The next morning came quietly.
Too quietly, perhaps.
I woke before sunrise, as I usually did, to the soft rustling of leaves outside my window and the faint gray light slipping through the curtains.
For a few seconds, I stayed in bed.
My eyes were open, but I wasn't quite ready to move.
My wolf stirred somewhere inside me.
Patrol today.
I sighed.
"I know."
You're thinking too much.
"I always think too much."
About him?
I frowned.
"No."
There was a pause.
Liar.
I pulled the blanket over my face.
"Go back to sleep."
My wolf gave what felt suspiciously like a smug little huff before retreating.
I finally got up.
The morning followed the same routine as always.
Wash.
Dress.
Eat something small.
Prepare the basket.
Leave.
There was something comforting about repetition.
It didn't ask questions.
It didn't care what happened at the Blood Moon Gathering.
It didn't care that Keiran was my supposed mate.
It didn't care that I had spent days avoiding him.
It simply needed to be done.
By the time I reached the healer's hut, the sun was beginning to brighten the treetops.
Lysandra was already outside.
She was carrying a wooden tray filled with dried herbs.
"You're early."
I smiled.
"I'm always early."
"You're becoming predictable."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"For someone your age?"
She gave me a pointed look.
"Absolutely."
I laughed quietly.
She handed me a list.
"Feverfew. Chamomile. Two bundles of wolfsbane. And the dried willow bark."
"I'll get them."
I entered the storage room and began gathering everything.
The work was familiar now.
I knew where everything belonged.
I knew which herbs needed replacing.
I knew which jars were nearly empty.
I didn't need to ask anymore.
That small realization made me strangely proud.
A few weeks ago, I had barely been noticed.
Now I had responsibilities.
They weren't glamorous.
They weren't important enough for anyone to praise me.
But they were mine.
When I returned with the supplies, Lysandra was speaking with another healer.
They were discussing the patrol assignments.
"Have they posted the list yet?" the healer asked.
"Not yet," Lysandra answered.
"They're taking longer than expected."
"Too many changes."
I placed the herbs on the table.
"The list for the patrols?"
Both women looked at me.
Lysandra nodded.
"Yes."
I shrugged.
"They'll post it eventually."
The other healer smiled.
"Do you know who you're paired with?"
I hesitated.
"No."
"Maybe they'll put you with one of the scouts."
"Maybe."
I didn't say anything else.
But the truth was...
I already knew how this would go.
Yesterday, after the meeting, I had watched everyone begin forming their groups.
Some had chosen friends.
Others had approached experienced warriors.
A few had already decided who they wanted beside them.
No one had approached me.
Not once.
And I hadn't expected them to.
Why would they?
I was still Elara.
Unranked.
Unmarked.
Forgotten.
A rejected mate who had somehow managed to stay useful.
I wasn't anyone's first choice.
Probably not anyone's second either.
So I had already made my own decision.
If no one wanted me on their team...
I'd go alone.
Simple.
After finishing my work at the healer's hut, I headed toward the training grounds.
The entire area was more chaotic than usual.
Everyone seemed to be talking about the new patrol system.
"You're with me."
"No, you're better with the northern route."
"Who's taking the river?"
"I heard the Alpha wants two groups there."
I walked past them quietly.
Nobody stopped me.
Nobody called my name.
I wasn't offended.
At least, I told myself I wasn't.
I found an empty space near the edge of the training grounds and practiced for a while.
My movements weren't perfect.
But they were better.
Block.
Step.
Turn.
Dodge.
Again.
My breathing became steady.
My body warmed.
For a while, everything else disappeared.
Then someone shouted.
"The list is up!"
The training grounds immediately became noisy.
People dropped what they were doing and headed toward the board.
I lowered my staff.
My wolf stirred.
Should we look?
I stared at the crowd.
"I already know."
Maybe you're wrong.
"I doubt it."
Still, I walked toward the board.
Not because I was excited.
I wasn't.
I simply wanted to confirm what I already knew.
The crowd had gathered around the posted assignments.
Names were listed in pairs and groups.
People laughed when they found their friends.
Some complained.
Others celebrated.
"I knew we'd get paired!"
"You're stuck with me."
"Unfortunately."
Someone laughed.
I stood at the back.
I waited.
