Firework

On my 18th birthday, my mate-Alpha Jared Ortiz, set off the most dazzling fireworks not for me, but for his ex-girlfriend, Georgia Madden, who also happened to be his childhood friend.

What should have been a special night for me turned into a heartbreak. Instead of celebrating with me, my mate chose to have fun with his friends at a bar.

To make things worse, he made a surprise birthday party for Georgia at midnight with a grand gesture. My heart was heavy with disappointment; It seemed that he had forgotten about my birthday but remembered every detail of hers.

All of his friends even captured all the moments on video and uploaded online which quickly went viral on X, filled with an endless stream of well-wishes and praise for the stunning couple. Frustrated, I destroyed the cake I had prepared, making a mess in the dining room.

Suddenly, one of his friends messaged me, “Your mate and Georgia are going viral, are you okay with it?”

I replied with a cold indifference, “I knew it, but what else could I do?”

Listening to the joyful laughter and watching the fireworks in the video felt like a mockery of my feelings. What was more, as the video spread like wildfire, the comment section continued to overflow with admiration for Jared and Georgia as a perfect match.

I whispered to myself, tears stinging my eyes, “Right, they are perfect for each other. I’m the one who doesn’t belong.”

With a heavy heart, I packed my things, leaving Jared’s house and our memories behind.

I was losing the real meaning of fighting after realizing that I gave my heart to someone who did not care for me at all.

I sent him a final message: [Break ties with me now!]

But Jared, clueless as ever, replied, [No, we are destined to be together.]

***

That morning, I was filled with excitement. It was my second birthday with Jared, and after the surprises he had planned for me last year, I had high hopes. After all, it felt natural to expect something special again for the next year, right?

At midnight, Jared was the first to wish me a happy birthday, but it was Thomas Nichols, my close friend and one of Jared’s trusted Beta subordinates, who gave me a first gift in the morning.

As for Jared, he seemed indifferent when we did our breakfast, only promising to come home early to celebrate with me.

I thought perhaps he needed time to prepare a surprise, something grand like last year. But by evening, he called to say he had unexpected work to do and would be late.

I believed him, after all he was an Alpha of the High Moon Pack. So, after finishing my job, I picked up a cake that Jared had ordered months in advance by myself.

At that moment, I was still looking forward to celebrating with him; we had talked about it for so long

indeed.

But as midnight approached, there was still no sign of him. So, I picked my phone to check if maybe he messaged me, since there was no mind-link coming to me.

However, the one who caught my eye was all his friends’ WhatsApp statuses. It was filled with videos of the fireworks, among them were Jared and Georgia.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

My face darkened. It turned out his ‘work’ was to accompany Georgia, his childhood sweetheart, to set off fireworks.

How ironic.

In the video, Jared’s usually aloof and cold expression was replaced by laughter, his eyes filled with a tenderness as he looked at Georgia. That was actually a look I had never received.

I had always thought he was not a smiling person, incapable of expressing affection, that was why I did not mind it. But then I realized if he could smile broadly in front of people he was close with.

Could it be he did not find me as a comfort zone, so that he would never show his true self?

What was I to him actually, so that after being in a relationship for almost 2 years, he still could not show me his true self?

Fury and heartbreak surged through me. I destroyed the cake in front of me, turning the dining table into a mess.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I saw a message from George Madden, Georgia’s twin and Jared’s close friend, another of his trusted Betas. He had sent me a video link.

[George: Look at this! Jared and Georgia’s firework video is going viral on X. Are you okay with it?] The video went viral in a minute, along with lovely comments saying that they were a perfect match. I laughed bitterly, masking my pain with a forced smile, and replied coldly, [I’ve watched it. It’s none of my business.]

But inside, my heart shattered into a thousand pieces. My wolf, Serena, was just as emotional, urging me to call Jared and demand the truth, as she couldn’t even mind-link him.

As a result, I quickly dialed his number.

He answered quickly, but his voice was as cold as ever when he asked, “What’s up?”

I could hear the fireworks in the background. After a brief pause, I swallowed my tears and asked, “Where are you?”

Even though I had held back the emotions in my chest, apparently my voice was still shaking.

