After I Gave Him My Wolf, He Chose Another

The candles were burning low, their wax pooling on the mahogany table like silent tears. I stared at the flame, my fingers tracing the rim of the wine glass I hadn't touched. Five years. It had been five years since Nicholas took the Alpha oath, five years since I severed the tether to my own wolf to pour my strength into his veins.

The clock on the wall ticked past midnight. The roast I had spent all afternoon preparing was stone cold.

Suddenly, the heavy oak door creaked open. The draft that followed chilled me to the bone, but not as much as the scent that wafted in before him. It wasn't the forest pine and rain that used to cling to Nicholas. It was roses. Sickly, sweet, overpowering roses.

Blaire Lewis’s signature perfume.

"You're still up," Nicholas said, his voice flat. He didn't look at me. He was busy unbuttoning his cuffs, his movements sharp and agitated. He looked exhausted, but there was a hardness in his jaw that hadn't been there a year ago.

"It's our anniversary, Nick," I said softly, standing up. My legs felt heavy. "The ceremony... remember?"

He paused, finally glancing at the table set for two. A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, quickly replaced by a cold mask of indifference. "Dalia, I don't have time for sentimental dinners. The Council has been riding me all day about the upcoming Summit."

He walked past me to the liquor cabinet, pouring himself a stiff drink. The distance between us felt like a chasm.

"I just wanted to celebrate us," I whispered, the fight draining out of me.

Nicholas turned, glass in hand. His eyes, once warm like melted chocolate, were now shards of ice. "There is no 'us' in politics, Dalia. And right now, politics is what keeps this pack alive. Which brings me to what I needed to tell you."

My heart stuttered. "Tell me what?"

"The Elders... they've advised a restructuring of the living arrangements." He took a sip, grimacing. "With the Alpha Summit approaching, having an unranked, wolfless mate in the Alpha suite sends the wrong message. It makes us look weak. Vulnerable."

I couldn't breathe. "Weak? I gave up my wolf for you, Nicholas! I made you strong!"

"And now that sacrifice is a liability," he snapped, his voice rising. "You'll be moved to the Omega quarters tomorrow. It's just for optics, Dalia. Don't be dramatic."

Before I could scream, before I could throw the cold dinner at his feet, the siren wailed.

The sound tore through the night—the high-pitched screech signaling a border breach.

"Rogues!" Nicholas roared, the glass shattering in his hand as he shifted mid-stride, his clothes shredding as a massive black wolf burst through the patio doors.

I didn't think. Instinct, the ghost of the wolf I used to have, drove me to follow. I ran out into the chaos of the night. The air was thick with growls and the metallic tang of blood.

I reached