Share

Chapter 4

Author: Chloe X
I was forced to take care of Shelly for seven straight days.

Only on the eighth did Shawn finally let me go—he said it was my fault.

That I'd asked for it.

I returned to the room where my father lay, still and silent, and I didn't go out.

"So this is where Luna Clara's hiding!"

Shelly's voice chirped behind me, sweet and shrill.

"Thanks to that blow to the head you gave me, Shawn's been spoiling me ever since."

She sauntered into the room with a smug sway, her eyes sweeping over the medical machines like they were decorations.

"Is that your dad? Why doesn't he move?"

She walked over to him, rattled the oxygen tube like a toy.

"What's this for?"

"Don't touch that!"

I shoved her back, my voice sharp. She stumbled, arms flailing as she clutched her head like I'd struck her again.

And then she smiled. A slow, cruel smile.

She yanked the oxygen tube free.

"Do you think Shawn will blame me for this?"

She held it in her hand, dangling it like a ribbon, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

The heart monitor began to scream.

And just then—Shawn walked in.

He took in the scene: the loose oxygen line, my father gasping faintly, me standing frozen, fury in my bones.

His gaze flicked across us both.

Then, slowly, he spoke.

"Shelly's still young—she doesn’t know any better. Why did you still go after her?"

"Your father's wolf was only going to get worse. It's better to end it early."

"I'll give your mother some more money later as compensation."

The heart monitor flat-lined.

One beep, then silence.

My body locked in place.

Not from shock.

But from something quieter.

Relief.

He was gone.

And part of me was finally free.

Shawn left the room with Shelly in his arms. I collapsed to my knees beside the bed, my hands trembling.

"I'm sorry… Dad. I'm so sorry."

But in truth, I didn't know who in the world owed me an apology anymore.

With no one to turn to, I took out the gilded business card I had ignored for days and dialed the number.

"Lucius… come pick me up tonight."

Then I sent my father's body to the same crematorium that had taken my mother. But this time, I brought the urn to a quiet graveyard and left it behind.

I couldn't carry their ashes with me anymore.

Shawn hadn't come back yet when I returned home.

The girls gathered around like vultures circling a carcass.

"You're in trouble now."

"Shawn's going to punish you hard this time."

"Do you still really want that bond-severance?"

I didn't answer. I just walked to my bedroom and opened the door.

"Pick whatever you like," I said, voice cold. "Everything in here is yours."

They rushed in like a tide—grabbing dress, high-heels, jewelry.

They left my room, leaving only some photos on the floor.

Old photos of Shawn and me—young, foolish, smiling.

No one cared for those.

I stayed locked in my room for the rest of the day.

At dusk, Gwen came on Shawn's orders to check if everything was alright with me.

I told her only one thing:

"Please forward him my bond-severance agreement."

She looked hesitant and questioned.

"For real?"

Later, when Shawn saw the agreement papers, he tore them up.

"This again?"

" Clara, you've done this hundreds of times. Haven't you had enough?"

"Keep her in the cellar. No food or water for her. She can be back in her room once she stops pretending."

He didn't believe me.

Not when I said I wanted to bond-severance.

Not when I said I didn't love him anymore.

But the truth was—my feelings had long since withered.

Seven years.

Seven years of aching hope, of dying dignity.

Now, with my mother and father both gone, what else was there to cling to?

That night, I climbed out of the window and stepped into Lucius's car.

Shawn woke to an unusually quiet den the next morning.

No scent of moon-fruit cookies on the table.

No fresh silver-bark coffee in his cup.

No warm clothes ironed and waiting.

He frowned.

He climbed the stairs in a rush and threw open the door to my room—only to find it empty.

Just silence.

And a few photographs were scattered on the floor.

Panic bloomed in his chest.

"Gwen!" he shouted. "Where's Clara?!"

She rushed in, oven mitt still on her hand, startled.

She looked around the empty room and shook her head.

"I… I don't know."

Shawn's face twisted.

"I'll call her mother."

Gwen blinked.

"Alpha… Luna's mother is dead. Remember? The rogue wolf attack. She was cremated."

A silence followed.

Shawn's mind reeled—flashing back to that moment when I stood clutching the urn, voice trembling.

His throat closed.

He bent down, picked up one of the photos on the floor.

His pupils shook.

And for the first time in seven years, something inside him cracked.

He had never thought I would really leave.

But I had.

Then all that remained of him was an empty shell.

Shawn sank to the floor, the photo still clutched in his hand.

His voice cracked into the silence, eyes locked on my silhouette frozen in the photo.

