Leaving The Heartbroken Mate Who Cheated At The Wedding Ceremony

I stood in the sleek office of the event planning pack office, facing the staff member's puzzled stare. "So, Mr. Rivers, you're saying the binding ceremony stays the same, but the groom will be someone else. Is that right?"

I nodded without a flicker of doubt. "Exactly. The ceremony's still on in two weeks. I'll get you the updated materials in a few days."

"Alright, should I inform Ms. Dewitt about-"

"No!" I cut her off, my voice sharper than I meant. Her startled look made me take a breath, steadying myself. "She's swamped. Just deal with me for all ceremony stuff from now on."

This binding ceremony was my final gift to Isla Dewitt. A gift like that? It's gotta be a surprise, revealed at the last moment to hit just right.

I left the office and booked a ticket out of Joravia Town on my phone. The confirmation pinged just as Isla's call came through.

Her voice was soft, warm like always. "Evan, my folks miss you. They want us over for dinner tonight."

"They've got something for you," she teased. "Guess what it is?"

Isla's the only pup of the Dewitt pack, raised to take over their empire. It made her sharp, distant-untouchable to most. She's got wolves throwing themselves at her, but she's only ever shown her soft side to me. At least, that's what I thought until yesterday.

Our moms were tight, like sisters. Isla and I? We were pups together, bound by childhood promises. But when my mom passed, my deadbeat dad brought in a new mate within a month. That's when things went south. His new mate set me up, and I got snatched. The kidnappers didn't care I was a wolf-they had sick plans. I woke up to one of them, reeking of booze, groping me. In a panic, I smashed a bottle over his head. He hit the ground, twitching, then went still. The others beat me within an inch of my life.

That's when Isla kicked down the door, a fierce she-wolf blazing in like some kind of savior. From that moment, she became the one warm spot in my heart.

Even after I was saved, the nightmares clung to me. Isla stayed by my side, dragging me to the best healers, cracking jokes to pull me out of the dark. Day by day, she thawed my frozen heart. But seeing my dad betray my mom made me wary of love. Before I agreed to be Isla's mate, I laid it out plain.

"Isla, I only accept all-in love. If you ever stop loving me, we part clean. But if you betray me, you'll never find me again."

She swore on her life, fingers raised like a solemn vow. "Evan, you're my one and only. I'll love you forever-time will prove it."

Her words echoed in my head, but time had already given its verdict. Isla couldn't keep that promise. She wanted it all-me and someone else. Yesterday, I found