Chapter 3: A Friendship Fractured

The past week had dragged on like an endless, gray drizzle. Each moment slipped by so slowly that Alyra swore she could feel time itself resisting her twenty-first birthday. It was just seven days until she would finally learn if fate had chosen a mate for her. The thought sent equal waves of anticipation and dread crashing through her.

She sat alone at her usual corner table in the bustling coffee shop; however, today her laptop screen glared back at her with an accusing blankness. Normally, words flowed as easily as breath, but today her mind was tangled in knots she couldn’t seem to undo. The muted hum of conversation and the rhythmic clinking of ceramic cups faded into background noise as her thoughts spiraled. A part of her ached for a mate. She dreamt of someone who would take her from this gnawing loneliness. But another part, the more guarded one, feared what it might mean to be bound to someone in the pack. She would never be able to leave and based on the interactions she had with the male wolves of the pack, she doubted that they would accept her as their mate anyways.

A warm and familiar voice broke through her thoughts.

“You look deep in thought.”

Alyra’s head snapped up, and her breath caught. Riley.

He stood a few feet away from where she sat. He smiled easily and was as effortlessly charming as ever. The years had barely touched him—his dark brown hair was still perpetually tousled, and his hazel eyes still carried that mischievous glint. Yet something was different in the way he held himself.

“Riley!” she breathed, pushing back her chair and wrapping him in a quick, instinctive hug. “I was starting to think you’d disappeared off the face of the earth.”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating warmly through her. “I know, I know. Work has been insane, and—well, Jenni keeps me on my toes.”

At the mention of Jenni, Alyra forced a smile, but before she could formulate a response, the sharp jingle of the coffee shop door announced an approaching presence. Alyra barely had time to brace herself before Jenni swept into view.

With her cascading raven curls and piercing green eyes, Jenni was impossible to overlook. There was always a quiet, almost predatory grace in the way she moved and right now, she was surveying the two of them.

“Oh,” Jenni murmured coolly as she came to a stop beside them. Her gaze flicked between Alyra and Riley before settling on the former, her expression unreadable but heavy with unspoken meaning. “I didn’t realize you two were meeting up.”

Riley shifted, rubbing the back of his neck like he was nervous. “We just ran into each other, Jen. It’s been a while since I've seen Aly.”

Jenni’s arms folded tightly over her chest and her lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Really? Because it looks like a private little reunion.”

Alyra exhaled slowly, forcing her voice to remain steady. “Jenni, it’s not what you think. Riley and I have been friends forever and...”

Jenni’s gaze didn’t waver. “Friends,” she echoed, as she cut off Alyra's statement. “Funny how you’re always around him.”

Heat coiled in Alyra’s chest, but before she could speak, Riley cut in gently. “Jen, come on.” He raked a hand through his hair, exasperation flickering across his face. “Alyra’s like a sister to me. There’s nothing going on here.”

Jenni’s lips pursed, but she seemed to partially accept Riley's words. “Fine,” she relented, though her voice remained tight. “Just don’t forget who your mate is.”

Riley’s jaw clenched. “I would never forget.”

With one last glance at Alyra, Jenni turned on her heel and strode toward the counter. Silence stretched between Alyra and Riley. Alyra rubbed her temple, offering a weak, wry smile. “That was fun.”

Riley let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. She’s just… protective.”

“I get it,” Alyra murmured. “Mates come first.”

A flicker of something unreadable passed across Riley’s face before he softened. “That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, Aly.”

The words should have reassured her, but they didn't.

She forced a smile. “It’s okay.”

Riley hesitated as if wanting to say more, but the moment shattered when Jenni returned, casually linking her arm through his. The weight of her presence was palpable, solidifying the growing distance between them.

Alyra took a steadying breath and pushed back from the table. “I should go. It was nice seeing you, Riley.”

She didn’t wait for a response as she gathered her things and left the coffee shop and Riley in the distance.

By the time she arrived home, her small apartment felt emptier than usual. The dim lamplight cast long shadows across the stacks of half-read books. She moved through the motions of making dinner before settling at her wobbly kitchen table, the silence pressing in and suffocating her.

Her phone buzzed.

Riley*: Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about earlier. Jenni overreacted.*

Alyra stared at the message. After a long moment, she typed back: It’s okay. I understand. I just hope we can still be friends.

She watched the screen as her heart thrummed in the pause between messages. Then, finally, Riley’s reply lit up the screen: Of course, we can be friends.

The words were right, but they felt hollow. It was like she was giving her obligatory reassurance rather than a genuine sentiment.

Her throat tightened and a tear fell down her cheek as she typed her final message: It’s alright, Riley. I know your mate comes first. Just… know that if you ever need me, I’ll always be here.

Riley's typing bubble flickered on and off, teasing at a reply that never quite materialized. Then, after an eternity, a single thumbs-up emoji appeared.

Alyra let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Something inside her cracked. A piece of her had still hoped that things could be the same between her and Riley. That even though he had a mate, he wouldn't leave her alone or out of the loop.

She made her way to the bedroom, shut off the light, and curled beneath her blanket. Alyra stared at the ceiling as the shadows blurred into the edges of her thoughts. Seven days. She had seven days for her world to change.

And yet, she wondered if anything ever truly would.