Chapter 7

Nathan’s POV She signed the mate bond dissolution papers. She signed it without thinking twice. Right in front of me. A bitter smile spilled as I downed another glass of brandy. The burn in my throat did nothing to ease the ache in my chest. “Her wolf hasn't howled since morning,”Alaric,observed through our mind link. “She's shutting down.” I should be relieved. After all, I was the one who asked for the rejection. But ever since Kyra put her name on those papers, it felt like a part of me had been ripped away. Kyra and I had been friends for over 10 years. The day she transferred to my high school, I accidentally bumped into her by the lake. She looked like a frightened kitten, carefully hiding her true self behind that thick antique eyeglasses.Her orange blossom scent faint but unmistakable.That was interesting. I never expected the quiet, bookish girl everyone dismissed would turn out to be the daughter of my mother’s best friend. With that, we grew to be friends. Best friends. Kyra changed a lot after graduation. When I came back from the first vacation alone with Sophia, my fated mate.I was surprised to find that my best friend was far different. Taking off her heavy glasses and changing out of her baggy hoodies, she learned how to dress up. She was always a fast learner and in an instant.She’d transformed into a woman who commanded attention, her intelligence and beauty impossible to ignore. More and more suitors gathered around her like wolves scenting prey.I could see how much she was troubled, so naturally,as her best friend, I became that escort. Although it caused some rumors, I knew we were only best friends. I already had Sophia. No one knew why Kyra never took a mate. I once wanted to ask about it but gave up, as I had a feeling that she would leave me once I learned the answer. I never wanted to lose her. She was my best friend. Everything went well but after the countless argument with Sophia about our future, our pack, our lives.We fell into a long cold war. And when I was ready to surrender, Sophia suddenly went to another city after sending me a breakup text. "We're done." I flew all night to chase her, only to find her sleeping with another Alpha. My heart was broken. She rejected me. I fell into darkness and alcohol became my best partner. Just when I thought I was about to rot in my darkened room, a figure appeared in the doorway, bringing me the only light. It was Kyra. I broke down in her arms, my wolf howling in grief, and she stayed. She put her life on hold—her studies, her future—just to pull me back from the edge. Without her, I could never overcome that hardest time. I'd been always grateful for that. I swore to cherish her for my whole life. But I never expected that grandparents would wish us to get married.A political alliance between our packs.I agreed to give it a shot. It’s better to marry Kyra than some stranger my family chose.My family was a fan of arranged marriage. And since they also treated Kyra as family, I felt like if I refused to marry her, my family would set her up with someone. It’s better to be me than anyone else, right? I just want to protect her... After three years of happy peaceful marriage, I started to consider having a pup with Kyra. She always loved pups, I knew. However, it was at that time, that I met Sophia again on my business trip. My heart was in turmoil when the woman I once loved so deeply cried in my arms. "Nathan," she sobbed into my chest, her scent—once so familiar, now tainted with regret—filling my lungs. Sophia told me everything that happened to her. Her fate wasn’t good to her and she wants me back. I thought my feelings for her disappeared, but as soon as she came back, everything came back to me too. Our memories and even my feelings for her. Fck! Kyra, my best friend. My chosen mate. Sophia, my first love. My fated mate. I don’t know what to do. God knows how much I dreamed of having Sophia because she’s my first love but…losing Kyra should not be a trade to get my first love. “I’ve been watching you. Do you need company, Alpha?”a she-wolf purred, sliding into the seat beside me. I snarled, baring my teeth, and she recoiled, scrambling away. I ordered another glass of liquor and drank it straight. I balled my fists and buried my face on the counter. "Do I have to choose?" I growled to Alaric. "I love them both.I can’t lose them both." RING RING RING My phone buzzed again and I didn't have to check to know it had to be Mom again. Dad and Mom were super annoyed after knowing Kyra and I would separate. Every time they called, they would inevitably scold me severely, blaming me for breaking Kyra's heart. I knew they were telling the truth. I didn’t protect Kyra. I made her miserable. But after watching her sign the mate bond dissolution papers, I felt like I became the most miserable one. I screwed everything up. I feel like I’m losing Kyra now just because of that damn the mate bond dissolution papers. Can it all start over?