Aurora never bothered to clarify their actual bond status. She let every pack member assume whatever they wished.
When Fenris finally returned my howl-call, his excuse was laughably thin.
"I was occupied with territory matters earlier. Didn't catch your signal. What do you need?"
Just as I suspected—he'd completely forgotten he was supposed to escort me from the Healer's Lodge.
Through the connection, I could hear Aurora's laughter, clear as moonlight on still water.
Yet he didn't miss a beat. "I'm in the middle of an alliance negotiation. If it's not urgent, can we speak when I return to the den?"
"It's fine," I said quietly. "I just wanted to know where you were."
After severing the howl-call, I opened my personal ledger and traced the marked dates with one claw.
One week remained in Aurora's bond dissolution cooling period.
Two weeks until my own Bond Rejection agreement took effect.
Soon.
There was no point in letting my wolf grieve anymore.
Hadn't I already decided to release this bond?
When I pushed open the heavy oak doors of the Alpha's Keep, I almost thought I'd wandered into the wrong den.
This place that had held five years of my secret mating was now completely transformed.