Chapter 1 Three, two, one. 00:00AM My Alpha mate, Blake, was still gazing at me with affection as he said, "Hey, mate, happy 10th anniversary." I played along, making a wish amid the cheers of our friends, but inside, I was quietly counting down. The next second, his usual playful tone rang out. "I, Blake Chandler, Alpha of the newmoon pack, reject you, Layla Sloane, to be my mate and Luna. Happy rejection, ex-mate." "Once a year! Congratulations to Alpha Blake for getting back on the market!" "The bidding's open! Re-bond on me! No re-bond, bet on Tobias!" Look, my tenth anniversary, at precisely midnight, had turned into a party celebrating my rejection. For ten years, not once had things been different. Blake strolled past with his new flame, Giselle, giving instructions in that same commanding tone. "One month, like always." I pressed my hand to my aching lower abdomen, expressionless as I watched him. The champagne was tossed high into the air, and the party raged on as though everyone had gone mad in the pack house, celebrating my Alpha mate's newly regained freedom. Just a second ago, I had been the star of the party, making wishes with the crowd. Now, I had vanished into the shadows, no one even bothering to ask after me. Blake wasn't fond of these events. It took a lot of persuasion to get him to attend, so the grand annual Rejection Day was highly anticipated. Chapter 1 10.00% Blake and I were fated mates, together for so long. But with time, it was inevitable that someone would grow tired. On our fourth anniversary, after I made my wish, Blake had taken a long while before speaking, "Layla, we've been together for four years. Are you tired?" I looked at him confused, not understanding what he meant. He pulled me into his arms, softly caressing my arm, coaxing me gently. "To avoid the seven-year itch, let's reject each other every year after our anniversary. A one-month break, no interference. If we find a better mate, we'll wish each other well. If we don't, after one month, we'll re-bond." I stood up in shock, staring at him blankly. In that moment, Blake's arms fell empty, and he awkwardly clenched his hands, still insisting, "Is that okay?" Maybe it was the shock, my limbs numb, but for the sake of my pride, I didn't refuse. "Okay." The moment I agreed, Blake's stiff muscles relaxed instantly. During the month of his rejection, I tracked his every move, constantly comparing myself to the other she-wolves near him. Did he hold their hands, hug them, kiss them? Any small sign could be the breaking point. Some nights I woke in sharp, gut-deep pain, certain he'd crossed the line. He had slept with them. My body was covered in bruises, enduring the pain of rejection, the betrayal of my mate. On nights I couldn't bear it any longer, I would mind link him. He never scolded me for disturbing him, or blamed me for interfering. Instead, he would softly tell me childish stories, Julling me back to sleep. "Layla, do you think a month apart is too much?" The next day, just three days before the month was up, we re-bonded. On our fifth anniversary, I thought he wouldn't bring it up again, but to my surprise, he did. Chapter 1 10.00% And so it continued, year after year, until the tenth year. Every year, he insisted on we stick to the full 30 days before re-bonding, not a second less. This had even become a major event in the pack, with betting markets opening for it. Re-bonding at 1-to-1 odds, not re-bonding at 100-to-1. Rosalie suddenly sat down beside me. "Layla, what did you wish for?" My wish? It was simple. Never see him again. Chapter 1 10.00% Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!