After abandoning me for his lover, my mate regretted

Everyone called her recovery a miracle. But it wasn't. I

t was me, clawing her out of that abyss, piece by piece.

Now, she'd walked out of that abyss-and left me behind.

My phone buzzed, jarring me from the memory. I fumbled it out, the screen glaring with "Ms. Kingsley."

Charlotte's mother. I knew what was coming.

Her voice was smooth, polite, but sharp as a blade.

"Ethan, Charlotte's heir of the pack now. Her mate needs to be someone with status, someone who can lift her higher. I'm grateful for your Five years of loyalty, but let's be clear-if it wasn't for our pack's support, you'd never have made it to college. That debt's paid. We're even."

She paused, probably expecting me to beg or rage. I just stared down the empty hallway where Charlotte had disappeared with Sebastian.

"Okay," I said, my voice calm as a grave. "I'm gone. You won't see me again."

I hung up the phone and headed straight to the hospital. The gash on my forehead took Five stitches, and the healer warned me to keep it dry.

I nodded, numb, and shuffled out of the clinic.

That's when I spotted Charlotte's Bentley parked not far from the entrance, its window cracked open. Inside, Sebastian was hunched over her shoulder, his voice thick with tears.

"Charlotte, I messed up back then." he choked out.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but I had no choice. My parents wouldn't let us be together-they shipped me off other packs, took my phone, everything. I didn't want to leave you."

Charlotte sat there, silent, her profile soft in the dim light. I stood frozen, my feet rooted to the ground, watching from the shadows.

"Why'd you come back then?" she finally asked, her voice low, like a distant howl.

Sebastian's head dropped, tears streaking down his face.

"Because I can't forget you. I know you've got Ethan now, and I'm not asking for anything. Just don't chase me away. Let me stay, even if it's just to watch you from afar."

My chest tightened as Charlotte stayed quiet for what felt like forever. Then she reached out, gently wiping his tears away.

"I don't blame you," she said.

"And Ethan. he's just a brother to me, nothing like what you're thinking."

Sebastian's eyes lit up, a shaky smile breaking through. "Really?"

She nodded, and he pulled her into a hug, sobbing with relief.

I let out a bitter laugh under my breath and turned away, heading straight for the Registry office.

At the Registry office, the clerk slid a form across the counter. "Visa'll be ready in two weeks."

I thanked him and stepped outside into the darkening sky.

My next stop was Charlotte's villa, where I'd lived for Five years to take care of her.

I'd been naive enough to think of it as home.

The entryway still had the slippers I'd picked out, the living room my woven blankets, the dining room a tattered note with my "gut-friendly recipes" taped to the cabinet. Now, I had to erase every trace of myself.

While packing, I found a photo . It was from the day Charlotte nailed her rehab, standing tall, her rare smile lighting up the frame. I stood beside her, grinning like an idiot, my eyes glinting with unshed tears.

The edges of the photo were worn, rubbed raw from how many times I'd held it.

I stared at it for a long time before tossing it into the trash.

Some dreams were better left dead.

"I forgot my stomach meds," she said, her voice husky from sleep, casual like last night never happened. "Can you drop them off at the office?"

I paused for a beat. "Sure."

When I got to her office, the elevator doors slid open, and there was Sebastian, holding a fancy box, his smile as warm as a summer day.

"Hey, small world," he said. "I'm bringing Charlotte some salad. Wanna join?"

I didn't answer, just followed him into her office.

Charlotte was buried in paperwork, but her brow arched when she saw us together. "What, you two carpooling now?"

"Ran into him downstairs," Sebastian said, popping open the lunch box. The spicy aroma of hot pot filled the room.

"Got your favorite-extra lime juice!"