“My friends asked me to go to the bar after working late. What’s the matter?” he replied, moving away from the noise. His tone was steady and calm, no hint of panic and no signs of a guilty conscience. I glanced again at the video on my tablet, feeling a new wave of disinterest and hurt as I read the overflowing comments.

“Let’s break the mate bond,” I said, my voice trembling with anger, while my wolf protested my sudden

decision.

“You’re making a fuss again,” Jared replied, his tone dismissive, echoing Serena’s disappointment.

At that moment, it felt like no one in the world was on my side, not even my own wolf.

So, I sneered, “Browse the videos online more often, Mr. Internet Celebrity.”

Then I hung up and went directly upstairs to pack my things.

‘Where are you going?’ Serena asked in my mind, but I did not answer her.

13:03

Serena said again, ‘Olivia, I know it disappoint you so much, me either. But please think about it again. If you really need to clear your mind, let’s go home, to your parents’ house. It is lovely to spend a birthday with them even if it is one day late, right?’

Right, my birthday was yesterday, while the next day was Georgia’s birthday. However, it still counted as my birthday, didn’ tit?

So, after thinking about it, I set aside the luggage and just took my backpack to bring an important thing, as well as Thomas’ gift that was unopened yet.

As I was about to take the car key, my wolf said in my mind again, ‘How about sprinting there? It will decrease our sadness even a little bit.”

I smiled and just answered, “Why not?”

As a result, I ran back to my family home, a place I hadn’t visited in a long time.

My parents’ house was located not far from the city center of the High Moon Pack, though it sat on the border. Despite being on the border, the area was known for having strong warriors, one of whom was

Thomas.

Thomas and I went to the city center together to study at Promise High, a special school for shifters in the High Moon Pack. After graduation, we both chose to stay in the city. I preferred its bustling atmosphere, and more importantly, it was where I met my mate, Jared.

On his 18th birthday, which also marked Jared’s confirmation as the new Alpha, I received my wolf at the age of 16. That was the day our fates intertwined, marking us as destined mates.

But at the time, Jared was already dating Georgia, a Beta’s daughter. Her father was also a

subordinate of the previous Alpha, Jared’s father. So, their relationship had been intertwined since a

young age.

However, a month after Jared’s birthday, their relationship soon became strained, and that was when Jared decided to pursue me, his true mate.

As a result, we dated and after graduation, Jared asked me to move in with him. At that time, Thomas also registered as a Beta, which made me quite happy since I had a close friend who stayed in the city. However, at the place where I thought will bring me happiness, slowly destroyed me instead, making me struggling between Jared’ s relationship with Georgia. As a result, here I was, ran in daze until I was not aware if I had arrived at my parents’ house.

I suddenly realized that the distance between the city center and the border was like the emotional distance between Jared and me. We appeared close, but our hearts felt oceans apart.

When I came in, I simply told my parents that I wanted to celebrate my birthday there. As a result, they didn’t ask for more details. I tidied up my room, washed up, and went to bed, seeking solace in the familiar surroundings.

The next morning, I found only a few messages on my phone. I had ignored Jared’s mind-link and instructed my wolf to do the same all night long after all.

[Jared: What’s the matter with you now?]

Jared: Come back when you’ve calmed down. Don’t be too willful.]

It seemed he came home last night and realized I was gone. But I didn’t care and just focused on my

own business.

The atmosphere at the border was different from the ever-busy city. Everything there was calm and peaceful, so I hoped the tranquility would clear my mind

That was why in the afternoon, I helped my mother in the greenhouse; she loved growing vegetables as a hobby.

Actually, it was not the first time I became Jared’s second attention. Since Georgia always seemed to need Jared whenever something went wrong. She would even ask him to stay with her if she woke up in the middle of the night because of a thunderstorm.

I had questioned him about that many times, leading to countless arguments.

I understood that they were once in a relationship and had been friends for a long time, but I was his mate. I respected Jared’s desire to protect his childhood friend, but when it happened repeatedly, I felt like I was the best option that would never be prioritized.

So, even if I had endured it for the past two years, I could not do it anymore.

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