"Clara, you'll come back... won't you?"
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • 365th Escape from You   Chapter 9

    The male wolf took out a few photos, a diary, and a cell phone, and shoved them into my arms.I looked down at the crumpled photos. They were unmistakably of me—with the male wolf in front of me, Shawn."This is... me and you?"Could it be that we were really mates?But if that were true, why did I feel nothing?I opened the torn diary. It documented a love story from seven years ago—ours. Between the lines, I could feel the warmth of a young couple in love. I had written about Shawn’s thoughtfulness, his small gestures of care, and my devotion to him. That kind of sweetness practically spilled off the page."The memos on this phone are about our daily life too," Shawn added quickly.Half-heartedly, I opened the phone. Indeed, every note and memo was about Shawn. But then—a dull pain pressed down on my heart. My hand trembled as I tapped into the deleted drafts.There, one memo recorded the names of seven human girls, alongside detailed notes on their preferences.I froze. Pointing at

  • 365th Escape from You   Chapter 8

    Half a month later, Lucius and I held our bonding ceremony.The southern pack lands gathered in celebration—Alphas, their Lunas, and dignitaries from the most powerful clans. The air was thick with forest-scented colognes, laughter, champagne, and murmurs of power. At the center of it all stood Lucius, with my hand held firmly in his.Everywhere we went, he introduced me without hesitation, pride gleaming in his voice.“This is my Luna.”I wore a gown from Italy—flowing silver silk stitched with tiny moonflowers.It was the only one of its kind.“I saw that gown once in Milan!” one Luna gasped, brushing her fingers near my sleeve.“I can’t believe it was bought by Alpha Lucius. For you!”Lucius chuckled, then leaned in with a wink.“I promise to be more subtle in the future. But not today.”The way he smiled at me, the way he spoke my name—Lara—made me feel like I was the happiest in the world.But the peace didn’t last long.“Clara!”A sharp, guttural voice sliced through the music li

  • 365th Escape from You   Chapter 7

    "Lucius! You've loved stealing from me since we were pups—now you even dare to steal my beloved Luna?!"That was the first time I’d ever heard Shawn call me that.His beloved Luna.Over the years, I’d been called that she-wolf, that bitch, or simply her.Sometimes “Luna” was used mockingly. But never “beloved.”And now he used it like a badge of honor.I almost laughed.I followed Lucius out, my steps steady but my chest tight.In the courtyard, Shawn's wolf thrashed under the weight of the guards, snarling and bleeding into the snow.Still… the pain inside me swelled, coiling deep in my lungs, suffocating."Clara…"Shawn’s voice cracked. His eyes were red, like back when we were young.When we first dated, he blushed every time I looked at him too long.When he felt insecure, he’d ask me softly, with red-rimmed eyes, Do you love me?And I’d always smile and coax him gently, treating him like a timid pup. I liked taking care of him. I liked how soft he once was.But that tenderness was

  • 365th Escape from You   Chapter 6

    Shelly touched her belly—flat, untouched—wearing a smug expression as if she believed her lie could rewrite fate.But she didn’t expect the way the other girls turned pale.“That’s impossible,” one of them whispered. “They’re… werewolves.”It was only then that Shelly realized she didn’t truly understand what kind of world she had stepped into.She might’ve picked up a few words—bonding, alpha, mate—but she didn’t grasp their meaning.She could’ve known—if she had seen me shift that night.But she hadn’t.And now, the girls who had seen too much were scrambling upstairs, packing their things with shaking hands.Shelly didn’t understand the panic. She couldn’t fathom why the word pregnancy wasn’t enough to change Shawn’s mind. She still thought this was a normal relationship. Still thought she had power.Shawn stood there, face cold and unreadable. But when he spoke, his voice was sharp and clear.“Gwen, call the witch healer. Have them prepare for a memory erasure—every single one of t

  • 365th Escape from You   Chapter 5

    The photo in his hand had been taken in our early twenties, on the streets of Paris.We had just gotten together.He was too shy to put his arm around my shoulder—but I noticed his hesitation, so I leaned my head against him.That was enough for the photo to capture something gentle, something real.Now, Shawn sat with the photo, carefully wiping away the dust and trying to smooth the creases. But no matter how carefully he tried, it remained wrinkled.Just like everything else between us—too damaged to ever be perfect again.Outside the door, the chatter of the human girls floated in.“Today, Gwen’s making strawberry cake—we better hurry down for a seat!”“This dress is so pretty. Expensive stuff really is different.”“Hey, where did you get this hairpin?”“These shoes look amazing on me, right?”Shawn frowned and turned toward the sound.Through the doorway, he saw Shelly twirling in a long pink dress—the one he had bought in Italy for Clara. A gift for their one-month anniversary.“

  • 365th Escape from You   Chapter 4

    I was forced to take care of Shelly for seven straight days.Only on the eighth did Shawn finally let me go—he said it was my fault.That I'd asked for it.I returned to the room where my father lay, still and silent, and I didn't go out."So this is where Luna Clara's hiding!"Shelly's voice chirped behind me, sweet and shrill."Thanks to that blow to the head you gave me, Shawn's been spoiling me ever since."She sauntered into the room with a smug sway, her eyes sweeping over the medical machines like they were decorations."Is that your dad? Why doesn't he move?"She walked over to him, rattled the oxygen tube like a toy."What's this for?""Don't touch that!"I shoved her back, my voice sharp. She stumbled, arms flailing as she clutched her head like I'd struck her again.And then she smiled. A slow, cruel smile.She yanked the oxygen tube free."Do you think Shawn will blame me for this?"She held it in her hand, dangling it like a ribbon, her eyes sparkling with amusement.The h

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status