2 Chapter 2
On the way home, I bit my lip so hard it almost bled, but tears streamed down my face regardless.
Six years.
For six whole years, I had naively believed that he understood me.
When I first told him I wanted our bonding ceremony at Aurora Peak, he smiled, ruffled my hair, and said, “Okay.”
I was so moved in that moment.
He remembers, I told myself. He had to.
He remembered it was where we first met. He remembered I fell and was covered in blood for him. He remembered how I held his hand tightly in a blizzard and said, “Don’t be afraid.”
But it turned out he didn’t remember at all.
Or rather, he had never truly cared.
I remembered the healer’s warning that emotional turmoil would affect my recovery. I tilted my head back, trying to force the tears back, but my throat was tight with sobs.
Ethan contacted me through our mind–link. The background was a wall of sound, the music deafening.
“Sarah, Leo and the guys are throwing me a bachelor party tonight. I won’t be home.”
I paused for two seconds.
“Okay?”
This “bachelor party” had been going on for three days.
At 1 a.m., I couldn’t sleep and scrolled through social media.
Leo had posted a nine–photo grid with the caption: The Alpha’s Last Night of Freedom.
In the center photo, Kira, her cheeks flushed, was leaning drunkenly in Ethan’s arms. Ethan’s hand was pressed firmly against her bare waist.
There were plenty of comments below:
“They look so good together. What a shame.”
“They grew up together, don’t start rumors.”
“Ethan Thornfield, watch yourself! Don’t make Sarah mad!”
Ethan had replied to that one.
“Sarah won’t mind. If she makes a fuss over something this small, then we shouldn’t even be getting mated.”
I quietly liked his comment, then turned off my phone and went to sleep.
20:00
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2 Chapter 2
He was so sure I would put up with it, just like I put up with him changing the ceremony location, put up with the $200,000 necklace, and put up with every “we’re just friends.”
But this time, I didn’t want to put up with it anymore.
I went to the pack’s medical center alone for a follow–up on my old injuries.
“I told you last time, your old wounds are unstable. Someone must come with you.”
Hearing the healer’s words, I just smiled quietly.
“I can handle it by myself.”
As I left the medical center, a heavy rain began to fall.
I glanced into a nearby coffee shop and saw two people. Ethan was holding up his phone, and Kira was leaning on his shoulder. They were in a close embrace.
“The watch on Kira’s wrist was the new model Ethan had said he was “getting for a client” last
week.
I laughed at my own foolishness and walked home in the downpour.
When Ethan got home, I was taking off my soaked shirt, revealing the black lace lingerie
underneath.
He looked up and froze, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“Why are you soaked?”
“My follow–up.”
Ethan’s expression stiffened.
“That was today?”
I gave a small laugh.
“Yes. This was the third time I reminded you.”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, frustrated,
“I’ve been too busy lately, I forgot. Anyway, you’ve recovered. Missing one appointment is fine.”
I watched him quietly.
“The healer said my wolf core is still shrinking.”
Ethan was speechless. After a moment, he looked up, a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
“Are you trying to remind me again that you almost died for me?”
So, that’s what this was.
In his eyes, my sacrifice was just a tool I used to make him feel guilty.
When I didn’t say anything, Ethan suddenly became furious.
“There’s that dead–eyed stare again! I forgot one time! Why do you always get so worked up over every little thing?”
20:09
2 Chapter 2
1 looked at his collar and said softly.
“You have Kira’s perfume on you.”
Ethan instinctively sniffed his collar and froze.
“You…”
I added calmly, “Kira’s new watch looks nice.”
Ethan’s face turned red with anger. He pointed a finger at me, exasperated.
“Are you following me? Seriously? She was just in a bad mood and wanted to talk!”
“You know what her family situation is like! She only has me!”
“Sarah Carter, can’t you be more generous? This is getting ridiculous!”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“What a coincidence… At my appointment, I also ‘only had me.“”
Ethan seemed stung by that. He stammered, “She’s different… You have people who care about
you…”
Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Kira again.
Ethan quickly answered. Kira’s tearful voice came from the other end.
“Ethan, I fell. It hurts so much…”
“Don’t be scared, I’m coming right now…”
He hung up and pulled the door open. Then, as if remembering something, he looked back at
- me.
“You should think about what you’ve done. I’ll take you to the gift shop tomorrow.”
“And stop following me… it makes you look pathetic.”
Ethan left, but his words echoed in my ears.
Pathetic?
He was right.
I just couldn’t believe it took me this long to see it.
It seems my heart has been blind for a very long time.
20:03
