Chapter 21
Selene’s Pou
After signing the Severance Scroll, I sat quietly in the empty meeting room, the golden afternoon sun slanting through the high windows, painting long, lonely shadows across the floor.
The Pack Attorney’s words still echoed in my ears.
“The Severance will be finalized within one moon cycle. Once the Elders approve, your Mate Bond with Alpha Julian Blake will be fully
dissolved.”
Thirty days.
Thirty days until the final thread connecting us snapped completely.
I should have felt relief.
But instead, a hollow ache gnawed at my chest, spreading outward like a slow poison
“It hurts,” my wolf whimpered faintly, her voice like a fading echo inside me.
Iknow, I answered silently, clutching my palm into a fist until my nails bit into my skin.
My wolf was right. The severing of the Mate Bond wasn’t just a legal process; it was a wound carved into the soul. Piece by piece, I was
unraveling
That night, Julian didn’t return to our quarters. He stayed in the study, as he had so many times before, hiding behind work and meaningless responsibilities while I withered in the silence of our once–shared life.
The next morning, when I emerged from the cold, empty bedroom, Julian was already dressed in a pristine black suit, his silver cufflinks gleaming under the dim hallway lights.
Seeing me, he offered the same familiar smile he always did effortless, charming, oblivious.
“I have urgent matters today,” he said, adjusting his tic. “I won’t be able to accompany you to the pup’s prenatal check. Go ahead. yourself, alright? I’ll bring back your favorite strawberry cake tonight.”
Pup’s check.
A pang twisted through my chest so violently that for a moment I couldn’t breathe.
There was no pup
There was no future.
There was only a hollow woman standing before a man who didn’t even realize what he had already lost,
Facing his expectant gaze, I forced my lips into a mechanical smile and nodded.
He chuckled warmly, pointing playfully at his cheek
“Leaving kiss?”
A ritual from a time when I still believed love was enough.
Now, I felt like a mockery
fshook my head lightly “You’re running late,” I said flatly. “You should go ”
Julian looked momentarily puzzled, then chuckled again, ruffling my hair as if I were a child he was humoring rather than a mate he
cherished.
Without another word, he left, his scent lingering in the air a scent that once wrapped me in security but now suffocated me
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As the door closed behind him, the weight in my chest became unbearable.
I sank to the floor, pressing a trembling hand against my heart.
“Don’t cry,” my wolf murmured weakly. “He’s not worth our tears.”
I’m not crying for him, I thought bitterly. I’m crying for the fool I used to be.
When I finally found the strength to rise, I changed into a plain, loose sweater and jeans.
Today wasn’t for the clinic.
It was for survival.
I headed toward the Syndicate Research Center, my steps mechanical, my mind numb.
The late autumn air was sharp, the streets nearly deserted, the golden leaves swept into forlorn piles along the cobblestone paths.
At the Research Center, the auditorium was already packed. Young wolves buzzed with excitement, their chatter filling the cold air with warmth I couldn’t feel.
“Ethan Caldwell’s speaking today!”
“He’s the youngest ever to win the Wolfbane Award!!
“He’s amazing! They say even the Elder Council consults him!‘
I slipped quietly into the back of the hall, pressing myself into the shadows. I wasn’t here for the lecture. I was here for a new beginning.
On stage, Ethan stood under the soft lights, tall and poised. His aura was different from Julian’s less polished, but more real. There was a quiet steadiness to him, a sense of grounded strength
I watched for a few moments, feeling nothing but a distant sense of loss.
Once, I too had been like those eager–eyed students–ambitious, passionate, believing the future was mine to shape.
But that future had been stolen. By tradition. By duty. By misplaced love.
Deciding I couldn’t bear to stay any longer, I turned to leave.
“Selene!”
The familiar voice cut through the haze. I turned and found Ethan striding toward me, his smile genuine, his eyes bright with
recognition
“Senior Brother,” I greeted, a genuine, small smile finding its way to my lips for the first time in what felt like years. “Long time no
We exchanged a few polite words, but I couldn’t hide the tension radiating from me. Ethan noticed.
“You look… tired,” he said, his brow furrowing with concern
“I’m in the middle of some big changes,” I said lightly, brushing it off.
Then, gathering every shred of courage left inside me, I asked, “Is there any chance… any chance I could join your outland research
station?”
For a heartbeat, the noise of the auditorium faded, and all that remained was the pounding of my heart.
Ethan’s eyes widened. not in shock, but in understanding
“Of course,” he said without hesitation. “Selene, we’d be honored to have you
Something inside me trembled. Relief Fear. A tentative hope
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“You were meant for more than this place,” he added, his voice low and sincere. “Everyone knew it. Even back then.”
“But… the outlands are f
are far,” he hesitated, searching my face. “Are you sure? It’s beyond Pack territories. Beyond anyone’s protection”
I smiled this time, a real, bittersweet smile.
“I’m no longer bound to anyone.”
His gaze softened. He didn’t ask questions. He simply nodded.
“One
H
“I’ll be waiting for you,” he said simply.
And for the first time in a long, long while, I felt like I could breathe again.
I wasn’t free yet.
But I could finally see the horizon.
And
And this time, I would run toward in
with or without my scars.
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