Chapter 2

"Now do you believe me?" Gabriel turned to Selena. "Yvette won't mind."

Selena leaned against his side and lifted her eyes to me.

"Thank you, Yvette." She gripped my hand tight. "I owe you one."

Her words were grateful, but her fingers dug in hard enough to make my hands ache.

I frowned, yanked my hand free, and said coldly, "Go back."

I still had to pack.

The smile on Selena's face stiffened.

Gabriel didn't notice a thing. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Come on. I'll take you to the healing den in a bit."

Then he turned and walked off with her, without a single glance back at me.

I watched them go, then looked down and rubbed my reddened palm.

The Frozen Peaks, where the Alpha King, Leon, resides, are shrouded in snow and wind year round. No outsider can get near.

The storms only calm on the Winter Solstice.

That day, the barrier over the peaks opens for a brief window.

That's my one chance to get in. If I miss it, I wait another year.

I'm not waiting.

In three days, it's the Winter Solstice.

Back at the estate, I started packing.

On my nightstand sat a photo of me and Gabriel.

He was behind me, arms circled around my waist, chin resting on top of my head.

The moonbay tree behind us was in full bloom, and we were both smiling so bright.

Looking at it, something tore slowly inside my chest.

My fingertips brushed gently over his face in the picture.

I'd already decided to leave.

But the moment my fingers touched that face, I still couldn't bring myself to press hard.

Then footsteps came from outside the door.

Gabriel pushed in, exhaustion written all over his face.

"Yvette, I need to talk to you about something."

I gripped the edge of the frame. "Say it."

He stood by the door, clueless to what was wrong with me.

"Selena's wolf is still unstable. I want to give her the best environment possible."

He paused. "Can you let her have your room for a few days?"

My fingers clenched without thinking, and the glass cracked.

A shard sliced into my finger, blood welling up and running down between my knuckles.

I hid my hand behind my back and looked around the room.

My room was the Luna suite, the one room in the Alpha estate that caught the most moonlight.

Only a female wolf destined to be Luna had the right to live in it.

Since I was eight, the Elder Council had treated me as its lady.

We hadn't sealed our bond yet, but Gabriel had insisted I move in first.

And now, he wanted me to give it up for Selena.

"Just for a while." He jumped in the second I went quiet. "The moonlight in there will help stabilize her wolf. Don't read into it."

My mouth twisted.

Don't read into it.

His favorite line. Always.

When I got sick and he ditched me to celebrate Selena's birthday, he told me it was just him being a thoughtful leader. Don't read into it.

On Valentine's Day, when Selena clung to his arm in front of everyone, all touchy and cozy, he told me not to read into it.

When Selena got hurt and her wolf went haywire, and he carried her into the moon spring himself, again, don't read into it.

As long as Selena was involved, he always had a reason.

I glanced at the photo frame.

Blood from my fingertip had seeped inside, blurring Gabriel's face beyond recognition.

I looked away and answered flatly, "Fine. I'll pack now."

Gabriel visibly froze.

He probably didn't expect me to agree so fast.

Before he could speak, Selena walked in with six servants.

Each one dragged a massive suitcase. Twelve in total.

Nothing about this looked like a short stay.

Gabriel's eyes landed on all that luggage, and he didn't even question it.

He walked straight to Selena and took the handbag from her hands.

"How can you be carrying heavy things like this?"

He frowned. "Your wolf's still unstable. You shouldn't be worrying about any of this."

Selena pressed her lips together.

"I just want to do things myself. I don't want to keep bothering you."

"Taking care of you isn't a bother." Gabriel said low. "These things can go to Yvette."

Then he looked at me.

"Yvette, help direct the servants with the luggage. I'm taking her to the healing den first."

Before I could answer, he left with Selena.

My fingers curled tighter, inch by inch.

He didn't know that this room he just gave away.

Would lose its lady in three days.