The Far North Hunt Without My Alpha

At the Black Pack banquet, the Elder held up an invitation to the Far North hunting grounds and asked Alpha Kael of the Black Pack, the academy's chief professor, with a smile:

Alpha Kael, who are you planning to take to the Far North?

Every eye in the hall instantly fell on me.

I was Elara, the only daughter of the White Pack Alpha and Kael's fiance.

Everyone knew that after the Far North hunt, Kael and I would be holding our wedding.

I clutched the vow we'd written together when I was sixteen, waiting for him to speak my name.

But Kael didn't even glance at me.

He casually handed the invitation to his student Lila standing beside him.

"Give it to her. She's been working so hard on her thesis defense lately."

My best friend Rhea's knuckles went white with rage.

"The four of us made a pact as kids that we'd hold our weddings after the Far North hunt! Has he lost his mind, giving the invitation to someone else?"

I smiled, suppressing the sting in my eyes.

"The wedding goes on as planned. I'll be standing in the Far North snow in my wedding dress."

"If he doesn't want to go, I'll just find myself a new groom."

My fingertips gripped the crumpled little piece of hide in my pocket until my knuckles turned white.

Today was the Black Pack banquet, and the day we'd agreed to officially announce our four-way union.

I'd specifically worn the wolf tail necklace Kael had given me on his coming-of-age ceremony, waiting for Kael to announce to all the pack members that I was his Luna, the love of his life.

His fingers held the envelope containing the invitation to the Far North couples hunt. Under everyone's gaze, he handed it to his student, Lila.

There was a tenderness in his eyes I hadn't seen in a long time, his voice soft like he was coaxing a child: "It's yours."

Lila's eyes instantly lit up as she accepted the envelope with surprise and delight.

"Thank you, Alpha Kael, for always thinking of me! I don't even know how to repay you."

She paused, her eyes flickering toward me with a challenging look, then softened her voice tentatively:

"Why don't you come with me? I can warm your hands while we hunt, okay?"

Every gaze in the room fell on me in unison.

Everyone knew I was Kael's mate. Everyone knew this Far North hunting slot was meant for our wedding.

Rhea jumped to her feet, ready to charge forward, but I grabbed her wrist tightly and forced out a deliberately casual smile.

"Kael won't agree to it."

I gripped that crumpled little note in my pocket tightly.

Going to the Far North for our wedding was a promise the four of us had kept for twenty years.

There was no way he'd agree.

The moment the words left my mouth, I heard Kael's voice, tinged with amusement: "Alright, I agree."

"Thank you, Alpha Kael!" Lila performed an exaggerated curtsy.

As she turned, she lifted her chin at me triumphantly, drawing laughter from those around us.

"Has he lost his mind?!" Rhea was trembling with anger. "Lila is deliberately provoking you right to your face! Can't he see that?"

"We made a vow as kids! To hold our weddings together after the Far North hunt! Has he really forgotten or is he pretending?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she got, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.

I placed my hand over hers and patted it gently. "Sit properly. Don't get worked up. Everyone's watching."

Kael sat back down beside me, apparently noticing the expressions on mine and Rhea's faces.

He took my hand, his thumb rubbing against my knuckles, his tone dismissive like he was placating a troublesome child:

"The Far North hunting grounds are crowded and chaotic. Nothing fun about it. How about at the end of the year I take you to a private ice field hunting ground, just the two of us, okay?"

I gently pulled my hand back. "No need. You do what you need to do."

He froze for a moment, probably not expecting this reaction from me. Then he smiled, withdrew his hand, and said nothing more, turning to chat with the Elder beside him about Lila's thesis defense.

On my left, Rhea pulled out her phone stubbornly and quickly typed out a message, shoving the bright screen toward me:

"Rain's giving a speech soon. I'll have him force Kael to announce the wedding date on the spot. If he dares refuse, I'll beat him up."

I smiled at her gratefully, though I knew in my heart it was useless.

Rhea, Rain, Kael, and I were the heirs to North America's four top wolf packs.

We'd grown up together, the default future ruling combination in the entire werewolf circle.

The council uniting the four great packs was something the four of us had worked countless days and nights to build, fighting with everything we had to survive the most dangerous rogue invasion period, building it step by step.

The four of us were supposed to be the closest family.

Before long, Alpha Rain of the Rain Pack was invited onstage as Council Chairman.

He took the microphone, scanned the audience below, his gaze landing on Rhea.

"Next month! I'm holding a union ceremony in the Far North! To marry my beloved mate Rhea!"

The crowd below erupted in cheers, wolf howls and whistles filling the air.

Rain's voice suddenly softened, his eyes filled with undisguised love:

"I hope to spend my life with my mate and make her the happiest Luna."

Rhea's eyes reddened, but she still cursed with a smile: "You're ridiculous."

Rain's tone shifted as he looked toward Kael.

