Chapter 3

The living room fell into a sudden silence.

My father’s face darkened, his eyes radiating the authority of an Alpha.

"Why?" he asked, his voice low. "Is it because Damien is chasing that low-ranked Omega everyone's talking about?"

"If that's the reason," my father stood up, his presence becoming heavy and oppressive, "I can make his pack pay a devastating price for it."

"No," I said, shaking my head firmly.

In my past life, that was exactly what he did.

The result was Sarah faking her death, Damien losing his mind, and me being consumed by guilt. Eventually, everything spiraled into destruction. This time, I won't repeat the same mistake.

"Then why?" My mother walked over and took my hand. "Elena, you and Damien have been together since you were children. You're mates chosen by the Moon Goddess. If it's just because of some Omega—"

"Mom," I looked her in the eye, my voice steady. "This isn't about Sarah, and it isn't about Damien. This is for me."

"I want to follow your dream and become a great healer."

My mother froze.

In her youth, she was one of the top students at the Royal Academy of Healing, a master of herbalism and the healing arts. But after marrying my father and becoming the Luna of the Blackwood Pack, she gave it all up to support him in managing the pack. I knew she had always carried that regret.

In my past life, I chose the combat department for Damien's sake. Though my mother didn't say anything at the time, I could see the disappointment in her eyes. Now, I’m going to make up for it.

My mother’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she pulled me into a tight embrace.

"You've grown up, sweetheart," she choked out. "You really have."

She let go, wiped her tears, and her gaze turned sharp.

"Since your mind is made up," she turned to my father, "Marcus, we are cutting off all supplies and warrior protection to the Shadowcrest Pack territory immediately."

After settling things with my parents, I went back to my room and breathed a sigh of relief. There was only one month left until graduation. In a month, I would never have to see Damien again.

The next morning, I walked into the classroom and saw Sarah sitting in the seat next to Damien—the seat that belonged to me. She was holding a truffle croissant from the best bakery in town. That was the breakfast Damien used to wait in line for thirty minutes every morning just so I could have it.

I stood at the door watching them, feeling absolutely nothing.

In my past life, I would have broken down in tears and started a huge fight with Damien right there. Now, I just found it pathetic.

Seeing me approach, Sarah pointedly took a large bite of the croissant, a look of exaggerated satisfaction on her face. She flaunted her coffee, her voice dripping with smugness.

"Elena, I'm so sorry. Damien thought you might not have an appetite today, so he gave his breakfast to me."

She licked her lips, her eyes mocking me.

"This place is amazing; no wonder you loved it so much. I finally get why you were always so happy eating these."

Damien glanced up at me with cold indifference.

"Your attitude yesterday was really hurtful, Elena," he said, sounding like he was lecturing a child. "I figured you were still throwing one of your fits and wouldn't want the breakfast I bought, so I gave it to Sarah. No point letting it go to waste."

I didn't even look at him. I calmly pulled out the croissant my mother had prepared for me this morning. Because I liked them, she had hired a top-tier chef just to make them for me at the pack house. I only used to eat the ones Damien brought because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But now, I didn't have to settle anymore.

I walked quietly to an empty seat in the back row and started eating.

The smile died on Sarah’s face. She clearly hadn't expected this reaction. In the past, I would have thrown a tantrum or tried to snatch it back. Then she could play the fragile victim again to make Damien pity her even more.

Damien frowned as well. He stared at me for several seconds, a flicker of confusion and irritation in his eyes. He was used to me cheering for his attention and fighting for his affection. Being completely ignored made him inexplicably restless.

A few minutes later, Damien stood up and walked over to me. He pulled a thick leather notebook and a stack of organized papers from his bag. It was a guide for the Alpha Academy's combat department interviews. He slammed them onto my desk with a tone of patronizing forgiveness.

"I stayed up all night analyzing the instructors' preferences for you."

His voice was condescending.

"You have Alpha blood, but your combat skills are a mess. You need to prepare properly. I'm not going to stop helping you just because of what happened yesterday."

In my past life, I cherished these things as proof of his love. I followed every piece of his advice, forcing myself to prepare for an interview I was ill-suited for, getting injured in every single training session. But now, I saw things for what they were.

My talent is in healing. Why should I keep forcing myself into a combat program I hate just for a man?

I picked up the notebook and the papers and stood up. Damien had a smug smile on his face, expecting a thank you. Instead, I walked over to Sarah, who was still dazed in her seat, and dropped the materials on her desk.

"Since you're Damien's 'favorite' now, these belong to you. Take them, Sarah. Good luck getting into the combat program."

Sarah was stunned. She clearly didn't see that coming. Then, she suddenly buried her face in her hands and started sobbing.

"Elena!" her voice was full of hurt. "Why are you humiliating me like this? Just because I'm an Omega, do you think I don't belong in Alpha combat classes? Are you trying to rub it in that I'm weak and low-born?"

Damien rushed over instantly, shoving me aside to pull Sarah into his arms.

"Elena!" he roared. "Have you lost your mind? Who do you think I stayed up all night for? How could you use this to attack Sarah's self-esteem? When did you become so malicious?"

I took a step back, my hands spread wide, a smile of pure liberation on my face.

"If you're so worried about her feelings, then do me a favor and keep her out of my sight from now on."

"Stop bringing me breakfast, stop writing notes for me, and don't say another word to me," I said, emphasize every word. "From now on, we're strangers."