When a winter storm grounded every flight, the five of us from the Lakecrest pack were stranded overnight in the Denver airport.
The blizzard had severed our long-distance mind-links. Pack law dictated that companions care for the sick and weak, but it also stated that no member could be left alone in danger.
My fiancé, Travis Vale, stood in line at the service counter for forty minutes and came back with four blankets.
Five years ago, he had signed a courtship declaration at the Lakecrest pack registry, vowing to complete the formal marking after our wedding. We had no fated bond. We had only his choice and my trust.
Travis shook out two blankets and draped them over Jenna Collins, then handed the other two to Evan Bennett and his sister, Brooke.
Jenna had a weak wolf and recovered poorly after shifting. The registry had classified her as a vulnerable member, entitled to priority care.
Travis met my eyes and just shrugged.
“They only had four left when I got to the front. Natalie, your wolf’s always been strong. You’ll be fine for one night.”
At three in the morning, Jenna said she was hungry.
Evan went to the vending area and came back with four sandwiches.
Travis took his, bit into it, then called Evan back.
“Get Jenna another one. Her blood sugar drops easily. When she’s weak, she can’t even shift right.”
Evan nodded and swiped his card again.
I sat in the drafty gate area, the cold wind seeping through my coat, and watched that sandwich land in Jenna’s hands. My stomach had been cramping with hunger, but in that moment, it just felt numb.
I thought about the train to New York, when they’d booked four tickets and I had to scramble to buy my own at the last minute.
I thought about every pack dinner where they ordered for everyone else, only to realize no one had asked what I wanted.
There had always been five of us in this little circle, but their concern only ever stretched far enough for four.
Just before dawn, an announcement crackled over the speakers: the flight to Chicago was boarding.
The four of them headed for the gate, laughing and talking among themselves. No one looked back. No one used the newly restored short-range mind-link to make sure I was following.
I didn’t call out to them.
I took out my phone and opened the transfer offer from our London headquarters. The position came with work sponsorship from the Thames Riverside pack, which meant I could finally sever my residency ties to Lakecrest.
I hit Accept.
If there was no place for me in their lives, then I could leave.
My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 44 By the time we reached the airport, the first wave of flights had already been canceled. Announcements, rolling luggage, and the rush of footsteps blended together. Beyond the glass, the tarmac was quickly disappearing under snow. Almost nothing had changed. The same
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 43 At the review meeting a year later, twelve packs’ operational reports were stacked at the center of the long table. The public support system had handled more than three hundred requests for medical care, transportation, and temporary housing. Every case had a clear record
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 42 When I returned to London, the Thames Riverside pack was testing its new public support system. The duty platform separated temporary housing, medication delivery, transportation, and medical accompaniment into distinct categories. Applicants could choose exactly what they needed and could also specify who they
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 41 “Not even considering it?” Marissa asked. “There’s no need.” Lakecrest finally changing its rules did not mean I had to go back to prove I had won. My membership insignia belonged to Thames Riverside. Outside the conference center, the snow had
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 40 The Lakecrest representative hesitated. “This rule would require Lakecrest to acknowledge that our past oversight had systemic gaps.” The chair looked at him. “The existing court rulings, council injunctions, and TerraGrid review records already establish that those gaps existed. This vote only
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 39 The next morning, I saw Brooke outside the hearing room. She stood on the far side of the security line with only a thin file folder in her arms. She saw me, too, but didn’t come over. Three years ago, she would
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 38 “That has nothing to do with the issue,” Marissa said under her breath. I opened Evan’s application. He described GridForge’s collapse as a secondary punishment and once again invoked the livelihoods of hundreds of employees, demanding that the meeting investigate Northstar’s supplier decision.
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 37 After a fifteen-minute recess, the secretary projected a revised framework onto the wall. Emergency medical support would not require prior written consent, but duty records would be mandatory. In non-emergency situations, no one could dispose of another person’s property, housing, or private link in
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 36 She looked thinner than the last time I’d seen her on the news. She was seated in a remote room at the Lakecrest registry with a supervisor beside her. The protective order was still active, so she could look only at the chair and
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My Fiancé Chose Her So I Chose Myself Chapter 35 The cross-territory joint meeting was held the next afternoon at the Copenhagen office. Representatives from eleven packs sat along both sides of the long table. The Lakecrest council attended on-screen, and the Thames Riverside seat was to my right. The chair opened by
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