The photo was of a gourmet meal at a high-end restaurant.

There were no faces, but in the top right corner, I saw it—the corner of an Alpha's signet ring.

An heirloom passed down through Damien's bloodline for generations.

An heirloom he always, always wore on the pinky finger of his left hand.

Because that finger signified one thing—that he had not yet found his true, destined Luna.

How fucking ironic.

The symbol of a mated pair had become the symbol of Damien's bachelorhood.

On our son's sixth birthday, he was having a candlelit dinner with another woman.

In that single moment, all my heartache dissolved into a cold, hard calm.

I liked the post and put my phone down.

I turned and placed the birthday hat on my son's head.

"Happy birthday, Leo."

In the soft glow of the candles, my son closed his eyes and clasped his hands together.

"My birthday wish is to be with Mommy forever."

I grabbed my phone and captured the moment.

The thought of leaving, once a tiny seed, had now grown into an unshakeable tree.

"Okay, sweetheart. Mommy promises."

We didn't mention Damien for the rest of the night.

It was as if this family had only ever been the two of us.

After Leo fell asleep, I pulled the Mating Bond Severance Agreement from my drawer.

The last flicker of hesitation died out.

Damien finally came home at two in the morning.

He saw the birthday cake on the table, and a flash of guilt crossed his face.

"Sorry, I forgot."

I almost laughed. I'd sent him a dozen reminders.

Did he really not see them?

Or was he just so lost in her charms that he forgot everything else?

I opened the agreement to the last page and handed it to him, my voice steady.

"Sign this..."

Before I could finish, his phone rang.

It was Chloe, her voice laced with panic.

"Alpha, I think there are rogue wolves lurking around my house. Can you come stay with me? I'm so scared."

Damien shot up from his seat, his eyes filled with alarm.

"Don't move. I'm on my way."

He hung up, scribbled his signature on the document without even looking at it, assuming it was just another pack report.

I stepped aside and watched him leave.

Remember this, Damien.

You were the one who walked away from this family.

The next day, I went to the headquarters to finalize my handover.

Damien found me first, holding out a beautifully wrapped gift box.

"Leo's birthday present. I forgot to give it to him yesterday."

I paused for a second before taking it.

Inside was a stuffed puppy.

And the one thing my son is terrified of is dogs.

When Leo was five, Damien took him to the town fair.

He ran into an old friend and let go of our son's hand.

Leo, so small, got lost in the crowd.

By the time we found him, he was huddled on the sidewalk, trembling in fear before a large stray dog.

Dogs have been his worst nightmare ever since.

And the man responsible had the nerve to give him one as a gift.

I couldn't tell if I was more angry or disappointed. I casually tossed the box aside.

My voice was flat.

"Thanks."

Damien gave me a strange look, then remembered something else.

"Chloe's place isn't safe. I'm moving her into the main house."

"Don't worry about work today. Go home, pack your things, and take Leo to the guest quarters for a few days."

His casual words hit me like a sledgehammer.

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you saying you're kicking me and our son out of our own room for Chloe?"

Damien frowned.

"Don't make it sound so ugly. It's only temporary."

"We agreed to keep our relationship private. We have to avoid suspicion in front of the pack."

I laughed, the sound dripping with sarcasm.

Was it really about the pack?

Was it really just about avoiding suspicion?

Or did he feel that our son and I were an inconvenient, shameful secret getting in the way of his new romance?

I couldn't look at him anymore. I turned back to my desk.

"Got it."

"I'll pack our things and get out of your way as soon as possible. We won't be a bother."

Since we were leaving anyway, a day sooner or later made no difference.

Damien seemed taken aback by how easily I agreed.

He opened his mouth, his tone softening for once.

"I'll make it up to you both."

I didn't look up. I said nothing.

The damage was already done. No amount of compensation could ever cover it up.

When I got home, I packed our bags and led my son to the door.

As I opened it, we came face to face with Damien, who was bringing Chloe home.

He was pushing her suitcase with one hand, oozing boyfriend charm.

The moment our eyes met, I saw a flicker of panic in his.