"Kael! The four of us promised a Far North wedding together! Now Rhea and I are getting married. What about you?"

The entire hall fell silent instantly.

All eyes focused on Kael.

Rhea gripped my hand, her palm slick with nervous sweat.

I looked at Kael, holding onto one last shred of hope.

As long as he said yes, I could pretend all of today's humiliation never happened.

But Kael smiled and waved his hand, his tone casual as a joke:

"No thanks. Too crowded with four people. Too much trouble."

The love that had been churning in my heart completely drained away in that moment.

Rhea gripped my hand so hard her knuckles went white. If I hadn't been holding her down, she would've charged up and punched Kael already.

Rain awkwardly touched his nose, forcing himself to smooth things over.

Not far away, Lila turned her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Her gaze moved past Kael and settled quietly on me. In those eyes was triumph, and a trace of unclear pity.

I nodded at her calmly, my lips curving into a polite but distant arc.

That entire day, Rhea didn't speak another word to Kael. When their eyes accidentally met, the hatred in hers nearly overflowed.

When the banquet ended, Rain had planned to take the four of us to the restaurant he'd reserved long ago to finalize the last wedding details.

But Kael stopped walking.

Lila appeared from nowhere and naturally hooked her arm through Kael's.

"Alpha Kael, you promised me you'd take me to process the hunting permits after the banquet. If we're late, the Elders will be off work."

She deliberately glanced up at me, her tone sounding impossibly innocent:

"Oh, I forgot you all had plans. Maybe I should just go myself. It's just that I don't really understand these procedures. I'm afraid I'll fill out the information wrong and waste the slot..."

Kael patted her hand. "It's fine. I'll go with you."

He turned to look at me. "You three go to the restaurant. I need to take Lila to process the paperwork first."

Rhea finally couldn't hold back anymore. She shook off my hand and charged forward, pointing at Kael's nose and cursing:

"Kael, are you sick? This is the wedding planning meeting the four of us scheduled half a year ago! On such an important day, you're ditching Elara to go with her? Did a rogue eat your brain?"

"Rhea, don't be so uptight." Kael frowned, his tone impatient.

"Lila's an Omega going to the Far North for the first time. She doesn't know anything. If I don't go with her, who will?"

"Elara knows all about Far North equipment. She can help Lila pick out a proper cold-weather outfit when she gets back. She's small, so it's hard to find the right size."

He even smiled at me after saying this, as if he were assigning me a perfectly normal task:

"Thanks, Elara. Pick the best one. I'll transfer you the money."

Lila also smiled sweetly, bowing to me with bright eyes: "Then I'll trouble you, Elara!"

I looked at the two of them standing side by side and suddenly laughed.

Our twenty years of history meant less to him than an Omega he'd just recently met.

"Sure, I'll pick something out for her when I get back."

Rhea looked at me in disbelief. "Elara, have you lost your mind?!"

I patted her hand and shook my head.

There was no point anymore. Really no point.

Kael seemed satisfied with my compliance. He nodded and turned to leave with Lila.

Lila walked away with her arm hooked through his, turning back to lift her chin at me triumphantly.

I stood there watching their backs disappear into the crowd.

Rain stood beside me and sighed, wanting to say something comforting but feeling that all words were powerless.

After the dinner ended, I went home alone.

I sat on the living room carpet for a long time.

It wasn't until the sky outside was completely dark that I finally started packing things up.

The moment I stood, the wolf tail necklace around my neck suddenly slipped off.

The instant my fingertips touched the cold pendant, those old memories sealed away in the snow came flooding back.

This necklace was what Kael gave me when he confessed on his coming-of-age ceremony.

He was so nervous then that he was drenched in sweat, his words stumbling.

When he handed me the box, he said: "I don't have the qualifications to enter the Far North hunting grounds yet, but I want to give you this ice field first. I promise you, soon I'll take you to see the real thing."

I saw myself reflected in his eyes, shining like the entire Far North's stars.

I rubbed the ice field stone that had oxidized somewhat, feeling a cold sensation against my fingertips.

At the very bottom of the drawer was a photograph.

A photo of the four of us together.

In it, Rhea and Rain smiled carelessly, Kael had his arm around my shoulders, and I leaned against him.

Four people in their prime.

I remembered that day after the coming-of-age ceremony when we sat on the academy wall.

Rain had sighed: "After the four of us take power, we'll make the four great packs better and better!"

But I frowned, murmuring quietly: "I don't like weddings that are too lively. If I had to choose where to hold the ceremony, I'd still prefer the Far North snow. Snow falling from the sky, wolf howls as the best background music."

Kael had pinched my cheek then, smiling indulgently: "Alright, we'll do what you want. In the future, the four of us will go to the Far North for our weddings together. You and me as one pair, Rain and Rhea as another, how about it?"

"It's a deal!"

"We swear by the Moon Goddess!"

