A bitter smile tugged at my lips. At last, I understood what it truly meant to stand in the place I’d always occupied: invisible, replaceable, and unclaimed in the heart of the wolf I had loved.
After breakfast, I made my way to campus for the graduation ceremony, my emotions tangled between pride and a quiet, gnawing sorrow.
This day marked the culmination of my years at the Rhode Island School of Design, a path I had devoted my every thought and effort to. Soon, I would leave for Italy, to chase a life that belonged entirely to me.
But as I stood there, diploma in hand, surrounded by a swarm of graduates with their families, the familiar ache of loneliness crept in.
Around me, mates and elders hugged their younglings, snapping photos, their laughter ringing through the air. It was a day built for shared joy—and yet, I floated alone amid it all, a lone wolf in a sea of paired packs.
I shook my head slightly, forcing a smile. “This is how it always is, Toni. No need to grieve that Lorenz isn’t here,” I murmured, drawing a steadying breath.
It was just another day alone, after all.