Eventually, the crowd shifted enough for me to see the list.
I scanned it.
One pair.
Another.
A group of four.
Another pair.
My eyes continued down the page.
I reached the bottom.
My name wasn't there.
I stared at the list for another second.
Nothing.
No Elara Hale.
No partner.
No group.
Nothing.
I wasn't surprised.
My wolf was quiet.
They forgot us.
I swallowed.
"They didn't forget."
I looked away.
"They just didn't assign us."
That's worse.
I didn't answer.
A few wolves nearby were discussing their assignments.
"I got paired with Marcus."
"You're lucky."
"Who got the southern route?"
"Jenna and Theo."
I stepped away.
Nobody noticed.
That was probably for the best.
I didn't feel angry.
I didn't feel betrayed.
I didn't even feel particularly sad.
Maybe there was something wrong with me.
Or maybe I had simply become used to being left behind.
I walked back toward the small training field and picked up my patrol bag.
If they didn't assign me to a team, then I would patrol alone.
I'd done it before.
I could do it again.
As I checked the contents of my bag, I heard footsteps behind me.
I expected Lysandra.
Instead, I heard someone say my name.
"Elara."
I froze.
I knew that voice.
Keiran.
My fingers tightened around the strap.
I didn't turn immediately.
My wolf stirred so suddenly that my entire chest tightened.
Him.
I closed my eyes.
Not now.
Please.
I turned slowly.
Keiran stood several feet away.
He looked like he'd just come from training.
His hair was slightly messy, and his expression was difficult to read.
His eyes flicked toward the patrol bag in my hand.
Then toward the direction of the assignment board.
"You saw the list?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
"And you're not assigned."
"I noticed."
His jaw tightened.
"I can talk to the Beta."
My heart stumbled.
"No."
He looked surprised.
"No?"
I shook my head.
"It's fine."
"Elara—"
"I'll patrol alone."
His expression changed.
"You're not supposed to."
I shrugged.
"Then I'll be careful."
He took a step closer.
"I don't think that's the point."
I immediately stepped backward.
He stopped.
Something passed across his face.
Hurt.
Maybe confusion.
I didn't want to see it.
I didn't want to wonder what it meant.
Because every time I looked at him, my wolf remembered something my heart was still trying to bury.
So I smiled faintly.
"It's okay, Keiran."
"It isn't."
I looked down.
"Maybe not to you."
He went silent.
I regretted the words immediately.
But I didn't take them back.
He seemed like he wanted to say something.
Anything.
But I couldn't stand there long enough to hear it.
Not yet.
"I should go."
"Elara—"
I turned away.
Again.
I was becoming very good at running away from conversations with him.
I grabbed my bag and headed toward the forest.
My wolf whispered behind my thoughts.
You wanted to talk to him.
"I know."
Then why didn't you?
I swallowed.
"Because I'm scared."
There.
I'd finally admitted it.
Not aloud.
But it was still true.
I was afraid that if I let him explain, I would hear exactly what I had already convinced myself was true.
That he rejected me.
That he didn't want me.
That I had been foolish to hope.
Sometimes ignorance hurt less than confirmation.
I walked deeper into the forest.
The sounds of Silvercrest faded behind me.
The trees closed around the path.
The familiar scent of pine surrounded me.
I breathed slowly.
This was where I belonged.
At least for now.
I checked my patrol route.
River first.
Then northern boundary.
Then the eastern trail.
I could handle it.
I had handled worse.
As I walked, I realized something strange.
I wasn't lonely.
Not really.
The forest was with me.
My wolf was with me.
The wind moved through the trees.
Birds called overhead.
The river waited beyond the ridge.
And for once, I wasn't walking because someone had forgotten me.
I was walking because I had chosen to.
Maybe that was the difference.
Maybe being alone didn't always mean being unwanted.
Sometimes it simply meant learning how to stand on your own.
I adjusted the strap across my shoulder and continued toward the river.
Behind me, Silvercrest continued with its busy morning.
Teams formed.
Pairs trained.
Warriors prepared.
And somewhere inside that packhouse, my name remained absent from a list.
But I didn't turn around.
I had a job to do.
So I kept walking.
Alone.
Not because I had been chosen to be alone.
But because, for the first time, I was beginning to realize that I could choose myself.