Cast the Alpha away

My mate—Cassian, Alpha of the Celestial Night Pack—had excused himself yet again, leaving me alone in the too-bright hospital.

It wasn’t unexpected. His sudden departures had become routine, each one carving at me until I no longer bled.

I swallowed the medication handed to me by the pack healer, the bitterness settling on my tongue before I forced it down.

Out of habit, I scrolled through Twitter. A post caught my eye, Cassian’s name tagged in bright blue.

Just a small scratch, but he insisted on dragging me to the infirmary. He’s been with me ever since! After all this time, you’re still the best.

I stared at the screen.

No anger surged, no bitter jealousy twisted in my gut. Caring was too heavy a weight to bear. So I let it go, slipping through my fingers like sand.

Sometime later, photos from the Alpha Gala surfaced in my inbox—Cassian and Sienna, too close, too familiar. The sight should have burned. Instead, I felt... nothing. Then, as if to drive the point further, Cassian walked into the pack house just a few steps ahead of me, cradling Sienna’s child in his arms.

From behind, they looked like a family.

A quiet smile touched my lips, my voice eerily steady as I murmured, “You should spend more time with them, Alpha.”

Cassian froze. His grip on my arm tightened as he turned to me, something frantic in his gaze. “Elara...” His voice wavered. “Why don’t you care anymore?”