---- "We're nothing," I cut him off. 'We broke the mate bond, and you have a new mate. We're over." "That was fake!" Ethan said, desperate. "The mate ceremony with Vivian was fake! We only did it to calm the pack down..." "Fake?" I pulled out my phone. "Are these fake too?" I showed him my social media page. "you blocked me from all your social media accounts," I said coolly. "But my friends could all see your lovey-dovey pictures with Vivian." "That was..." "Beach vacations, dinners on mountaintops, private yachts." I kept scrolling. ''And this one, you two kissing under the Eiffel Tower. The caption said, 'With my soulmate.'" Ethan's face was ghostly white. ---- "So," I put my phone away, "what's real, and what's fake?" Vivian chimed in, "Those pictures... we just wanted outsiders to think..." "wanted outsiders to think what?" I looked at her. "That you were in love? That you were true mates? " "We are in love!" Vivian said loudly. "Well, there you go." I spread my hands. "Since you're in love, since you're mates, then live happily ever after. The pack's problems? You two figure them out." "Sophia..." Ethan's voice was weak. "I wish you both happiness," I said, turning to leave. "Sincerely." "wait!" Ethan called out one last time. "Can't we... can't we really start over? Just... part on good terms?" ---- I stopped but didn't turn back. "Ethan, we already parted on good terms."' My voice was calm. "You got everything you wanted - a new mate, a new Luna, a new life. And I got what I wanted - freedom." "But the pack..." "The pack isn't my responsibility anymore," I said without looking back. "You chose Vivian, now you have to live with the consequences of that choice." I walked towards Sarah's wedding, leaving Ethan and Vivian standing there. After a few steps, I heard Ethan's disappointed voice: "Sophia, you never used to be like this." I answered silently in my head: I used to be good to you because I loved you. Now I ---- don't. It's that simple.