Throughout this time, Ezra would occasionally send me photos of wedding venue decorations.
[I asked designers to create five different mating ceremony layouts. Which one would you prefer?] One message was read, accompanied by elaborate displays of flowing fabrics and flowers.
[Do you think the beach setting would be nice? Another person imagined white chairs on golden sand as the sun set.
I looked at those intricate designs, and a sense of mockery rose in my chest.
He has marked me for the past two years. Countless nights spent awake, anticipating the mating ceremony, only to be disappointed time and again.
Now that I was leaving, he became more invested in the wedding.
Meanwhile, Alexa’s Facebook page was updated on a daily basis, as if she were managing a dedicated Ezra Jackson fan account.
It was either sweet photos of them together with captions like “movie night with my favourite person” or videos of Ezra’s meticulously prepared surprises for her–flowers, jewellery, surprise dinners.
Alexa’s Facebook page featured a proposal video the day before Ezra’s promised wedding date, which also happened to be the deadline for the Alpha Council to consider our mate bond dissolution application.
Alexa wore a pristine white dress in the video, and she stood in a flower-filled garden.
Ezra was down on one knee. He was holding up a sparkling diamond ring that reflected sunlight.
Everyone around them was chanting, “Kiss, kiss!” Their packmates and his family.
The final freeze-frame showed Ezra smiling, holding Alexa tightly in his arms and burying his face in her hair.
I watched it calmly from beginning to end, surprised at how little it hurt. I left a single “Congratulations” comment and immediately blocked Alexa.
Shortly after, as if on cue, Ezra called me.
He sounded excited and energetic, which was very different from his usual reserved tone with me.
“Zara, I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said without preamble.
“I’ve had the entire pack prepare everything. When I return, we can hold our mating ceremony right away. I’ve even arranged for your favourite flowers.”
The next morning, I did not go to the beach where the mating ceremony was scheduled to take place.
By noon, I still hadn’t received a call from Ezra asking why I hadn’t arrived.
It wasn’t until the evening that Ezra returned to our shared house, exhausted but with a lingering scent of perfume that wasn’t mine on his clothes.
He stared at me from the couch, guilt and unease flashing in his eyes as he saw my packed bags by the door. “Alexa wasn’t feeling well,” he explained, the excuse coming naturally. “It delayed my return.”
“But don’t worry,” he said quickly. “I promise you, the next mating ceremony will definitely happen. I’m thinking next weekend. I’ll make sure everything is perfect.”
I felt nothing when I heard those words—the same empty promise for the eleventh time. There is no anger. No disappointments. No pain. Just… nothing.
I looked at him quietly before pushing the Alpha Council-approved mate bond dissolution papers across the coffee table towards him.
“Don’t bother,” I said calmly, my voice more stable than it had been in years.
