While running away from my boyfriend, I found my true mate

I had been in a secret relationship with my brother’s friend for seven years and we were planning to mark each other as mates.

I followed the location and found his reunion party with his pack mates, but as I reached the door of the den, I overheard their conversation.

“Daniel Jones, your Luna is back. What are you going to do about that temporary mate?”

He remained silent.

The atmosphere became tense and another friend laughed, “We should appreciate Daniel’s courage actually. He dared to pursue the daughter of our Alpha. He had been fooling her around for years and yet, Winnie is back…”

“She cheated on Daniel with someone else and left him. She deserves to have a competitor in love.”

The next day, Daniel took me to Winnie’s welcome banquet. He was so affectionate with me that I wondered if I cooked up those conversations in my head.

But when Winnie left us crying, he pushed me aside and chased after her in panic.

I returned home covered in scratches. However, I didn't feel the pain at all. I went to his study room, a place he never allowed me to enter.

I saw a dairy on his desk. I flickered a few pages and a bold statement caught my eyes. ‘Winnie, my first and last love. No one can ever take your place in my heart. You are irreplaceable.’

My world crumbled reading that line from the person I loved for seven years. I tossed the diary aside as I called my brother overseas.

“Brother, I’ve made up my mind about seeing my true mate. I agree!”

——

“Bella Grey, have you been dumped?”

My brother said jokingly. After not receiving any answer from me, he hesitated for a moment before he asked in a concerned voice, “No more ‘Finding true Love’ and choosing ‘Destined by the Moon Goddess’?”

I forced a smile on my lips while answering my brother,“No, I’ve just figured it out. I’m going to get married anyway. So, it's better to get married with your true mate than seeking love in a world filled with lies and deception. ”

“Besides, I should trust the Moon Goddess. She must have a reason for it, sending us into the world with a destined mate . I shouldn't defy her arrangements.”

My brother took a sigh of relief as he replied in a gentle voice, “I’m glad you’ve given up the idea of not marrying your true mate because you want to marry someone out of love, not because he is your mate. When are you coming back? Do you want to meet him before making the final decision?”

“No need. You and Dad know him. If you guys think he is good for me, then I also believe that. Besides, he is my true mate. What should I worry about? Besides, I’m really bad at judging men.”

The last line I spoke about was my personal experience with Daniel.

“Got it! By the way, Are you still in contact with Daniel? I heard his dream girl is finally back. If you ever meet him, do tell him that I want a party from him. I also shared my experiences with him in pursuing girls. He shouldn't forget me in his celebration.”

I was surprised that my brother knew about Winnie. Now I understood why Daniel always asked me to keep our relationship a secret from his friends and especially my brother.

I suppressed the tears in my eyes and coughed a few times before replying, so that my brother wouldn't notice the hoarseness from my voice,“I’m sorry, I can't be helpful to you in this case. I don't like him.”

Just then, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching my room. I said my goodbyes and hung up the phone.

I looked up only to find Denial standing before my eyes

“ Don't like who?”

“ I don't like you!”

I replied with a firm voice, but Daniel smiled mischievously. He came near me and pulled me into his embrace, saying in a flirtatious voice,

“Do you like me now?”

I broke free from his embrace. But, he pulled me back and carried me in his arms, asking in a more flirtatious voice, “Do you like me now?”

“ Stop it, Daniel. I’m not liking it.” I said in a distant voice. He threw me on the mattress, not noticing the change in my expression he said in a sexy voice, “Or you only like me doing those things to you?”

Our once intimate behavior that made my heart race now only made me feel ridiculous.

As I struggled to get up from the bed, I sniffed a scent of another shewolf. It was the scent I smelled from Winnie.

The scratches on my body ached and I didn’t know where the pain came from, but it was so sharp it brought tears to my eyes.

“Bella, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

He panicked seeing me crying. He tried to pull me closer which made my sleeves curling up, revealing harsh scratches on my wrist.

“How did this happen? When did you get these scratches? Why didn’t you tell me?”

It seemed like he had completely forgotten what had happened at the banquet.

I remained silent, unsure whether I should remind him and shatter his mask of feigned affection.

