---- knuckles turned white, his jaw clenched. "Summer," he said sharply, "I've told you this more than once. I have a mate. Her name is Mia. Please stop calling me in the middle of the night. Ask one of your other friends." There was a brief silence on the other end. Then, she muttered, "So what if you have a mate? That Marking Ceremony was meant for me. You planned it all for me!" Her entitled tone pushed Lucien over the edge. He slammed the brakes. The tires screeched, and the car lurched. "Yeah, I did, but you ran away. And in the end, the one I chose was Mia!" Lucien had always been composed and level-headed. That was the first time I'd seen him lose control like that. There was a long pause, and then Summer's voice came through, shaking. ---- "1m sorry. If you hate me that much, I promise I' Il never bother you again." With that, the call ended, but Lucien didn't relax. Instead, he looked even more torn than before, gripping the wheel as if it could anchor him. His eyes stayed on the road, but I could tell that his mind was somewhere else and with someone else. I wiped away a tear and bit my cheek, sighing. I knew what I had to do. Before he could turn to me with that guilty expression I'd seen so many times before, I beat him to it. "It's okay," I said with a smile. "If you've got something to do, go ahead. I can head home on my own." Lucien watched as I opened the door, stepped out into the pouring rain, and raised my umbrella. He said softly and remorsefully, "1'll be home as soon as I finish up." I nodded at him with a calm smile and stood there, in the downpour, watching his car disappear down the ---- street. Ihad loved Lucien Grey for ten years, and never once did I expect to be anything more than a shadow in his life. Then, three years ago, Summer had bailed on the Marking Ceremony, and Lucien stood before the whole pack, asking if anyone else was willing to be bonded to him as his mate. I stepped forward immediately. I had loved him quietly for so long, and for three years, he had been nothing but gentle, so much so that it all felt like a dream. Just when I began to think maybe he had feelings for me too, Summer returned. Watching him struggle-caught between rejecting her and still instinctively drawing close to her-I knew it was time for me to walk away. In the middle of the rain, I pulled out my phone and sent him a message. "Those papers you asked about? It's in the glove compartment. Open it. You'! know exactly what it is." I set the phone down and wiped my tears away. ---- It was time I returned the mate to its rightful owner, for Lucien's true heart and for my own dignity. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!