Calvin's POV

"Are you okay?" Mother asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

I scoffed, pushing my plate away. "I'm fine."

It was a lie, and we both knew it.

How could I possibly be okay?

My mate, my fated mate, was getting married tomorrow.

At first, I thought she was bluffing. Maybe it was one of her little tricks to provoke me, to get a reaction. But when I received word from one of our allied warriors stationed at the Full Moon Pack, the truth hit me like a punch to the gut.

Nora wasn't bluffing.

She was actually getting married.

To Daniel Latin, a respected warrior in the Full Moon Pack.

My stomach twisted painfully. My mate was slipping away, and I was sitting here like a fool, doing absolutely nothing to stop it.

Mother's voice broke through my thoughts again. "Your silence, it has to do with that girl, doesn't it?"

I didn't deny it. Didn't even look at her.

Instead, I pushed my chair back abruptly, the legs scraping against the floor. "Excuse me, Mother. I'm not hungry."

"Calvin," she called, her tone softer now. "Is there something you should tell me?"

I froze, my jaw tightening.

"Nothing, Mother," I said quietly. "I'm just not hungry."

I walked out of the dining room, ignoring the look of concern in her eyes, and made my way toward the balcony. The cold morning air hit me as I stepped outside.

My wolf growled low inside me. "She's ours. You're just going to let another man put a mark on her?"

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want me to do? She made her choice."

"She's lying," he snarled. "You can feel it. You know it's not real."

"Even if it's not," I whispered, staring into the distance, "it's better off this way."

The silence that followed was suffocating. I could feel the tension building in my chest, burning, twisting, the kind of pain that made it difficult to breathe.

I leaned against the railing, fingers curling around the cold metal. My mind wouldn't stop replaying her words, the way her eyes had shone with anger and hurt.

"Alpha?"

The voice came from behind me. I turned slightly to see Thomas, one of my stewards, standing by the door.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling irritated.

He hesitated before replying. "Lady Patricia is here to see you."

I felt something inside me snap.

"Tell her I'm busy; she should leave," I said tightly.

Thomas bowed quickly and disappeared, sensing my mood.

I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes. Maybe this was for the best. That's what I kept telling myself.

Nora getting married meant she'd finally be happy, loved by someone whole, not broken like me.

And maybe, maybe I'd finally be free too.

It was supposed to be a win-win.

So why did it feel like I was losing everything?

I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to steady my breathing. My wolf's growl rumbled faintly in my head, restless and angry.

"Keep lying to yourself," he said bitterly. "You'll believe it eventually."

Before I could respond, the door creaked open again. Mother stepped in, arms crossed, that look of disapproval already etched into her face.

"Why did you send Patricia away?" she asked, her tone sharp. "The poor girl took a one-hour trip just to see you."

I exhaled, turning to face her. "Because I never asked her to come. She didn't even tell me she was visiting."

Mother raised an eyebrow. "Calvin, she's been patient with you. You're courting her."

"I'm not." My voice came out harsher than I intended.

Her eyes narrowed. "You're not? Then what would you call her visiting here every week? The gifts? The dinners?"

"She was the one insisting," I replied tightly. "I never asked for any of it. And I'm not courting her."

Mother sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Regardless, she's here now. The decent thing to do is to at least see her."

I stared at her for a long moment before finally nodding. "Fine."

She gave a small nod of approval and left, satisfied she'd won the argument.

A few minutes later, I walked into the sitting room. Patricia stood by the window, looking effortlessly perfect as always, blonde curls falling over her shoulders, wearing a white fitted dress that probably cost more than most people's cars.

"Calvin," she greeted with a practiced smile. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me."

I forced a polite nod. "Patricia."

Her blue eyes scanned me curiously. "You look troubled. Everything alright?"

"I'm fine," I said flatly, sitting opposite her.

She laughed lightly, brushing a curl behind her ear. "You always say that."

I didn't respond. My wolf was silent too, completely uninterested. Normally, he'd growl when another woman got too close, but this time, there was nothing. Just emptiness.

She began talking about her trip, about a gala she'd attended, about dresses and social events, none of which I cared about. My mind drifted elsewhere, to a girl with soft hazel eyes and a voice that haunted my every thought.

Suddenly, Patricia's sharp gasp snapped me out of it.

A maid had accidentally stepped on the hem of her gown while setting down a tray of tea.

"You clumsy little thing!" Patricia snapped, glaring at the girl. "Watch where you're going! This dress costs more than your lifetime salary!"

The maid stammered an apology, clearly shaken, but Patricia wasn't done. She raised her hand like she might actually strike her.

"Patricia." My voice came out hard, commanding.

She froze, hand still midair.

"Leave us," I told the maid gently. She bowed quickly and hurried out, eyes wide with fear.

When the door shut, I turned back to Patricia. "You didn't have to talk to her like that."

She blinked, as if genuinely confused. "Excuse me?"

"She made a mistake. That's no reason to humiliate her."

Patricia scoffed. "Calvin, she's a maid. It's literally her job not to make mistakes. If she can't handle that, she shouldn't be working here."

I stared at her, really stared, and for the first time, I saw her clearly.

The arrogance. The entitlement. The complete lack of empathy.

And in that moment, I realized something.

My plan had been to marry her because she was safe. Because she wasn't my mate, and that meant I wouldn't get hurt.

But standing there, listening to her belittle someone so easily, I realized she wasn't safe at all.

She was everything I didn't want.

"This isn't working," I said finally.

Her smile faltered. "What?"

I stood, my voice steady. "Us. Whatever this is. It's not working."

Patricia's expression hardened. "You can't be serious."

"I've never been more serious in my life."

Her lips parted, a mix of disbelief and anger flashing across her face. "You're making a mistake, Calvin."

"Maybe," I said quietly. "But at least it's mine to make."

She frowned and rose to her feet. "Tell me, Calvin… who is she? There's another woman, isn't there?"