When Our Crimson Bond Fade

I was born able to see the colors of the bonds between wolves. The deeper the love, the closer the link came to crimson. When a heart began to waver, it faded to pale pink. When only habit and responsibility remained, it turned gray-white. When I was seven, my father brought another woman home, saying she only needed our pack’s temporary protection. From that day on, the link between him and my mother grew dimmer. My mother’s wolf fell silent, and her health deteriorated. The day she died, the light connecting them vanished. Years later, my brother marked his longtime girlfriend and formed a mate bond with her. Yet the light on his side was only pale pink. I warned him not to promise her forever if he did not love her. He insisted he would honor their bond and care for his mate. Less than six months later, he found another woman. After seeing so many links fade, I knew my gift never lied. I wanted someone who would keep choosing me, no matter how many years passed. Then I met Rhys Calder. He was the youngest head of security in the Greybridge Pack and a former border operative. Everyone said he was cold and exacting, a man who never allowed anyone close. Yet the first time we met, the link extending from him to me burned a brilliant red. After that, he picked me up from work every day, waited two hours for me in a storm, and once drove across half of Greybridge just to bring me flowers. Eventually, I accepted him. For seven years after we formed our mate bond, that link remained deep red. Rhys remembered that I loved the almond croissants from the bakery on the corner. He decorated the terrace himself on my birthdays. Every time he left Greybridge on an assignment, he brought gifts home for Jamie and me. I thought I had finally found the love I wanted. Then Rhys returned from a mission two weeks ago. When I helped him out of his coat, an unfamiliar rose scent clung to the fabric. At that moment, the link extending from him to me seemed to dim. Chapter 1 My hands paused. My scent held no trace of roses. Then I noticed a glowing star sticker on the inside of his sleeve, clearly left there by a child. “What’s this?” My fingertips had gone cold, but my voice remained steady. Rhys glanced down and peeled it off. “The Security Division hired a new records analyst today. Her name is Sloane Mercer. Her mate served under me and died during a border operation two years ago.” His voice softened. “Her car broke down after work, and Milo had a fever. I drove them to the clinic and let her borrow my coat. The sticker must have come from him.” So that was all. Rhys kissed my forehead as he always did. “Things have been hectic at headquarters. I know I haven’t been home much.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “The Harvest Lights Festival is in a few days. It’s also the seventh anniversary of our bond. I’ll come home early and take you and Jamie to the parade. All right?” I nodded, but I could not stop myself from looking at the link between us. It seemed paler. When I looked again, however, it appeared as red as ever. The porch light must have distorted the color. Rhys had been gentle, and his promise sounded sincere. How could he suddenly have stopped loving me? For the next two weeks, he grew even busier. He left early and returned late, but still sent home my favorite pastries and new puzzles for Jamie. I gradually convinced myself that I had imagined the change. The Harvest Lights Festival soon arrived. Rhys had already left for headquarters when I woke. The housekeeper told me he had promised to come home early and had stayed up past midnight finishing a wooden wolf lantern for Jamie. Jamie carried it around the house all morning. “Dad made it for me! He promised he’d take me to the parade tonight!” Watching his cheeks flush with excitement, I felt my doubts fade. Rhys had remembered. He was still the man who kept his promises. Night fell, and the lights of downtown Greybridge flickered to life. Music drifted through the distance. Jamie waited by the front door in his coat, hugging the wooden lantern. Ten minutes passed. Then half an hour. Then an hour. His excitement faded into confusion. Eventually, his eyes reddened. At last, a car pulled up outside. Jamie jumped to his feet, only to see one of Rhys’s deputies step out. “I’m sorry, Maren. Something urgent came up at Security Headquarters. Rhys can’t leave. He asked me to tell you and Jamie not to wait.” Jamie froze. “Dad lied to me again…” His voice trembled as tears rolled down his cheeks. I crouched and wiped them away. “Dad has something important to handle. I’ll take you to the parade. How does that sound?” Jamie nodded through his tears. During the drive, he held tightly to the wolf lantern, as though Rhys’s promise would not be completely broken as long as he kept it close. Downtown was already packed. Strings of lights hung above the streets while floats moved through the crowd. Music, laughter, and children’s voices filled the air. Jamie finally began to cheer up. “Mom, look! That light is so pretty!” I followed his finger