Chapter 3
I shut the door, donned my noise-canceling spirit-link earpieces, blocking out the party’s cacophony.
My decision to rejoin the Blood Moon pack meant I needed to resign my position. But I wanted to finish my current projects, to avoid causing any unnecessary disruption.
I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, working diligently. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues. Darkness crept in. I removed my earpieces, stretching. Work finally done. Downstairs was silent.
I absentmindedly accessed my spirit-link communicator to unwind. A message from Qiana popped up. I opened it.
“Why didn’t you like my Howlnet post?”
A moment later, another message.”Sorry, Lanie. I sent that to the wrong person. Don’t be mad!”
I accessed her Howlnet page. Nine photos. All showcasing the gifts from Benjamin and Adam. A stunning emerald necklace, easily worth a seven-figure sum, adorned her neck. To match, Benjamin had gifted her a diamond bracelet. Sparkling diamonds reflected the light, luxurious and dazzling. The red racing cycle, obviously from Adam, was in the background. The central photo showed Qiana nestled between Benjamin and Adam, her arms linked with each of them, a radiant smile on her face.
The caption read:”Yay! I got to be a princess today~”
She’d done this deliberately to provoke a reaction. In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to handle Qiana’s manipulative behavior, or the fact that Benjamin and Adam were lavishing their attention on her, someone they barely knew.
But I was leaving. It didn’t matter anymore.
I tapped the screen. A red heart appeared.
From now on, Benjamin, Adam, and I were just casual acquaintances. Qiana could have them.
The next day, I submitted my resignation.
Back at my family’s ancestral home, I gathered our shared memory crystals. Twenty years of memories, countless images, filling over a dozen thick crystals. Pictures of childhood games, pack ceremonies, academy trips…
At the very bottom, I found the three-finger grass rings. We’d made them as pups, mimicking a blood bond ceremony. Benjamin and Adam had both wanted to be my “mate,” almost coming to blows. I’d run into the yard, plucked some blades of grass, and woven two rings to appease them.
They’d insisted that, when I got bonded, one of their rings would have to be discarded. I’d blinked and asked, “How do you know I’ll bond with one of you?”
They’d both exploded, demanding I choose between them. The memories were vivid. But irrelevant now.
One by one, I activated the self-destruct sequence on the crystals, tossing them into a fire pit. The flames devoured the images, leaving only
ashes.
As I reached for the rings, Benjamin and Adam arrived, witnessing the scene.
They charged toward me.
Benjamin rushed forward, his voice trembling.”What are you doing?”
I glanced at him, calm.”Nothing. These memory crystals are old and damaged. I’m destroying them.”
Adam instinctively lunged for the rings. I let them slip from my hand, into the fire. The flames quickly consumed them, leaving no chance for rescue. Adam tried to grab the burning crystals and rings, but the heat forced him back.
“Even if they were damaged, you didn’t have to destroy them! Those were memories!” He was heartbroken, his eyes welling up.
Benjamin stared at the fire, helpless. My wolf found their reaction almost amusing.
They could hurt me repeatedly for Qiana, yet they were this distraught over a few memory crystals. What if I told them I’d secretly accepted a blood bond proposal, planning to leave them forever? They’d probably lose their minds.
