Cold Distance

(Vivian's POV)

The tension in the car was suffocating. Sylvan sat beside me, his attention fixed on his phone, seemingly oblivious to my presence.

Phoebe stirred restlessly within me. "Talk to him," she urged. "Break the ice."

For once, I decided to listen to my wolf. Taking a deep breath, I turned slightly toward Sylvan.

"I was thinking," I began hesitantly, "our mating anniversary is coming up in a few weeks."

Sylvan's fingers paused over his phone screen, though he didn't look up.

"I thought perhaps we could—"

His phone suddenly rang, cutting me off mid-sentence. Without hesitation, he answered.

"Thorne," he said sharply, his voice all business. His expression changed as he listened, becoming more alert, more focused.

"I'll be there in twenty," he said before ending the call.

Before I could process what was happening, he was tapping on the partition separating us from James, our driver.

"Pull over," he commanded.

The car slowed and came to a stop at the side of a deserted road. I looked around in confusion – we were still a good fifteen minutes from our villa, surrounded by nothing but trees and darkness.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Sylvan turned to me, his ice-blue eyes cold. "Blood Moon business. I need to go now."

"Now? Here?" I glanced out the window at the empty road. "But—"

"I'll send another car for you," he said dismissively, already reaching for the door handle.

Panic rose in my chest. "Where are you going at this hour? When will you be back?"

He paused, giving me a look that chilled me to the bone. His lips curved into that mocking half-smile I'd grown to dread.

"Aren't you a little too nosy for your own good, Ms. Mate-Bennett?" The playful gleam in his eyes contrasted with the sarcasm in his tone.

Before I could respond, he was out of the car, sliding into another vehicle that had appeared seemingly from nowhere. I watched, stunned, as both cars drove away, leaving me alone on the dark road.

"Great," I muttered, pulling out my phone. "Just great."

I called the pack's driver service and waited in the darkness, straining my enhanced wolf hearing for any sounds of danger. Being abandoned on a pack territory road wasn't exactly life-threatening for a wolf like me, but it was humiliating.

When the replacement car finally arrived thirty minutes later, I was shivering – more from anger than cold. I gave the driver directions to our villa and spent the ride in silence, seething at Sylvan's callous behavior.

The villa was brightly lit when I arrived. As I walked through the door, the familiar scent of lemon polish and fresh bread greeted me – Martha was back.

"Miss Vivian!" Martha hurried from the kitchen, her plump face concerned. "I was getting worried. Where's Mr. Sylvan?"

The sight of her in our home after everything that had happened sent a shock through me. "Martha? What are you doing here?"

She clasped her hands in front of her apron. "Luna Thorne called me personally. Said there'd been a misunderstanding and requested I return immediately."

Of course Elizabeth would undermine my decision. I should have expected nothing less.

"I see," I said, setting my box down on the entryway table. "Sylvan had Blood Moon business. He'll be back... whenever."

Martha nodded, accepting this vague explanation without question. She'd been with the Thorne family long enough to know not to pry into Blood Moon affairs.

"Come, I've prepared a late dinner for you," she said, ushering me toward the kitchen.

"First, I need to check on my patients," I replied, heading toward the room I'd converted into a small treatment area.

In addition to the first injured rabbit, I'd taken in three more – all victims of the same predator, likely displaced from their natural habitat by recent pack territory expansions. Martha followed me, watching as I checked their bandages and gave them fresh food and water.

"They need to stay in this healing room," I explained, showing her the proper way to handle the small creatures. "Their injuries are healing well, but they're still fragile."

Martha frowned slightly. "Four rabbits? Mr. Sylvan might not approve of so many wild animals in the villa, miss."

I straightened, meeting her gaze directly. "If he's not happy about it, then let him be. Even if he's the Alpha's son, he can't always be bent out of shape."

Her eyes widened at my defiance, but she didn't argue further.

Three days passed with no sign of Sylvan. No calls, no texts, no indication of when he might return. I went about my duties at the medical center, trying to ignore the gnawing uncertainty.