and went still. Rhys stood beside a festival stall. A young woman was next to him, holding a boy about Jamie’s age. She said something, and Rhys leaned closer to listen. Then he took a glowing blue whale lantern from the stall and handed it to the child. The boy laughed. The woman smiled, and Rhys smiled with them. He looked more relaxed than I had seen him in months. Jamie noticed him too. His face lit up as he raised his wooden wolf lantern. “Dad!” Rhys turned sharply. His smile froze when he saw us. “Maren, I…” “I thought there was an emergency at headquarters.” My voice was calm, but something inside me had gone numb. Rhys hesitated. “It’s been handled. I ran into Sloane and Milo after I left.” He glanced back at them. “This is their first Harvest Lights Festival without her mate. Sloane wasn’t going to come, but Milo wanted to see the parade. She’s raising him alone, so I stayed with them for a while.” Rhys had not betrayed me. In his mind, he was only looking after the widow and child of a man who had died serving under him. But he knew this was our anniversary. He knew Jamie had been waiting all night. Sloane approached with Milo in her arms. “Maren, I’m sorry. I didn’t know tonight was your anniversary. I told Rhys we could manage, but Milo hasn’t been sleeping well. He finally wanted to go outside, so…” The same rose scent drifted toward me as Sloane approached. I lowered my eyes. The link from Rhys to me had faded to pale pink. I had not imagined it two weeks ago. He might not love Sloane, but his feelings for me were changing. Without answering, I took Jamie’s hand and left. It took a long time to settle him into bed. He still held the wooden wolf lantern, and dried tears clung to his eyes. Rhys was waiting in our bedroom. I looked at him calmly. “Rhys, I want to dissolve our mate bond. I’ll submit the request to the Pack Council.” Chapter 2 Rhys stared at me, then frowned. “You’re hurt, so you’re saying things you don’t mean.” He reached for me. I stepped aside. His hand stopped in midair. “Maren, I handled tonight badly. I’m sorry. But Sloane’s mate died protecting me at the border. She’s raising Milo alone. I can’t abandon them.” His voice softened as though he were soothing a child. “Stop talking about breaking our bond. I’ll make more time for you and Jamie. Will that make you feel better?” The words were painfully familiar. Whenever work made him break a promise, a few gentle sentences had always been enough to make me forgive him. Now that I had seen the faded link, I could no longer deceive myself. “I understand.” Relief crossed Rhys’s face. A call from headquarters soon took him out of the room. Once I was alone, I made my decision. If he refused to release me, I would take Jamie and leave. The next morning, Lena and I drove to a private airport outside Greybridge. She had been my mother’s most trusted companion and had stayed with me after her death to help care for Jamie. We completed the paperwork needed to cross pack territories and booked a flight to Seabrook seven days later. My mother had left me a house near the ocean and two shops there. Seabrook was not as prosperous as Greybridge, but it was enough for Jamie and me to begin again. As we left the airport, Lena asked, “Are you certain? Rhys has always treated you and Jamie well. Before Sloane appeared, I had never seen him care for anyone the way he cared for you.” I said nothing. Lena could not see the links. She did not know that Rhys’s feelings had faded from crimson to pale pink in two weeks. If I stayed, I would watch that light dim until nothing remained but habit and responsibility. I would not repeat my mother’s life. When we returned to the estate, Rhys was waiting outside. The moment I stepped from the car, he strode over and gripped my wrist. “Where were you?” “I had something to take care of.” His expression darkened. “Sloane and Milo are missing. She didn’t report to headquarters, and someone broke into her apartment.” His voice dropped. “I know you’re angry about last night, but Sloane has already lost her mate. Whatever problem you have with me, don’t take it out on her.” I stared at him. “So you think I took them?” Rhys said nothing. His silence was answer enough. Three years earlier, someone had fabricated photographs suggesting I was involved with a man from another pack. Rumors spread through Greybridge, and I had no way to prove my innocence. Rhys had stood before the Pack Council and said, “I trust my mate.” I believed he would always stand beside me. Now, for Sloane, he could suspect me without evidence. Before I could respond, one of his deputies rushed into the courtyard. “We found them.” Rhys immediately released me. “Where?” “They were held in an abandoned warehouse in North Greybridge. The kidnappers were underground lenders connected to debts her late mate left behind. The tactical team got them out. Neither is injured, but they’re shaken.” Relief passed over Rhys’s face. Only then did he look at me again. “Maren, I was worried. I shouldn’t have accused you.” “It’s fine.” I turned toward the house, but he stopped