Chapter 1

I had been in a relationship with Jack, an Alpha, for five long years.

He always insisted on waiting until our Mate Ceremony to officially mark me.

But the day before the ceremony, I accidentally found his credit card statements. Every single month, there was a charge for a flight ticket.

Same airline, same destination. It had been going on, uninterrupted, for five years.

I also checked his online shopping history. Every gift he had ever bought for me was purchased in duplicate.

Same style, same color. But the more expensive one was always shipped to a recipient named Violet—Jack’s first love.

Without saying a word, I packed my bags and left on the day of our Mate Ceremony.

Just like my inner wolf whispered to me: thank god he had always refused to mark me.

Because of that, destiny was able to guide me straight to my true fated mate.

I stared blankly at the credit card statement on the laptop screen. My heart hammered against my ribs, threatening to burst out of my chest.

My inner wolf whined, whispering the ugly truth: "He’s cheating on you."

"Are you really going to mark Emma? Aren't you waiting for Violet to come back? I thought you'd wait for her forever."

The words Jack’s friend had let slip when he first heard about our upcoming Mate Ceremony echoed in my ears.

That was the first time I had ever heard Violet’s name.

But it was only now that I finally understood what his friend really meant.

The transactions were monthly. For five years, there were sixty-three flights in total. Each ticket cost exactly $287. Same airline, same destination. In our five years together, we didn't even have half as many photos as the number of times that ticket price appeared on his statement.

Every time I wanted to travel with him, he always had a million excuses to reject me.

He’d say there was too much pack business, that he couldn't leave, or that we’d have plenty of time in the future.

Only now did I realize it wasn't about a lack of time. I simply wasn't worth the trip to him.

Staring at the dates on the bills, I pulled out my phone and searched through our old chat history on Snapchat.

I found that on those exact dates, Jack had told me he was either attending urgent pack meetings or visiting other territories.

And whenever he disappeared, his camera went with him.

Seeing the effortless lies he had spun back then made my chest tighten with a suffocating pain.

I slammed his laptop shut, stood up, and rushed into the bedroom to pack my things.

But the moment I swung the closet doors open, a sickeningly familiar sight made it hard to breathe.

Every piece of clothing in there had a duplicate in his shopping history. Same style, same color. But the ones sent to Violet’s address were always ordered earlier and cost more.

And these clothes were the very "thoughtful" gifts Jack had given me over the years.

I slammed the closet door shut and slid down to the floor, feeling completely helpless.

Tears blurred my vision. With trembling hands, I dialed Anderson, a trusted Beta and an old friend of my father's.

I told him I wanted to leave this city and move to a new one.

He went silent for a long moment before asking, "Does your father know?"

"Not yet."

Another long silence. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Emma?"

"I am."

He sighed softly. "Alright. I have some connections over there. I'll arrange everything for you once you land. As for your father, I’ll talk to him."

His tone held relief and a touch of pity, but absolutely no surprise.

It was as if everyone had already expected that Jack and I would never make it to the end.

I hung up and opened a travel app to book a flight out of the country for tomorrow. Just then, I heard the front door click open.

Pushing myself up from the floor, I walked out to the living room.

The love that used to fill my eyes when I looked at him was completely gone.

As usual, he walked over and planted a soft kiss on my forehead.

Only today, he was holding a small cake box.

"I got off work early today and bought this for you. Try it. I have a friend's party tonight, so I have to head out in a bit."

I glanced at the chocolate mousse label on the box.

A cold, sarcastic smile touched my lips.

"No thanks. I don't have an appetite. Besides, I'm severely allergic to chocolate."

He froze. It took him a few seconds to recall that I told him this every single year.

And every single year, he forgot.

Seeing my cold expression and realizing I wasn't going to throw a tantrum, he reached out and gently ruffled my hair.

"I'm sorry, Emma. The pack has been so chaotic lately. I'll buy you a different one tomorrow after our Mate Ceremony."

In the past, when I was blind to the truth, I believed every single excuse he made.

But after seeing those bills and receipts, I finally knew why he was so obsessed with chocolate.

It was because Violet loved it.

And "pack business" was just his go-to excuse for everything.