Chapter 5
After leaving the cemetery, I took my mother’s urn to the house where Talon and I had lived, my mind set on one thing- freedom. I needed to sever every tie that bound me to his pack, to him. I didn‘ t belong here anymore, and I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
Packing didn’t take long. Most of the clothes in my closet were bought to please Talon, reflecting his taste more than mine. I stripped the shelves bare, tossing aside everything that reminded me of his control. I was ready to leave behind not just a home, but a life dominated by pack politics, power games, and empty promises.
As I zipped up my final bag, Talon
appeared in the doorway, his presence
familiar but unwelcome. His usual
confidence was gone, replaced by a look of uncertainty.
80% 15:39
1/6
Chapter 5
“Sloane, I brought you some blueberries. Isn’t this your favorite?” His voice was low, almost pleading as if the fruit could make up for everything he’d done.
I didn’t even turn to face him fully. “I don‘ t like blueberries, Talon. I only ate it because you liked it.” My voice was flat, detached. “You never really knew me. What we have is over.”
For seven years, I had molded myself to fit into his world. I’d suppressed my desires, and silenced my instincts, all to gain his approval.
In our pack, loyalty was everything, and I had given him mine unconditionally. But the cost had been too high. It took me too long to realize that you can never force. anyone to love you back even though they
are your mates.
“Sloane,” Talon stepped closer, his hand outstretched. “Didn’t you say your
greatest wish was to unionize the pack? We can still do that. I’ll make you the
80% 15:39
2/6
Chapter 5
happiest bride in the pack. Tomorrow, we
can
“No.” I cut him off sharply, stepping back out of his reach. His touch, which once. sent shivers through me, now felt like a chain I was desperate to break. “The happiest bride? That’s a joke, Talon. You really think that’s what I want now?”
Talon‘ s face was full of confusion. He wasn’t used to being refused, especially not by me. For years, I had been the obedient one, the loyal partner who would do anything for him. But that part of me was dead, just like my mother.
“I know I made mistakes,” he said, his voice. cracking. “I’ve told Lily that it’s over. I’m ready to fix this, Sloane. We can still be together.”
“Fix it?” I scoffed. “You don‘ t get it, do you? This was never about Lily. It’s about me–about how you manipulated me; how you used the pack‘ s power to control me. You don’t love me, Talon. You just want
80% 16:38
3/6
Chapter 5
the power that comes with keeping me by your side.”
His eyes widened in shock as if the truth had never occurred to him before.
From the beginning, our bond had been tied to the werewolf politics that governed our world. Talon was the pack’s Alpha, Lily his first love was supposed to be the Luna. They saw everything through the lens of power. I was just another piece on their chessboard, useful for what I could bring, not for who I was–his true mate.
I made my decision clear. “From now on, you and I go separate ways. I’m leaving your pack, Talon.”
“No.” His voice shook. “You can’t leave. We‘ re mates. We‘ re meant to stay together, to fight for each other.”
“That’s what you never understood. You didn’t fight for me. You fought for
yourself. For control. I’m done with all of that.”
80 15:39
4/6
Chapter 5
He opened his mouth to argue, but I didn’t wait to hear more. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I walked out without looking back. The door closed behind met with a finality that I knew I’d never
regret.
I wasn‘ t just leaving a house or a pack–I was leaving an entire life behind. My mother’s old pack awaited me, the one she had sacrificed herself to protect. They would give me the protection and freedom. I needed to rebuild, to heal from everything Talon had broken.
Wildheart Tribe wasn’t happy with how Talon’s pack treated us in the union. ceremony, but they could never leave me behind to be a rogue wolf.
As I walked away from him, the moon glowed overhead, casting its light over me. I felt a strange power stirring inside, deeper than anything I had known before.
I was no longer just Sloane, the girl who had loved Nightclaw’s Alpha too much.
80% 15:39
5/6
Chapter 5
I was something else now–something stronger. And I would never look back.
Love is the most elusive thing in the world.
Once it fades away, it’s lost forever.
