Chapter 4

Vera’s POV

I was thinking clearly again in an instant. I shoved him back, my voice flat and cold in a way I'd never quite managed before. "It's late. Go sleep in your own room."

Robert stood there for a moment, blinking himself sober. He rubbed a hand down his face, looking faintly disgusted with himself.

He didn't move closer or leave. He just stood there.

I didn't say anything. I just watched him.

After a long stretch of silence, he finally sighed. "Come back to the bedroom tomorrow. I've already asked Bellis to move out. We're mates — it's not right to keep sleeping in separate rooms."

He hesitated, lowering his voice slightly, like it cost him something. "My parents were also asking when we're planning to have kids."

That word — kids — went straight into the deepest wound I carried. My voice came out shaking, barely controlled: "It's really late. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"

God knows it took everything I had — every last scrap of self-control — not to hit him right then and there.

But there was no point.

Whatever the Robert of my previous life had done, it had nothing to do with the man standing in front of me now.

The Robert standing here simply didn't love me. That wasn't his fault.

Hating him, hurting over it, taking it out on him — none of it would bring my child back.

I just wanted to get as far away from him and Bellis as I possibly could.

Robert had no idea what was running through my head. He nodded, his tone softening for once. "Alright. Get some rest."

After he left, I lay flat on my back and stared at the ceiling, nothing in my mind but a single thought.

One more day.

Just one more day, and I'd be out of here for good.

The next morning, Robert said he wanted to take me to see the venue where the coronation would be held the following day. The mate bond wasn't dissolving until moonrise tonight, so I had to keep up appearances until then. I agreed.

Of course Bellis was already there when we arrived.

She had a crown on her head. I recognized it immediately — it was the style used to crown every Luna in Silver Moon Pack's history.

Robert glanced at me, then said evenly to Bellis, "Take that off. It's for the coronation."

Bellis blinked, all innocence. "I just thought it was pretty. Vera won't mind, will she?"

I was about to say I didn't — when Robert's voice hardened. "I can buy you any crown you want. Not this one."

I froze, surprised that he would speak to Bellis so sternly just over a crown.

In the past, he would have been afraid to speak sharply to her at all.

Bellis looked just as startled.

Before anyone could say anything else, a sound came from above.

The temporary lighting rig crashed down.

In a blur, Robert lunged for Bellis and shoved her clear. I had no time to move. I could only stand there watching the rig come down on me.

Right before everything went dark, I caught myself thinking, for just one second, that Robert might have changed.

I woke up to a white hospital ceiling.

I moved carefully. Luckily, there was pain, but nothing that stopped me from moving — a head injury, probably. The impact had knocked me out. Mild concussion at most.

I grabbed my phone and checked it, and a boarding notification popped up right away.

"Dear Ms. Versa, boarding for Flight E1206 will begin shortly. Please proceed to the boarding gate at your earliest convenience."

I yanked out the IV, ran out of the hospital, flagged down a cab, and went home for my bags.

Everything was packed and ready. I grabbed it all.

There was only one photo album left. I'd been back and forth about it. But now I dropped it in the trash without hesitating.

And I went to the airport without looking back.