“Don’t cry. You know I can't see you like this . I’ll put some herbs on your wound and it will heal sooner.”

He said in a gentle voice before walking up to brew potions for me. I had a rare infection. Despite being a werewolf, my wounds didn't heal themselves.

“You should be more careful. You know that your wounds don’t heal by themselves then why do you always keep hurting yourself? I can't be present everywhere to protect you.” He added while making potions for me.

I stared blankly at the red stretch mark on my wrist, recalling how his beloved Winnie fell near me and when I lend my hands to her, she held me with her long and sharp nails, stretching my wrist severely.

“Yes, I’d been protected by you for a full seven years. What would come of me if you weren't there for me?”

‘But, Daniel, I don’t need you anymore. I don’t want to be a toy you can play with and then throw away when you are done enjoying it.’ I said to myself.

That night, I couldn’t sleep well and woke up sweating. I was sleepy in the morning, and wasn't by myself when Daniel pulled me out of bed.

I grumbled, trying to resist him, but he just chuckled and leaned in to kiss me.

I immediately came to myself and pushed him away. I had a desperate urge of slapping him on face. However, I controlled myself and stopped my hands in the air.

Luckily, it was just a morning kiss on lips.

“Still sleepy? How long are you going to sleep today?”

I turned away, wiping my mouth in disgust.

“I’m tired. I want to sleep more. Don't disturb me please.”

Daniel patted my head, saying,“Did you know you had a fever last night? Get up, I’m taking you to the hospital. Your wounds aren't going to heal with my potions. We should let the doctor see it. Maybe their meds work better on you than our Pack's herbs.”

Although I felt no need to have my wounds seen by a human doctor, I didn't want to stay in the apartment alone with him. So, I agreed to visit a hospital.

In the hospital corridor, we unexpectedly bumped into Winnie.

It looked like she had sprained her ankle by falling last night and was struggling to reach the Doctor’s cabin.

Daniel, who had been playful with me moments ago, telling me I shouldn’t worry much as my wounds weren't very serious, instantly frowned by seeing her ankle sprained. He immediately let go of my hands and rushed to help Winnie. He held her hands and supported her while asking in a concerned voice, “What happened?”

“I just sprained my ankle last night. What a coincidence! You two are here for a checkup too?”

Daniel’s expression froze. He glanced back at me, and immediately explained to her,“Yeah, my ‘Alpha’s daughter’ here had a bit of a fever, so I brought her in for a checkup.”

I was used to being introduced as “Alpha’s daughter" or "friend's sister" by him now.

He didn't want to make our relationship public in the pack. So, he always introduced me as a responsibility to him, someone he was looking after.Only his closest friends knew of our true relationship.

Winnie nodded. “She’s our Alpha’s daughter, so of course, you have to look after her carefully. You two go on. I need to head over there.”

She gestured toward the other clinic on the opposite side. Seeing her start struggling in walking, Daniel didn’t think twice before carrying her up in his arms.

“Let me take you over. Bella, wait here for me.”

For some reason, as soon as I saw Winnie, I suddenly felt too weak to stand. I leaned against the wall for support.

Daniel didn't even wait for my response. After throwing out those words, he carried Winnie to the other clinic.

No matter how much he tried to appear in love with me, whenever he faced Winnie his genuine feelings slipped through, betraying the facade and he didn’t even realize it.

I smiled bitterly while staring at them from afar. I then went to the clinic on my own. Apparently, it wasn’t just in my head. The wounds had infected my whole body, making me weak instantly.

As usual, I picked up my phone to call Daniel out of fear, but stopped halfway. It's hard to break habits.I smiled ironically, put my phone away and headed to the IV room alone.

I had never visited Infirmary alone. Being the Alpha’s daughter, I had always been pampered by the people in my pack and after I left my pack to study abroad, I was taken care of by Daniel.The fear of treatment got into me. I took a few steps and almost stumbled.

Daniel still hadn’t returned—no calls, no messages.

Disheartenedly, I decided to call him first to inform him that I was leaving. He sounded surprised after knowing that I was still in the hospital, making up he said,“I’m sorry, Bella. I was going to pick you up after dropping Winnie but she fainted as soon as we arrived home, so…”

Before he could finish, I overheard a salesman in the background, saying,“Sir, this jade necklace looks good on your girlfriend. Do you want me to show more designs or this is fine?”