me. “Sloane’s address has been compromised. Those men may return, so I’m moving her and Milo into the estate’s guest wing. The security system here can protect them.” Minutes ago, he had accused me of kidnapping them. Now he could casually announce that he was bringing them into our home. After a moment, I said, “You’ve already decided. Let them move in.” He seemed surprised by my lack of resistance. “In return, I want the lake house west of the city. Consider it compensation for breaking your promise last night and accusing me today.” His guilt deepened. “All right.” I returned to my room and brought him the documents I had prepared. They included the lake house transfer, papers separating my mother’s estate from Calder assets, and authorization to dissolve our bond. Rhys barely looked through them. He signed every marked page and confirmed the documents electronically. “If this helps you forgive me, you can have anything you want.” I accepted the papers with a smile. “Then I’ll keep them.” His expression relaxed. “Sloane and Milo have been through a lot. I’m going to the medical center to check on them. Get some rest.” After his car disappeared, I removed the thin agreement hidden between the property documents. Rhys’s signature was clear on the final page. He had no idea he had signed away more than a house and several assets. He had signed away the bond we had shared for seven years. Seven days. In seven days, Jamie and I would leave Greybridge forever. Chapter 3 Sloane and Milo moved into the guest wing soon afterward. The household staff quickly began to talk. “Rhys assigned them two guards and hired a live-in nanny for Milo. All their expenses go through the Calder accounts.” “He visits them every evening before returning to the main house.” I noticed all of it but no longer cared enough to ask questions. I only counted down to our departure. One afternoon, Jamie was playing in the courtyard with a mechanical wooden wolf. Rhys had brought it from a northern pack after his last mission. Jamie treasured it so much that he kept it beside his bed at night. I was packing upstairs when shouting erupted outside. “Give it to me!” By the time I reached the courtyard, Milo was trying to wrench the wolf from Jamie’s hands. “Dad gave it to me! Give it back!” Milo pulled harder. Wood cracked. The wolf struck the stone path. One leg snapped off, and the tiny gears inside scattered across the ground. Both boys froze. Then Milo burst into tears. Rhys had returned without us noticing. Milo ran over and clung to his leg. “Uncle Rhys, I only wanted to borrow it. Jamie wouldn’t let me, and then he broke it.” Rhys comforted him before turning to Jamie. “Why wouldn’t you share?” Jamie’s eyes filled with tears. “Because you gave it to me.” “It’s only a toy. Your room is full of things. Milo lost his father and had to come somewhere unfamiliar. Letting him play with one toy wouldn’t cost you anything.” Jamie looked at the broken pieces. “But now it’s ruined.” He crouched and tried to force the wooden leg back into place. It would not fit. The link from Jamie to Rhys still burned deep red. Even while Rhys blamed him, my son loved his father with his whole heart. I stepped between them. “Milo grabbed it first. You didn’t ask what happened. Why are you blaming Jamie?” Rhys frowned. “Milo recently lost his father. Of course he’s sensitive. Jamie has never lacked anything. There was no reason to fight him over one toy.” “It wasn’t just a toy. You gave it to Jamie. He did nothing wrong by valuing it.” Rhys looked at Jamie. “Apologize to Milo.” Jamie stood behind me. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Rhys’s expression hardened. “I’ve obviously indulged you too much. Starting tomorrow, I’ll hire a stricter tutor. You need to learn how to treat other people and respect adults.” Fear replaced the hurt on Jamie’s face. I took his hand. “He has nothing to apologize for.” Rhys stared at me before carrying the sobbing Milo away. At dinner, a staff member delivered two cold boxed meals containing vegetable sandwiches and iced milk. “Rhys has canceled your special meals and desserts for three days. He wants Jamie to reflect on his behavior.” Jamie had always had a sensitive stomach. He could not drink cold milk on an empty stomach or eat uncooked food for several meals. Rhys had once known that better than anyone. Jamie sat quietly, turning the broken wolf over in his hands. “Mom, does Dad like Milo more than me?” My heart clenched. “No. You’re his son. He just doesn’t understand what happened yet.” Even I did not believe it. I left Jamie with Lena and went to the guest wing. The long table was covered with hot food. Sloane was cutting Milo’s steak while Rhys pushed a bowl of soup toward him. Milo was laughing over a new toy Rhys had given him. Under the warm lights, they looked like a family. Meanwhile, Rhys’s own son sat in the main house with a broken wolf and two cold meals, wondering whether his father still loved him. I walked in, seized the tablecloth, and pulled. Plates and glasses crashed to the floor. Sloane turned pale