Chapter 4

Brian's POV

"What is she saying?"

A sudden jolt of panic surged through me at Ashley's cold, final tone. It felt as if she were actually slipping through my fingers. Did she hear what I said to Silvia this morning? It was just a comfort to a dying woman—doctors said emotional stability was key for Silvia's recovery.

But Ashley's face was deathly pale, and her frantic urge to leave only fueled my rage. Silvia was right; Ashley was likely just terrified of losing her status and playing the guilt card. She's just an Omega—no power, no money. How dare she even dream of leaving the pack?

I gripped her arm, my eyes searching hers, desperate to decipher what she was thinking. Why do I care so much about her feelings? Could I have fallen for her, just as Silvia said? No. Never. Not in this lifetime.

Two hours ago, on the drive back, Silvia's hand had rested on mine. I'd instinctively wanted to pull away, but I stopped, seeing how frail she looked.

"Brian, are you worried about Ashley?" Silvia had asked, her eyes brimming with tears. "Or... are you in love with her?"

"No, don't be ridiculous. You're the one I love, Silvia," I'd snapped. "I could never love a selfish, weak Omega. No one is as brave as you were when you took that hit for me."

Silvia's eyes flickered, but I brushed it off. She sighed, "Brian, I bet Ashley is just anxious about losing her financial security. I'm sure she'll eventually understand everything you're doing."

"After all, I only have six months left... No matter how much I show my love for you, I can never have you forever." Silvia's chest heaved violently, her tears falling even harder. "Now, Ashley's attitude is making me feel like a goddamn villain!"

"You're not!" I wiped her tears. "I'll make her apologize to you."

"No! Brian, never do that. You know your attitude is the only thing I care about," Silvia said, quickly grabbing my arm.

I lowered my voice. "I promise you, in just one month, you will be my wife."

Silvia grew tired and fell asleep in my arms. Looking at how kind she was, my anger flared again at the thought of Ashley's attitude.

Why couldn't she just accept this gracefully? Right now, I was only asking her to step back temporarily—it was only for six months.

Once Silvia passed away peacefully, I would marry Ashley again, even giving her a grander wedding as compensation. She would still be the Luna of the Alpha Manor, still enjoying all the privilege and wealth.

Not only was she unhappy, but she also acted as if I had betrayed her.

She knew exactly why we were married.

Back then, her father had been killed by rogue wolves, and her mother chose to abandon her and leave on her own. My grandfather was close friends with Ashley's grandfather, and he ordered me to help her.

At that time, Silvia had just left me. When I saw Ashley looking like a fragile glass ball, I immediately picked her up off the ground.

I promised her, "You'll be the Luna of Blackwood Pack. No one will ever hurt you again." She cried in my arms until she fainted.

After she woke up, we performed the marking ceremony, but I told her clearly that this was just a business deal—I needed someone to fill the position of my Luna.

She still accepted it happily. She took meticulous care of me every day. I told her she didn't need to do those things, but she insisted. Our sex was passionate; every time I saw her just sitting there, my dick would get hard.

No, I can't keep thinking about Ashley. It must be my own attitude that gave her the delusion that she could refuse an Alpha.

As the car came to a stop, Silvia looked at me with an exhausted face, her voice soft and pleading: "Brian, can you carry me up? I can't hold on much longer."

"Of course." I picked her up and pushed open the manor doors. I grabbed a servant. "Which room has better ventilation?"

The servant looked at me in a panic. "Alpha, the master bedroom has the best ventilation."

I frowned immediately. I had promised Ashley I wouldn't move her out of the master bedroom. But Silvia suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Silvia! Get a doctor, now!" I roared at the servant.

Silvia grabbed me instantly. "No, Brian, I don't want to hear any more hopeless medical advice. You know I've tried so many doctors already. Please."

I looked at the servant and said coldly, "Go to the master bedroom and move all of Ashley's things out." I noticed Ashley hadn't returned. Where did she go?

"Where is Luna Ashley?" I asked.

"Luna Ashley went to the hospital," the servant replied.

I immediately recalled how pale she had looked. Was she actually sick? I instantly mind-linked my Beta. "Go find out why Ashley went to the hospital."

When she got back, I had to warn her that I would no longer tolerate her willfulness, or I would cut off her financial support.

Before the Beta could even leave, Ashley had already returned to the estate.

I rushed to the door and grabbed her immediately. "What were you doing at the hospital?"

Ashley tried to shake me off, gritting her teeth. "We just signed the divorce papers. You should worry about your future wife, not an Omega who will be out of your life soon enough."

"Oh my, Ashley, you're back." Silvia rolled her wheelchair over, glancing at Ashley's personal belongings scattered on the ground. She said guiltily, "I'm so sorry, Ashley. Brian insisted I needed a room with better ventilation for my recovery. You know how stubborn he can be."

Ashley's gaze was fixed intently on her belongings. I saw a broken hair clip—one I had brought back once after an Alpha conference. I hadn't thought much of it; I just thought it wasn't expensive and was easy to buy.

