"Don't be scared. I'm on my way." His tone was soothing, tender in a way I hadn't heard directed at me in years. He glanced at me almost unconsciously, something like guilt flickering through his expression.
I watched the scene unfold with perfect calm. There was nothing left in my chest to ache—the place where our bond should have thrummed felt hollow and still.
So that was how it worked.
When Aurora was by his side, he knew any incoming call couldn't possibly be from me—so the message-sigil didn't matter.
When Aurora wasn't around, he was terrified of missing a single whisper from her.
After he closed the connection, his restlessness was palpable. His wolf paced beneath his skin, eager to run to her.
Maybe my comment about the first intended had struck a nerve somewhere deep. He didn't immediately announce he was leaving.
"Go handle your pack duties," I offered, my voice perfectly steady. "Don't let me keep you from your responsibilities."
Relief washed over him, so obvious it might have been funny if it weren't so painful. He rattled off a hasty reminder: "When are you being released from the healers' care? Send me a sigil-message and I'll escort you back to the den."
Then he strode out of the room, his long legs carrying him away with barely contained urgency.
He didn't look back once.
Another week passed. I packed my belongings, ready to be discharged from the Healer's Lodge.
I sent him three howl-calls. Every single one went unanswered, the connection simply fading into silence.
Meanwhile, Aurora's latest appearance at the Lunar Celebration had spread across every pack's territory—her graceful dance, her radiant smile, the way she'd stood beside Fenris's empty seat as if she already belonged there. The story had traveled through a hundred dens and counting.
In the memory-crystal projection, Aurora displayed her so-called intended mate's devotion without a trace of shame.
Rare moonstone jewelry from the Northern territories. Tribute ledgers showing wealth transfers. Scent-marked images from pilgrimages across distant pack lands. Intimate captures of him preparing her meals in the den kitchen, tending to her after hunts, kneeling to massage her feet after long ceremonies.
The howl-comments beneath the shared projection overflowed with envy.
This is what a dream courtship looks like.
Wealthy AND devoted? My wolf is howling with jealousy.