Chapter 6 The final look

Angel’s POV

The night dragged on as I waited for him to return. I was still lying on the cold hillside, my back pressed against a tree stump. The forest was quiet now, too quiet, except for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant echo of wolves. 

I waited anyway, convinced that no matter how heartless he was, he wouldn’t leave me by myself in the mountain for the whole night.

As hours passed by, I decided to reach out to him through our pack telepathic link. I tried a number of times, then again and again. But I got nothing.

This was beyond what I had expected of him.  At some point, I stopped trying and accepted that he wasn’t coming back.

It wasn't long before the mountain cold became lethal to my exposed skin. Hypothermia kicked in before I knew it, then ultimately, shock. I tried standing up but my body was numb. I had bled too much to be able to sustain myself.

My body went limp and my vision blurred. And everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, it was in the early hours of the morning. My head pounded, and my throat felt raw, but I was alive. Barely.

And Shadow… Shadow was beside me.

The dog had somehow, impossibly dragged my unconscious body downhill inside a much warmer cave. His fur was patchy and his breathing was far too labored. From the looks of it, his condition was close to bad.

To imagine that a dog had more empathy than my own husband.

I forced myself upright despite the burning in my leg. Every movement sent pain through my side, but I gritted my teeth and crawled. Standing was impossible so I did what I could to get to the nearest help. 

I didn’t want to lose Shadow too. And the more I stayed here waiting for help that would never come, the more its condition would get worse. And given its loyalty, the dog would rather die beside me than leave me.

The highway wasn’t far but it felt like miles. The first few cars blurred past until a truck finally screeched to a halt beside us. The driver, a man in his late fifties, stared at me with wide eyes when he saw the blood and the trembling dog. He took us to the hospital without any convincing.

As the hospital staff tended to me, Shadow was taken to the animal hospital across the street.

After receiving treatment, I didn’t go home. Instead, I headed straight to the law office. It still hurt to move an hour after being bandaged, but I walked anyway.

The receptionist looked startled when I limped in, but she said nothing. She pointed me towards the senior lawyer’s office where I met the man who was just preparing to leave.

The meeting was short. But it was enough to bring me relief. I officially signed the divorce, bringing a halt to a period of endless struggle and hurt.

Finally, I wouldn’t have to beg for attention or compete with Lilian. Never again.

Shadow’s treatment wasn’t finished yet, so I returned to the Packhouse to gather my belongings. One of the staff members, after seeing me pack, immediately approached me.

“Luna Angel. Where are you going?” 

“ A business trip.” I replied

“Mr. Bastien is still at the hospital with Miss Lilian. She needed a… comprehensive checkup.”

Of course she did. Of course he was with her.

I said nothing as I continued packing. I knew, deep down, that I wouldn't be staying after today. 

As I left, I passed Finn’s room, and I couldn’t help but stop.

My little boy who used to cling to my leg, laugh when I braided his hair, cry whenever he had an allergy flare-up because only I knew exactly what to do. The tiny boy who used to sleep on my chest after nightmares.

The same boy who now preferred being spoiled rather than discipline. He had Lilian’s influence now. Or maybe Bastien’s neglect had taught him not to need me. Taught him that Lilian treated him way better than I did. Still… I wanted to see him one last time.

I pushed open the door.

Finn sat at his desk, back turned as he arranged action figures on his playtable. He didn’t look up.

“Finn,” I said softly.

“I’m leaving.”

He hummed, completely oblivious to my presence. His whole attention was fixated on his stuff.

“Take care of yourself. Always carry your allergy kit with you. The blue bag, not the red.”

“Okay,” he said, distracted.

My chest tightened.

“Right,” I whispered as the silence stretched.

I turned to leave.

“Mom?” Finn’s voice was small.

I froze.

“Yeah?” My voice almost cracked.

He twisted in his chair, frowning. “Will you ever like Lilian? Like dad and I do?”

My vision blurred for a moment and air left my lungs all at once. The last thread of hope I had held in my heart snapped.

I let out a soundless, bitter laugh. Not at him, but at the irony of it all. At the years I had spent protecting him, shielding him, loving him more than my own life. He never realized that all I did, no matter how strict I was, was to teach him. That all things I ever did to him were actions of love.

Opening my eyes, I met his gaze with every ounce of strength I had left.

“From now on,” I said gently, “you and Dad can protect Lilian together.”

I turned and walked out of the room, holding back the flurry of emotions in me.