"I wish I could say, 'Thank you for all the mistakes'; 'Thank you for all of the pain'. I guess somebody else's loss is another's gain."

~Lewis Capaldi, 'One'

~~~

*Ryland's POV*

"Are you serious?" I gape at my best friend. "They're going to introduce you as Luna? Already?? It's only been a few months!"

Lyn smiles and tucks a lock of her wavy caramel hair behind her ear. "I know, but it's the rightful next step. He's going to become Alpha, and as his marked mate, I will become their Luna."

"Wow," I grin proudly. "I can't believe my best friend is going to be Luna of the Silver Woods Pack."

My words hit Lyn, and she squeals in delight. From across the room, Ronnie scoffs and crosses her tattooed arms.

"Best friend?" Ronnie questions with a raised brow. Her sleek dark brown hair is pulled up into a messy bun, showing off the scowl on her face. "Jeez, thanks, Ry."

I roll my eyes at her. "Don't get all bitchy. You know I love you. And don't glare at me like that because I know you love me too."

"I would love you more if you weren't such a friend whore."

"Clingy bitch."

"Muzzled slut."

"Veronica!" Lyn gasps, her dark hazel eyes wide with shock and disapproval. The insult makes me burst out laughing, and I nearly double over. "That wasn't very nice!"

"Oh, lighten up, Roselyn," Ronnie sarcastically drags out Lyn's full name. "It's just a joke."

"It was a terrible one."

"She's right," I agree while gasping for breath. "It was a terrible joke. Because I'm collared, not muzzled."

Ronnie joins in on the laughter, flopping down on the bed next to me. Lyn tries to keep her expression stern, but the sight of her two best friends laughing eventually makes her crack a smile. She gingerly settles onto the bed, laying down in between us. The three of us lie on our backs, staring up at the plain white ceiling of my bedroom.

The three of us have been best friends for as long as I can remember. We met as young pups in the pack, and the connection was instantaneous, even though we're about as different as they come. Being the same ages, we were always in the same classes growing up. And boy, did we wreak some serious havoc. Our trio became quite well-known among the pack.

Roselyn Garcia.

Kind-hearted, intelligent, and the beauty of the pack. She's the daughter of our beta, so the news of her being mated to the Alpha of another pack was both rejoiced and mourned. It's a great opportunity for our pack to form an alliance with the Silver Woods Pack, and it's an honor to be mated to an Alpha. But that also means she will have to leave our pack and join his. Lyn says she doesn't mind, but I know her better than that. She's going to miss us; not just me and Ronnie, but the entire pack.

Veronica Vega.

Science-obsessed, dangerously hot, and the ultimate queen of sass. A warrior. She's a member of the pack's army, and holy shit, can she kick some serious ass. Not only is she skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but she also engineers chemical weapons for the pack to use. Which we haven't had the need to use yet, thankfully. That fact bums Ronnie out, but she's not some cold-hearted monster that would wish for a disaster to strike in order for her to try out her toys. She's cares about this pack as much as the rest of us do.

And then there's me. Ryland Ambrose.

Comically depressing. Openly gay. Mateless.

Yup, that's right.

Mateless.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I wasn't given a mate. I very much was. An Alpha, if you can believe it. Roman Sterling, Alpha of the Blood River Pack. I almost pissed myself with excitement when I found him five years ago.

But alas, it was not meant to be.

Bullshit.

As destined mates, it was so meant to be. The Moon Goddess gave us each other. We were supposed to fall in love and standing each other throughout our entire lives. But that fucker took one look at me and was instantly repulsed. Rejected me right there on the spot. Ripped our bond to shreds. Maybe he was homophobic, I don't fucking know. Didn't really get the chance to talk to him about it, seeing as he vanished as soon as the bond was broken. I wouldn't have even known his name if our leaders hadn't told me.

I try not to let it get to me. It's been years. And honestly, I probably dodged a bullet. If he hadn't rejected me, he probably would've kept me tucked away somewhere like a dirty little secret. Besides, I don't need a mate to get through life. I have Lyn and Ronnie, and they are more than enough. Their laughter fills my life with light and happiness. Their love fills that empty hole in my heart; the darkness that was meant to be reserved for my mate's love.

A love I would never have, so there's no use crying over it.

What's that saying? One man's loss is another man's treasure? Yeah, as if I'd find someone willing to deal with me and my baggage.

"I still don't think it was very nice," Lyn says once the laughter dies down.

I let out a sigh. "It's been five years, Lyn. If I couldn't laugh about it after all this time, I'd be the saddest sack of shit ever."

And yet, I reach a hand up to my throat, my fingers brushing over the black collar. The collar that — even after five years, even through all the self-deprecating jokes — still makes my stomach clench painfully. The outside is made of thick, dark leather, encasing the secretive magic that pulses inside. The collar is made to look like a typical dog collar, which I've been able to pass off as a kink of mine when guys ask about it. Only a few people know the truth about this collar; my two best friends, my younger brother, the leaders of the pack, and the witch that helped make the wretched thing.

The pack leaders still look at me with pitiful sadness whenever they see me. The collar isn't meant to be a punishment, and yet it practically is. Our Alpha and Luna know this, which is why they feel bad for forcing me to wear it. I understand their reasoning, which is why I don't fight it. They made the decision that would best protect the pack, and myself. If it weren't for this collar, I probably would've been killed years ago.