in his eyes as he stared at me, bleeding and obsessed.
He stepped toward me again.
My father barked a command, and twelve towering bodyguards came running.
They forcibly dragged Alpha Jerome
to his car.
He kicked and fought the whole way, smashing his fist through the car
window.
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But I…
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I didn’t flinch. I stood still, expression
cold, like a stranger watching a scene
from someone else’s life.
Finally, Alpha Jerome quieted, though the darkness in his eyes promised one
thing–he wouldn’t give up.
My mother wrapped her arms around me gently, mistaking my silence for
fear.
She whispered, “Once he’s healed, your father and I will go apologize to him. Don’t worry–we’ve sacrificed you once. We won’t do it again.”
I gave a soft, calm smile. “Mom, I’m
not afraid. And… it wasn’t your fault. I was the one who chose him back
then.”