Daniel quickly covered the receiver as I didn't hear anything after that voice. I didn't wait for him to complete his sentence as I replied,“I don't need you to pick me up. I only called to inform you that I’m leaving. I can manage it myself”

I was just going to hang up and he suddenly called out my name, “Bella, Do not think anything wrong. Go home. I’ll explain everything later.”

What was he going to explain to me? Explain why he lied to me? Did I even ask him where he was or why he didn't come to pick me up?

I hung up the call and hired a ride home.

At night, I laid on my bed. Daniel hadn't returned yet. I tried to sleep but I couldn't. Daniel’s friend’s voice continued echoing in my ears,‘He dared to pursue the daughter of our Alpha. He had been fooling her around for years’

I pursed my lips and got up from the bed. To distract myself, I planned to do paperworks of my office. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with notifications on my social media app. Winnie had uploaded a post. There was a scene of beautiful fireworks bursting against the clear sky, two hands holding each other. I could recognise Daniel’s hands from them as he was wearing the diamond ring I gifted him on his birthday. There was also a caption.

"After years of absence, I find my way back to you, where the stars align in celebration.”

I had completely forgotten that it was the New year Eves, a night Daniel had promised to watch fireworks with me. But now, he was enjoying it with his ‘Luna’.

I didn't want to feel humiliated by watching them together. So, I simply logged out of the app.

The next morning, I arrived at the office on time and handed the resignation letter to my superior. She asked the reason and I simply told her that I was going back to my pack to get married. After listening to my marriage’s news, my colleagues wished me and began asking for a party. I didn’t want to kill joy. So, I booked a table at a restaurant Daniel and I frequently visited. It was one of the few restaurants Daniel used to praise for the taste of their food.

We were chatting while having our meal. Later, I had to excuse myself to pick a call from my brother. After hanging up the call I bumped into Winnie.

She greeted me with a warm smile, saying, “Hey, Bella. It's nice to see you again. Do you like this restaurant, too? You know, this was the restaurant Daniel first brought me to back in college. Ever since that day, it has become my favorite restaurant.”

I smiled faintly and turned to leave. We were not so close. So, I didn't think it was necessary for us to greet each other when meeting somewhere. But she didn’t seem to feel the same. Just as I was about to go, she stopped me again.

“I noticed last time that Daniel was blowing Coffee for you. Are you also sensitive to hotness and don’t eat or drink anything before cool them?”

The word also made me pause for a moment.

The truth is, I hate drinking tea or coffee cold. But every time Daniel would insist on cooling it before letting me drink. He always said that I would get burned if I drink hot drinks.

I had always thought he was looking out for me, more than it was needed. I found it cute.

But now, I realized it was simply a habit.

The one who didn’t consume hot dishes—the one he was thinking of— was Winnie.

I remained silent. The realization hit me harder but I tried my best not to show any emotions. But, she, as if wanted to get on my head, continued,"To be honest, I was going to tell you the day we met—don’t you think we look very similar, little sister? Your eyes are just like me and your dress’s brand and even the perfume you are wearing are the same as mine. It's like I’m seeing my twin."

I couldn't feel more humiliated that I already was. Out of shame, I couldn't even maintain eye contact with her.

I didn't reply to her and went back to my table. Even though my colleagues were cracking jokes and having fun, I couldn't divert my mind from what I heard from Winnie. Her voice was echoing in my head.

Suddenly the door to our private room pushed open and a familiar figure appeared before my eyes. Seeing my table filled with colleagues, Daniel hesitated for a moment and then looked up at me with a pair of cold eyes. He called my name, his voice laced with anger. I didn't understand why.

I excused myself and followed him out to the corridor only to get a hard slap by him. It took me a long time to recover from the shock. He had never raised his voice on me before, let alone hitting me in public. As I stared at him in disbelief. He didn't look apologetic at all. Instead he asked me in furious voice,

"Why did you throw hot coffee on Winnie? You know her skin is sensitive! I told you I will explain everything to you but you just had to act stubbornly?"