I remembered how passionate Ashley had been toward me that night, as if it were a luxury item worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. She was an Alpha's daughter; she had seen plenty of luxury goods, but her eyes that day looked as if she had received something more precious than anything in the world.

I had enjoyed her "services" that night, and I didn't even remember the hair clip. Suddenly, the look in her eyes turned shattered—

"Don't bother," Ashley said, snapping out of my grip and speaking coldly. "I don't plan on staying in the Alpha Residence anymore."

"What are you saying?" I grabbed her wrist again. "Are you throwing another tantrum?"

The resolve in her eyes was exactly the same as when she signed the divorce papers. No, I absolutely would not allow her to move out. She was an Omega; she could be attacked by rogue wolves at any moment.

My true inner thought was that it felt as if once she left, she would never come back. I tightened my grip and immediately dragged her to the guest room next to the master bedroom. Without a second thought, I slammed her against the wall.

I hissed at her, and she shuddered. Angrily, I bit her lip. She had to be punished.

Ashley's POV

In the room, I watched Brian's behavior in shock. The familiar scent on him left me dazed, and I couldn't suppress a moan. Only last night, our kisses had been just as heated as this, but my reason told me his first love—his fated mate—was right outside this door.

In an instant, all my sadness and heartache transformed into a towering rage. So, I bit down hard on his lower lip.

The taste of blood instantly filled my mouth.

"Argh—"

Brian let out a muffled groan of pain and instinctively loosened his grip on me.

Now!

Using all my strength, I raised my hand and gave him a resounding slap.

Slap!

The crisp sound echoed through the empty living room.

Brian's eyes widened, and a second later, he angrily tried to grab me again.

"Alpha Brian," I gasped, my words coming out one by one, "Why are you doing this? Do you regret me divorcing you? Have you fallen in love with me?"

Brian immediately backed away, sneering coldly, "Do you really think I can't let go of your body? It's just my wolf's lingering interest in his marked female. Don't mistake this for love—that is something that will never exist."

A cramp-like pain suddenly flared in my stomach. He had no idea how cruel his words were. It was like the man you loved most was negating everything you felt.

I felt as if the floor had been pulled out from under me. I had to grab the doorknob to steady myself, then I looked up and feigned composure. "Wonderful, Alpha Brian. After all, your love means absolutely nothing to me."

The air seemed to freeze. Brian's eyes turned red. But he finally let go of me. "Good. Otherwise, I would have to clarify that I don't love you, not even a little bit."

A black hole. I felt like I was falling into a black hole again. When Brian personally spoke the truth that he didn't love me, it still hurt. I nearly collapsed to the ground.

"Can I go now?" I gritted out.

"That will never happen! You're staying here!" Brian roared. "You know that as an Omega alone outside, you'll be attacked! You'll be kidnapped! You'll be a waste of the pack's security resources."

My heart was already numb with pain. I took a deep breath and said, "Reject me, and I will no longer be the pack's responsibility."

"I know what you're plotting. You want to use pack gossip to attack Silvia. You want everyone to think Silvia is a villain because you were kicked out of the Alpha Manor while she's sick," Brian said coldly.

I lost all my strength; my mind went blank. No matter what I did, I would be brutally humiliated by him. This was the difference between being loved and not.

I touched my lower abdomen, just about to say I was only moving out temporarily, when Brian's tone suddenly softened. "The master bedroom is more suitable for Silvia's recovery," Brian explained. "I'll have the servants prepare a new bedroom for you on the west side of the second floor. The conditions are identical to the master bedroom."

"I agree," I heard my voice trembling, but I struggled to control it. "But I have to move out now."

Brian's eyes turned red again. Before he could explode once more, I quickly explained, "The orphanage has been very busy lately. Flu season is here, and the children need care. I need to stay in my own apartment so it's easier to look after the sick kids."

Brian's brow furrowed. "You don't need to. You can drive there."

I nodded. "No. I'm worried I'll bring the virus back home. That would be dangerous for Silvia's recovery."

"Cough... cough, cough..."

Just then, Silvia's signature frail coughing sounded from outside the door. She seemed to have overheard our conversation.

"Brian..." Silvia's weak voice came through. "Ashley is right. My immune system is very fragile right now. If I catch the flu, I might..."

She didn't finish, but the meaning was already clear.

Brian's expression became complicated as he looked from me to Silvia outside the door, seemingly weighing his options.

"Only temporarily," he finally said through gritted teeth. "When the situation at the orphanage improves, you must come back. That is an order. If you dare to use this as a chance to escape, I will personally hunt you down. Don't forget who you are, Ashley—you belong to the Blackwood Pack forever."

I ignored him. A lot can change in a month. Moreover, Brian doesn't know that I am the owner of a gallery that frequently hosts Alpha councils. I can use this opportunity to find a pack that truly suits me.

I picked up my luggage and drove toward the apartment near the orphanage.