and pulled Milo close. Rhys shot to his feet. “Maren, what are you doing?” “Jamie and I were given cold sandwiches while you sat here eating dinner with them. You remember that Milo lost his father. You remember that he needs hot soup and a new toy.” I met his eyes. “Did you forget that Jamie is your son?” Rhys went still. “You know he has a weak stomach. He can’t drink iced milk on an empty stomach. Is this how you teach him a lesson?” “I only told the kitchen to cancel your special meals. I never told them to serve cold food.” “But you gave the order. If you had remembered your son’s health, this wouldn’t have happened.” Then I slapped him. The room fell silent. “That was for Jamie.” Rhys’s face turned with the force of it. A red mark appeared on his cheek, but he did not retaliate. I faced Sloane. “You and Milo are here because I didn’t object. From now on, keep your son away from Jamie and his belongings.” She glanced at Rhys, her eyes reddening, but I had no interest in her explanation. Rhys followed me into the hallway and caught my wrist. “Maren, wait. I mishandled dinner. Let me explain.” I pulled free. “There’s nothing left to explain.” When I returned to the main house, Jamie had not touched his food. “Is Dad angry?” “No.” I pulled him into my arms. After a moment, he held out the broken wolf. “When we leave, can I bring it?” “Yes.” “Even if it can’t be fixed?” My eyes burned. “Yes. We won’t leave behind anything that belongs to you.” Chapter 4 Rhys was waiting outside the bedroom the next morning. “Maren, I’ve been thinking about last night. I went too far. I didn’t know the kitchen would send cold food, and I shouldn’t have blamed Jamie before learning what happened.” I looked at him without emotion. “I took half the day off. There’s a weekend carnival downtown. I want to take you and Jamie. Consider it an apology.” Jamie came out just in time to hear him. “Mom, can we go?” Hope still shone in his eyes. After everything that had happened, half a day with his father was enough to make him happy. “All right.” Relief crossed Rhys’s face. When we walked outside, Sloane and Milo were waiting beside the car. Rhys noticed my expression. “I thought the boys should have another chance to get along. They’ll be living in the same place, so we can’t let one toy cause a lasting conflict.” The family outing meant as an apology had included them from the beginning. I said nothing and led Jamie into the car. The carnival filled Greybridge’s riverside district. Stalls lined the streets, and a band performed on an outdoor stage. Jamie held my hand tightly. Rhys walked beside him, making him laugh and buying him hot chocolate. Soon, Jamie was smiling again. My heart softened despite everything. When we left, what Jamie would miss most would not be Greybridge. It would be his father. A scream suddenly rose ahead. The crowd surged toward us. I pulled Jamie against me, but the crush of people forced us backward. By the time I regained my balance, Rhys and the others had vanished. Jamie and I had been pushed into a narrow alley. His knee was scraped, but he did not cry. He only clutched my clothes. Before I could examine the injury, several men entered the alley. They carried no pack scent. Rogues. They noticed that I was alone with a child. “You came down here alone with a kid?” One smiled as he approached and reached for my arm. Jamie went pale but immediately stepped in front of me. “Don’t touch my mom!” His body trembled, yet he refused to move. I pulled him behind me and searched the crowd for Rhys. Then I saw him. He had Sloane and Milo held against him. His back faced the crowd as he shielded them, speaking softly to calm them. He had not noticed that Jamie and I were gone. The rogues continued to advance. My wolf snarled inside my mind. Power surged through my blood, turning my eyes gold and extending claws from my fingertips. “I’m Maren Hale. My father was Alpha of the North Coast Pack. Touch me or my child, and by tomorrow, two packs will be hunting you.” Their expressions changed. They clearly recognized my name. The leader cursed, and they retreated into the crowd. Once they were gone, strength drained from my body. I caught myself against the wall. “Mom.” Jamie wrapped his arms around my waist. “I’m here. Don’t be scared.” He was the one who needed protection, yet he patted my back to comfort me. A few minutes later, Rhys arrived with Sloane and Milo. “Maren!” He checked Jamie first. Only after confirming that neither of us was seriously hurt did he exhale. “Where did you go? I turned around and couldn’t find you.” “We didn’t go anywhere. When the crowd surged, you were too busy protecting Sloane and Milo to notice we’d been pushed away.” His expression stiffened. “Someone shoved Sloane, and Milo almost fell. I grabbed them instinctively. When I looked back, you were gone.” Sloane held Milo close. “I’m sorry, Maren. If Rhys hadn’t been protecting us, you and Jamie wouldn’t have been separated from him.” Her guilt looked genuine. But she had not made the choice. Rhys had. “This isn’t your fault,” he told her. Then he