The slap was so hard that my teeth had started aching. Meanwhile Winnie walked up to us, her shirt was wet with coffee. I was just going to explain and Winnie hissed in pain. Daniel didn't waste a second and walked past me. He rushed over, holding her gently.

"I told you I'd bring her over to apologize to you. Why did you come out here?" he said.

Though his words sounded reproachful, his voice was filled with tenderness.

Winnie shook her head in refusal and said with tearful eyes, "Daniel, just let it be. I don't think she would have done it on purpose. Don’t force her to apologize."

"Besides, she is the daughter of your Pack's Alpha. Things will get hard on, if her brother or father hears about it." she added.

Daniel hesitated for a moment after listening to my brother's name, but soon his eyes turned dark as said,"Her brother asked me to guide her in the city, so it’s my duty to correct her when she makes any mistake," he said firmly.

I laughed bitterly before asking in a cold voice , "What mistake did I make that gave you the authority to hit me? Did you see me throwing coffee on her? How did you come to the conclusion without even hearing me out?"

Daniel clenched his fists. He said while glaring at me, "You knew I went with Winnie by lying to you. You surely didn't like it and decided to take revenge on Winnie when you saw her. You had a reason to attack her. I told you that I would explain everything. Why didn't you wait for me, Bella?”

I felt both surprised and angry with his conclusion, “How easily you accused me for everything? But, did you try to verify Winnie’s statement?"

"Why would Winnie lie to me? Are you saying that she burned herself to accuse you? Why would she do that? Besides, I've known her for years. She’s not the kind of person who lies."

"You think I am?" I asked, the volume of my voice rising by a few decibels.

We have lived seven years together. I thought we understood each other better than anyone else. But, I was wrong. Our seven years of togetherness meant nothing when it comes to Winnie.One word from her was all it took him to believe her and blame me..

It was blatant favoritism, a glaring display of partiality. I shouldn't be surprised by this. After all, I was only a temporary mate for him. What could I mean for him in front of his ‘Luna’.

I turned to leave, feeling uninterested in wasting my words on a person who claimed me as a sinner without giving me a chance to defend.

If I joined my colleagues in that condition, they would notice that something was off with me. So I chose not to return to the private room. Instead, I went to the counter, paid the bill and sent them a message:

"I've got to run and take care of something, but don't worry about the bill – I've got it covered. Enjoy the rest of your evening!”

I opened my cupboard and took out a big box filled with gifts given by Daniel. There was a red rose he had proposed to me with. Like my love for him, it was also withered away. There was a diamond ring that he gifted me when we first shifted to this home to live together. Now that I looked at it carefully, I recalled the same ring in Winnie's hand when first met at her welcome banquet. One by one I took all the gifts out. I either burn them or throw them in the dustbin, erasing all our past.

Daniel hadn't returned home for half a month. At that time, I was busy finishing my last project in the company. Also, I removed everything from the house that reminded me of our past days of living together. I nearly cleared out the entire house. I even sold the furniture I had chosen myself, leaving the place as empty as it was when I first moved in—black and white, so minimalist that you could see the entire room in a single glance.

A day before I was going to leave the city, I thought I should at least clear things between us, so I called him. But every time I dialed, he kept rejecting my calls. After a while, he sent me a message.

"If you're not willing to acknowledge your mistakes and offer a sincere apology to Emily, then I don't see the point in continuing this conversation."

"Fine, if that's how you feel, then let's just end it here." I typed this message with a tinge of sadness but later deleted it, not interested in wasting my words on him if he couldn't even pick up my call.

The next morning, I packed my bags and left the house that once felt like a warm haven. As I walked away, I felt an overwhelming sense of freedom. I was now free from my blind love. Winnie had taken the blindfold from my eyes. For this, I was really thankful to her. She made me realize that I shouldn't waste my youth on a man who takes me only as his temporary mate while chasing after his ‘Luna’.

Just before boarding my flight, my phone was flooded with birthday messages from friends and family. Some wished me prosperity, others wished me love and happiness, and a few even wished me a future filled with joy and companionship. I replied to each message, feeling grateful for the love and support. As I turned off my phone and the plane took off, I whispered to myself: I will be happy! With so many blessings and good wishes, I knew I was on the path to a brighter future.