Ember's POV
I was three miles into the forest when my legs gave out.
My wolf form collapsed mid-sprint, and I shifted back to human without meaning to. One second I was running on four legs, the next I was naked on the forest floor, gasping like I'd been punched in the chest.
The bond. The stupid, cruel bond was fighting back.
"No," I whispered, forcing myself to stand. My legs shook. "You don't get to do this to me."
But the rejection was like poison spreading through my veins. Every step away from Ryder made it worse—a tearing sensation in my chest, my wolf whimpering inside my head.
Go back, she begged. Mate needs us. We're dying.
"We're not dying," I said out loud, stumbling forward. "We're leaving."
I'd hidden clothes and my car keys in a hollowed tree trunk two months ago, planning for this exact moment. My hands shook so badly I could barely button my jeans. The simple black t-shirt felt too tight, like it was strangling me.
The bond-pain got worse when I reached my beat-up Honda. I'd bought it with money saved from three years of secret jobs—cleaning houses, walking dogs, anything the pack didn't know about. It wasn't much, but it was mine. My escape plan. My freedom.
I turned the key. The engine sputtered and died.
"No, no, no." I tried again. Nothing. "Please. Please start."
On the fifth try, it rumbled to life. I almost cried with relief.
The drive to Lunar City should've taken six hours. I made it in four, ignoring speed limits and stop signs. My vision kept blurring—from tears or the bond-pain, I couldn't tell. The ache in my chest grew with every mile, like something was trying to claw its way out of my ribcage.
Mate, my wolf kept crying. Wrong. Go back.
"He's not our mate," I told her through gritted teeth. "Mates don't torture you for years. Mates don't make you wish you were dead."
But the bond didn't care about logic. It just knew we were getting farther from the person we were supposed to be with, and it was tearing me apart because of it.
I thought about Ryder's face when I rejected him. The shock. The pain. The way his whole body seemed to crumple.
Good. Let him feel it. Let him understand what it's like to hurt so badly you can't breathe.
Except... why did I feel guilty? Why did some small, stupid part of me want to turn the car around?
"Because you're broken," I whispered to myself. "Eighteen years of being worthless made you think you deserve scraps. But you don't. You deserve better."
The sun was rising when I hit Lunar City limits. I'd never been here before—pack wolves didn't leave pack territory without permission, and I'd never had permission for anything.
It was bigger than I expected. Buildings everywhere, cars and people and noise. Anonymous. Perfect.
I pulled into a gas station, my hands still shaking on the wheel. The bond-pain was so bad now I could barely think straight. Sweat dripped down my face even though it was cold outside.
Just exhaustion, I told myself. Just stress from running. It would get better once I found a place to stay, once I put more distance between me and Silverpine Pack.
I was counting my cash—$347, everything I had in the world—when my phone rang.
Unknown number. I almost didn't answer.
"Hello?"
"Is this Ember Ashford?" A male voice. Deep, unfamiliar, with an edge of concern.
My heart stopped. "Who is this? How did you get this number?"
"My name is Kieran Cross. I run a sanctuary here in Lunar City. Your pack's Luna gave me your number—she said you might need help."
Ryder's mother? Luna Rhea had never spoken directly to me in my entire life. Why would she—
The world tilted sideways. I realized I was sliding out of my car, my legs not working right. The phone fell from my hand, and I heard Kieran's voice calling my name as everything went dark.
The last thing I remembered was the pavement rushing up to meet my face, and a single, terrifying thought:
The rejection is supposed to hurt him, not me.
Why am I the one dying?