looked at me. “Maren has her wolf and self-defense training. The Hale family has influence across the north. She knows how to protect herself and Jamie. Sloane has no powerful family or training. If she and Milo had been trapped in that alley, they wouldn’t have known what to do.” The absurdity almost made me laugh. He had not forgotten us. He had simply decided I was strong enough to be abandoned. Jamie and I had nearly been cornered by rogues, yet Rhys still believed Sloane had needed him more. The instinct I had felt to call his name disappeared. I looked at the links between us. The light extending from Rhys to me was almost colorless. The one reaching from my heart to his remained crimson, like a wound that refused to close. I was suddenly exhausted. “Let’s go home.” On the drive back, Jamie rested against me. A bandage covered his scraped knee. He still held the hot chocolate Rhys had bought him but did not drink it. As the car approached the estate, he whispered, “Did Dad know we were missing?” “He realized later.” “But he protected Milo first, didn’t he?” I did not answer. Jamie buried his face against me and closed his eyes. Chapter 5 After the carnival, I felt strangely calm. Only three days remained before we left Greybridge. I began packing the belongings stored at the estate. Most had belonged to my mother: jewelry, photographs, books filled with her notes, and the crest of the North Coast Pack. I intended to take every one of them. I was kneeling beside an open box when Sloane appeared in the doorway. Her shoulder seemed to be healing, and the caution she usually displayed in public was gone. “So you’re really leaving?” I placed my mother’s jewelry case in the box. “I thought you were doing this to force Rhys to come after you,” she continued. “It seems you finally understand that he won’t always take your side.” “What happens between Rhys and me is none of your business.” “It wasn’t. But now he trusts my judgment. He put me in charge of Greybridge’s most important port operations, and he protects Milo and me. Whenever a choice must be made, he chooses us first.” She did not claim Rhys loved her. She knew that was not true. But pity, responsibility, and guilt could make a man favor another woman again and again. To the person left behind, the reason made little difference. Sloane looked at the jewelry case. “What’s inside?” “Things my mother left me.” She reached for it. I moved it away. “Don’t touch it.” “I only wanted to look. Why are you so defensive?” “Because it doesn’t belong to you. Nothing here does.” Sloane laughed softly. “Soon, this estate won’t belong to you either. Rhys still thinks you’re throwing a tantrum. What do you think he’ll do when he discovers you’re taking Jamie?” My expression hardened. “Move.” Instead, she grabbed the case. “If you truly have the courage to leave, why are you sneaking away?” I pulled it back. Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Sloane heard them too. Her fingers suddenly released the case, and she let herself fall backward. She landed against a box, slamming her injured shoulder into a cabinet. “Sloane!” Rhys rushed into the room. Without asking what had happened, he shoved me aside and crouched beside her. I stumbled backward, striking my waist against the sharp corner of a marble counter. Pain exploded through my side, and I grabbed the cabinet to stay upright. Rhys was already examining Sloane. “Did your wound reopen?” She held her shoulder, her face pale. “I’m all right. I saw Maren packing and wanted to help. She didn’t want me touching that case. We argued, and then…” She never directly accused me. She did not need to. Rhys looked up, his eyes cold. “Maren, what are you doing?” “You didn’t see what happened.” “I saw her on the floor.” “So you assume I pushed her?” His jaw tightened. “Sloane was just kidnapped, and her shoulder hasn’t healed. Even if she touched your belongings, you had no right to hurt her.” He did not ask me a single question. “I didn’t push her.” “Enough.” Rhys stood. “She lost her mate and is raising a child alone. You don’t have to sympathize with her, but you have no right to keep targeting her.” His voice hardened. “You’re also teaching Jamie to be selfish and spoiled. He couldn’t even share one toy with Milo. You weren’t like this before.” My hands curled into fists. He could accuse me, but he had no right to blame Jamie for the pain Rhys himself had caused. Sloane drew a shaky breath. “Rhys, my shoulder hurts.” Rhys immediately turned to her. “I’ll take you to the clinic.