When the Moon Never Mends

Zack looked like he had more to say, but his phone buzzed to life again.

He stroked my head, then with phone in hand, he turned and walked away.

I stayed put, silently watching his retreat.

That tender smile I knew so well spread across Zack's face.

Nancy's name flowed from his lips like a mantra.

My heart felt empty. The pain from the wolf within me surged, but it was less sharp this time.

The temporary mark was fading, Zack's hold on me weakening.

He seemed to sense my gaze. Turning, he waved at me, his smile still soft with thoughts of Nancy.

"Zack, do you truly love me?"

If not, why seek to bond with me at all?

"Why do you claim to love me, yet you father a child with another Omega, letting her steal my whole world?"

My voice was barely above a whisper, lost to the wind.

Zack stared at me, his gestures a silent plea for understanding. "What's that, Maggie?"

I just turned and walked back into the room. Having his answer would not change anything, anyway.

His love, or lack thereof, did not matter anymore—he had betrayed me.

His actions spoke louder than any words, showing me I did not matter to him then.

'If Nancy wanted me gone, he'd probably let her have her way,' I mused bitterly.

Zack stood there, stunned, not even snapping out of it when Nancy called his name.

At that moment, his inner wolf let out an uncontrollable, mournful howl.

"Why does it hurt so much when Maggie hasn't betrayed me?"

He clutched at his chest, lost, as he watched me walk away.

However, no one had the answer for him.

Even Nancy ended the call on him.

I was oblivious to Zack's turmoil as I drifted off to sleep.

Waking up the next day, I found Zack, all suited up, standing by me, looking uncomfortable.

"I'm off to make the pledge, and then I'll be with Nancy at the edge of the Northwood tundra, by Moonshadow Lake.

"She says it's her last wish."

I could not help but snicker at Nancy's audacity.

She sure had a lot of last wishes—and so ridiculously specific, too.

"Go, then."

Zack lingered, his gaze filled with uncertainty.

"Could we keep your Luna crowning a bit more low-key this time?"

I stopped for a beat. "Why?"

'Of course, we could. No grand pledges, no Elders to impress, no crowd to please. We could even do without the bride,' I thought sarcastically.

"I'm worried it might... upset Nancy."

Zack's smile broke into a warm embrace. "Sweetheart, Maggie, Nancy's got just one month left. Can you cut her some slack, please?"

I could not help but chuckle at his expectant face.

"She's been 'one month away' for the past year. How is she still kicking after all this time?"

Crack!

Zack's hand landed a stinging slap across my cheek.

"How dare you say that!"

He looked at me, his face a mix of shock and disbelief, as if I had crossed a line.

The pain was sharp and immediate, my cheek puffing up with each throbbing heartbeat.

Zack was shaken too, standing there with tears brimming, on the verge of breaking.

"Maggie, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?"

He reached out to touch my swelling cheek, but I pulled away.

"You've fallen for Nancy, haven't you?"

"No, I haven't!" Zack stumbled over his words, desperate to convince me. "I swear, I haven't fallen for her!

"Maggie, you know you're the only one in my heart, my one and only Luna!"

He got to his feet, looking as though confused. "But you can't speak ill of Nancy. She contracted Argentosis while saving my life.

"Without her, I'd be dead. We wouldn't be here together."

I gave no response, and after a moment of hesitation, Zack's voice softened.

"Once Nancy's gone, we could go to Southwood. Remember? You wanted to stargaze there."

I just stared back, silent.

Our bond was broken. There was no point in dreaming of journeys then.

Zack did not press on. He glanced at the clock and stood up quickly.

"I need to go for the oath photo. Let's talk when I get back, okay?"

I reached for the calendar on the nightstand and struck a big X over the date I once eagerly awaited.

Just 12 days remained.

After finishing my meal, I started to pack up my belongings.

Five years had woven a tapestry of memories into the fabric of that home. Photo albums bursting with smiles, the stone plaque Zack had chiseled with his own hands—those were the relics of our love.

I used to believe I was Zack's number one. However, the truth hit hard: Zack's heart belonged to himself first, and Nancy, a close second. Why else would he swipe my research, the work of my soul?

Staring at my manuscript, locked away in Zack's safe, I could not help but laugh—a bitter, hollow sound. "He doesn't love you," I whispered to the empty room.

To Zack, the Alpha, I was just an Omega to be dominated, my talents mere extensions of his will. What was left there for me to hold onto?

One by one, I fed the flames with our photographs, watching as the fire consumed what used to be 'us.'