When I Died, My Mate Was With His Sweetheart

I watched from beside him, feeling nothing but cold indifference. This was the man I had loved. The man who once swore to protect me, to stand by me. And yet, here he was, reeking of alcohol and Claudette’s scent.

But his thoughts weren’t on me. Not really. He looked down at his phone and saw the missed call.

It was from my mother.

Klaus hesitated before calling back. The phone rang only once before my mother answered, her voice warm and gentle as always.

"Klaus, I hope I’m not bothering you this late,” she began softly. “I just finished knitting those scarves for you and Mavis. When are you both coming over to get them?"

Tears welled up in my eyes. She was so happy to knit for us, so happy to think of me, her daughter, still alive.

Klaus forced a smile, though his face was tight with guilt. “We’ll come by soon, Madam. Mavis has been staying with Irene after a fight we had… You know how she is, always running off when she’s upset.”

He was lying. He didn’t know where I was. He didn’t even realize I was gone.

As he hung up, Klaus stared at his phone, his mind racing. He looked down at his hands, still trembling. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

So, he did what he always did when he needed to clear his head—he drove to the riverside near our pack. The place where he would sit to rid himself of the stench of alcohol or the scent of other wolves before coming back to me.

But there was no point in doing that anymore. I wasn’t home.

The wind blew lightly through his hair as he sat on the stone bench, gazing out at the river. I stood beside him, watching the way the moonlight glistened off the water.

“Mavis…” His voice was barely a whisper. “Tomorrow is my birthday. How long are you going to keep this up?”

I had forgotten. Tomorrow was his birthday. The gift I had ordered for him was probably still on its way.

--

Klaus awoke, instinctively reaching for the other side of the bed, expecting to feel the warmth of my body beside him. His hand landed on cold sheets instead, the chill sinking deep into his bones. He frowned, his brows knitting together as he stared at the space. My pillow still carried the faint scent of lavender, but it wasn’t enough to fill the void of my absence.

It was Klaus’s birthday today, a Saturday—usually a time when I’d go all out with surprises. He sat up, the dim morning light filtering through the curtains, casting long shadows on the walls. He scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to shake off the creeping unease that had settled in his chest since I walked out.

His insides stirred, restless, uneasy. 'She’ll come back,' Klaus told himself, trying to calm the beast inside. 'She always does.'

Even during our worst fights, I never let his birthday pass unnoticed. I always had a gift and always prepared his favorite meals. Klaus clung to that hope like a lifeline. Surely, today wouldn’t be any different. With determination, he swung his legs out of bed and made his way to the kitchen.

He cooked a full spread of my favorite breakfast foods—pancakes, eggs, sausage, everything I loved. The scent of warm syrup and butter filled the air, mingling with the hope that I would walk through the door any minute now. But as the minutes ticked by, the house remained silent. Empty.

His phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. He snatched it off the counter, eyes bright with anticipation, only to find disappointment waiting.

The caller was a jeweler, not me.

"Mr. Klaus of Snowfall Pack?" came the voice over the line. "This is to inform you that the custom diamond rings and tie clips Miss Mavis ordered a month ago are ready for collection."

Klaus stiffened, the weight of the words sinking in. 'A month ago? She was already planning my birthday this far in advance...' He couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt twist in his chest. I had thought of him and cared enough to plan. But he? He had let me walk away. He let me slip through his fingers because of her—Claudette.

Without another word, Klaus threw on his coat and drove straight to the jeweler, the anticipation growing heavy inside him. When he arrived, the jeweler handed him two small boxes. Inside, he found a pair of customized diamond rings, along with tie clips engraved with our initials, "K" and "M."