The only information I had about his whereabouts came from pack forums and human news reports detailing Blood Moon operations against rival criminal organizations. The pack forums buzzed with speculation about his sudden return to territory after three years away. Some suggested it might indicate a shift in power within the Thorn pack – perhaps William was stepping down as heir?

I knew better, of course. Whatever Sylvan's reasons for returning, they had nothing to do with pack succession.

On the fourth day of his absence, I arrived at the medical center to find several healers huddled around a computer, whispering excitedly.

"Did you see him at the border patrol yesterday?" one asked. "Those shoulders! And that jawline!"

"Blood Moon Slayers took down the entire Sterling territory drug cartel in one night," another added. "Without a single casualty on our side."

I tried to ignore them as I prepared for my first patient, but their excited chatter continued.

"I heard he personally eliminated five enemy wolves," a male healer said admiringly. "With just a knife and his bare hands."

Sarah Parker, a junior healer who'd never bothered to hide her dislike for me, snorted loudly. "You're all acting like he's available. He already has a mate."

The room quieted as everyone turned to her.

"You don't know who his mate is?" she asked smugly, reveling in their attention. "I was at the mate-marking ceremony three years ago. It was quite the event."

She pulled out her phone, swiping through photos before holding one up triumphantly. "See? That's his mate right there."

I froze, my heart pounding. From across the room, I could just make out the image – a female in ceremonial robes wearing the traditional veil for mate-marking ceremonies. You couldn't see her face clearly in the photo.

"She looks a bit like Dr. Bennett," one of the other healers remarked, glancing from the photo to me.

My throat went dry. I forced a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. I look nothing like her."

"Do you have a mate, Dr. Bennett?" another healer asked innocently.

I turned away, arranging instruments with shaking hands. "You could say I have a ghost mate," I replied with dark humor.

Sarah scoffed from the sidelines. "As if Sylvan Thorne would be your mate. If he was, you would have bragged about it long ago."

I merely smiled, saying nothing. Let them speculate. The truth was complicated enough without encouraging gossip.

That evening, I returned home to find Martha preparing an elaborate meal – roast duck with rosemary potatoes, fresh vegetables, and a decadent chocolate dessert. The dining table was set with our finest china and crystal glasses.

"What's all this?" I asked, surprised by the display.

Martha beamed. "Mr. Sylvan called. He's coming home for dinner tonight."

My heart skipped a beat. "He called you? Not me?"

"He asked me to prepare his favorite meal," she explained, bustling around the kitchen with obvious excitement. "Said he'd be here by seven."

I checked my watch – 6:30 PM. Just enough time to freshen up. Despite everything, despite my anger at being abandoned on that dark road four days ago, I found myself hurrying to change into something nicer than my work clothes.

"In the future," I told Martha as I came back downstairs, "don't make such extravagant meals. It's wasteful."

She looked scandalized. "But Mr. Sylvan is the Alpha's son. This is the standard he's accustomed to."

I bit back a retort. Martha had always been devoted to the Thorne family, particularly to Sylvan. In her eyes, he could do no wrong.

Seven o'clock came and went. Martha kept glancing anxiously toward the door. The food sat untouched on the table, slowly cooling.

"Perhaps you should call him, miss," Martha suggested after thirty minutes had passed. "Through your mate bond."

I stared at her, something snapping inside me. "If you miss him so much, why don't you contact him yourself?"

Her startled expression made me instantly regret my harsh tone. It wasn't Martha's fault that Sylvan was unreliable, that our mate bond was silent, that this entire situation was a mess.

Before I could apologize, the sound of a car engine rumbled outside. Martha practically flew to the door, her face lighting up with anticipation.

But it wasn't Sylvan. James Wilson, our driver, stood on the doorstep holding a small box.

"Mr. Sylvan asked me to return this to Miss Vivian," he explained, handing me the box I'd left in the car four nights ago. "He sends his apologies for the delay."

I took the box, feeling a strange mix of disappointment and anger. So Sylvan couldn't be bothered to return my belongings himself?

"James," I said impulsively as he turned to leave. "Where is Sylvan staying? When will he be back?"

James gave me an awkward smile, his discomfort obvious. He didn't answer.