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her out without looking at me again. Only after their footsteps faded did I feel warmth spreading across my side. The counter had torn through my clothes. Blood slowly soaked the fabric. The red on my fingertips reminded me of the light Rhys had once directed toward me. Once, he truly had loved me. If I cut my finger, he would anxiously clean and bandage it. When I sprained my ankle during training, he canceled an entire evening of meetings to stay beside me. Now I was bleeding, and he had not looked. Perhaps he had seen. Sloane simply needed him more. That had become his answer to everything. “Mom?” Jamie stood in the doorway. I tried to cover the blood, but he had already seen it. “You’re hurt.” He ran over and fumbled open the first-aid kit. He copied what he had seen Rhys do, pressing gauze against my side. “Does it hurt?” “Not much.” “You’re lying.” His eyes reddened. “Dad used to get scared when you got hurt.” My throat tightened. “People change.” Jamie said nothing more. The link from him to Rhys still burned deep red. No matter how many times Rhys disappointed him, Jamie still loved his father. I forced down the ache in my chest and called Lena. “Move the last boxes to the car.” She stared at me. “Aren’t we leaving in three days?” “We’re not waiting. We leave tomorrow morning.” Chapter 6 My injured side ached whenever I moved, so I barely slept. At dawn, I dressed and packed Jamie’s last bag. I was straightening his collar when the bedroom door opened. Rhys stood in the doorway, his expression cold. “Sloane developed a fever last night.” I kept working. “The doctor said yesterday’s fall aggravated her shoulder and brought back memories of the kidnapping. She had nightmares all night.” His voice hardened. “Go to the guest wing and apologize.” I looked at him through the mirror. “You still believe I pushed her?” “I’m not going to keep arguing about who started it. She was hurt. Apologize, and this ends here. I won’t take it any further.” He spoke as if he were offering me mercy. “And if I refuse?” “You’re punishing a woman who lost her mate because you’re jealous.” His jaw tightened. “Have you considered what people will think?” Rhys had not checked the security cameras. He had not asked what happened before Sloane fell. He had not even noticed the blood soaking through my clothes when he carried her away. Once, I would have fought until he listened. Now there was nothing left to defend. Before I could answer, Jamie appeared behind him, barefoot and crying. “Don’t yell at Mom!” He ran to me and stood between us. “Milo took my wolf and broke it, but you blamed me. Now they hurt Mom, and you’re still helping them. Why?” Rhys stared at him. For a moment, something shifted in his expression. Then his face hardened again. “Jamie, who taught you to speak to your father like that?” “I’m telling the truth!” “Enough. You refused to share, treated a guest badly, and now you’re challenging an adult. I’ve been too lenient with you. I’ll hire a stricter tutor to teach you how to behave.” Tears rolled down Jamie’s cheeks. I pulled him into my arms. “He isn’t the one who needs to learn how to behave.” “You’re still defending him?” Rhys asked. I wiped Jamie’s face and met Rhys’s eyes in the mirror. “I understand.” Rhys mistook surrender for agreement. The tension left his shoulders. “Good. I’ll wait for you in the guest wing. Once you apologize, this will be over.” He turned and walked away. The moment his footsteps disappeared, I put shoes on Jamie’s feet and helped him into his coat. Lena was already waiting by the side entrance with our suitcases. I took Jamie’s hand. “It’s time.” A black SUV waited outside. The driver loaded our luggage and headed for the pack’s private airport before anyone noticed us leaving. Jamie rested against me in the back seat. “Mom, where are we going?” “Seabrook.” “Where you lived when you were little?” “Yes. Grandma left us a house near the ocean.” He looked out the window as Greybridge passed around us. “Is Dad coming?” “No.” Jamie lowered his head. “Then I don’t want him either.” But the link extending from his heart remained deep red. It stretched through the rear window toward the estate, refusing to fade no matter how many times Rhys had hurt him. I held him closer. “You can cry if you need to.” Jamie shook his head, but his fingers tightened around my coat. By the time we reached the airport, dawn had begun to spread across the sky. A small plane waited at the end of the runway. As Lena handed our bags to the pilot, my phone vibrated. The Pack Council had approved the dissolution request Rhys had signed. It would become final the moment I crossed the Greybridge boundary. Jamie climbed aboard without looking back. I paused at the bottom of the steps. Seven years ago, I had accepted Rhys’s mark in this territory. I had built a home with him here and given birth to our son. For seven years, I had believed the crimson link between us could never fade. Then I boarded the plane and closed the door. The engines roared to life. Greybridge grew smaller beneath us as the plane climbed. When we crossed the pack boundary, pain tore through my chest. The link between Rhys and me trembled. The light extending from him darkened with every step, deepening until it was a dark, blood-red thread. Mine, meanwhile, grew fainter and fainter, fading until it was almost transparent. Then it snapped. The pain was so sharp I doubled over, one hand braced against the seat. For a moment, I could barely breathe. When I straightened again, the light was gone. My phone lit up with Rhys’s name. I declined the call.