For days, Alpha Leopold buried himself in work—so much so that he even forgot my birthday.
Not that it mattered anymore. Not when the bond between us already felt like a chain growing thinner by the day.
As if it had only just occurred to him, he tried to make it up to me by buying tickets to my favorite musical. It was one of the most sought-after shows of the season, nearly impossible to get. I hadn’t been able to secure one myself, so when he said he had tickets and invited me, I agreed. Hope flickered in my chest like a dying ember.
But on the night of the performance, I waited in vain. The theater doors closed, and the crowd surged inside without me. He never showed.
Instead, Sophie posted on Instagram.
Two tickets.
“So bored, so we decided to hit a concert. It’s so nice to have someone who’ll drop everything to go crazy with you.”
Their faces weren’t shown in the photo. But the corner was a hand I knew better than my own—the distinctive scar across his knuckle, the one he earned years ago saving me from a rogue wolf ambush.
My breath caught. In that instant, I felt like the biggest fool the Moon Goddess had ever cursed.
While I stood outside in the pouring rain, shivering, wondering if something had happened to him, Alpha Leopold was inside, sitting in a VIP seat, sharing laughter with his Beta.
The rain stung like icy needles against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the numbness gnawing at my chest. Even my wolf whimpered, pressing against me as if she too had realized how far we’d fallen.
Just then, a message came from my mother: the wedding date was set for two weeks later. If I thought it was too rushed, she could postpone.
I shook my head, whispering into the storm, “No. Keep it as it is.”
The city’s traffic had collapsed under the downpour. I couldn’t get a cab no matter how long I waited. That was when my phone finally buzzed.
“Why aren’t you at home?” Alpha Leopold’s voice carried faint irritation, as if I were the one who had forgotten our plans.
I kept my voice even, stripped of all emotion. “I’m at Lincoln Center.”
There was a pause, like he had just remembered. “Damn. I got held up this afternoon. Wait there—I’ll come get you.”
I didn’t bother refusing. I already knew he wouldn’t come.
Sure enough, moments later Sophie posted again:
” Worried I’d catch a cold in the rain, my Alpha hubby personally made me soup. Nothing hotter than a man in the kitchen. I want to marry him!”
Attached was a photo of Leopold’s broad back as he stood over a stove, sleeves rolled, head bent in domestic concentration.