Four little fingers hooked together, making that vow.

It seemed laughable now. To preserve that sense of sacredness, I'd fantasized about the Far North countless times but never once actually gone.

I stubbornly hoped that the first time I set foot on the snowfield, it would be with him.

Wearing a white wedding dress, stepping into the second half of my life.

But now he casually said the Far North was full of people and nothing special.

The sound of a key turning pulled me back to reality.

I stuffed the necklace and photo back in the drawer and had just sat back on the sofa when Kael walked in.

He still carried Lila's sickly sweet cedar scent. While changing his shoes, he said:

"Did you pick out Lila's cold-weather gear? She's small, so it needs to be fitted at the waist. Don't buy anything too heavy."

After a pause, he added a perfunctory explanation:

"Taking her to process the paperwork today took a bit longer. She's my student. I have to be responsible for her. Don't overthink it."

His explanation was perfectly reasonable, leaving no room for criticism.

I nodded calmly: "Mm, I know."

He relaxed with satisfaction and poured himself a glass of water, sitting beside me.

I rubbed the wolf tail necklace and spoke calmly:

"Today I had dinner with Rhea and Rain. They've finalized all the details for their Far North wedding."

I paused, looking into his eyes, asking softly: "What about ours? When are you planning to arrange it?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Kael's expression darkened instantly.

He shot to his feet, his voice full of barely suppressed fury: "Elara! Will you ever give it a rest?!"

"I've been busy all day and I'm exhausted, and the first thing you do is pressure me about marriage? Can't you be more mature? Can't you stop being so childish?"

I looked at his furious face, my fingers gripping the hem of my shirt, my voice very soft:

"I just don't want to break our promise. Back then the four of us agreed"

Kael impatiently cut me off. "I think I've spoiled you too much. You're becoming more and more inconsiderate! I'm busy preparing Lila for her defense, busy with Council matters. Where would I find time for wedding stuff?"

"If you absolutely must keep that so-called promise, go get married by yourself. I'm not dealing with this."

Early the next morning, Kael had his suitcase packed.

Leaning against the entrance, he told me: "I'm going on a month-long business trip for the Council to teach some public classes and help with Lila's defense."

I understood perfectly.

In a month, it would be Rain and Rhea's Far North wedding.

To escape our wedding, he could even skip his best brother's ceremony with a clear conscience.

I didn't call him out. I just nodded calmly: "Alright."

I walked him downstairs to the neighborhood entrance. His black SUV was already parked by the road.

The passenger window rolled down to reveal Lila sitting inside, waving the plane tickets in her hand and smiling at us.

Seeing us approach, she immediately pushed open the door and ran down, smiling innocently at me:

"Don't worry, Elara. I'll take good care of Alpha Kael this month."

Kael opened the car door to get in. Before leaving, he turned back to me, his tone perfunctory:

"I'm leaving. Call me if anything comes up at home."

On impulse, I called out: "Kael."

He stopped pulling the door and turned to look at me from several steps away.

The morning sunlight fell on his facestill the face I'd loved for so many years as a teenager.

But my heart couldn't stir even the slightest ripple anymore.

I forced out a smile, my voice soft but crystal clear: "Goodbye forever."

The noise of passing traffic drowned out my words. He didn't hear clearly and frowned in confusion, asking loudly: "What did you say?"

I didn't answer again. I just smiled and waved at him.

He seemed to sense something, hesitation flashing in his eyes. He was about to walk toward me when Lila pulled at him urgently:

"Alpha Kael, hurry! We're going to miss our flight!"

He paused, but ultimately bent down and got into the driver's seat.

As the car started, he looked back at me one more time through the window.

I stood there watching that black SUV merge into traffic and gradually disappear at the end of the road.

Wind swept up fallen leaves from the roadside, brushing past my shoes.

Twenty years of entanglement ended here.

After seeing Kael off, I went alone to the hunting training grounds.

The snow wolf mounts were still running tirelessly.

On our first date, Kael had taken me riding on snow wolves.

It was one of the few activities that didn't require extra permission clearance, but we were thrilled anyway.

He'd chosen two snow wolves side by side.

"Elara, I love the feeling of two people racing forward together."

He reached out and, in the intervals of the snow wolves' movements, grasped my hand.

"On the road ahead, as long as I turn my head, I can see you. That's my greatest happiness."

Ding dong

The training-end horn sounded.

The snow wolves gradually slowed.

I sat alone on the pure white snow wolf's back. The seat beside me was empty.

Turned out after going round and round seven or eight times, I'd returned to the starting point.

My phone vibrated. It was a message from Rhea:

"We're going to the Far North tomorrow to finalize the wedding venue. Are you really sure you want to come with us?"

My fingertips tapped out a reply: "Yes, I'm sure."

For twenty years, I'd been waiting for someone else to take me to see the snow.

This time, I was going to the Far North.

To find my own happiness.