Chapter 3

Slowly, I turned around. Curtis lowered his head guiltily, avoiding my gaze. "Ciara's been frail since she returned from the North. She needs a room with better lighting to recover, so I let her stay here for the time being… Don't be mad, Willow. I'll have her move out as soon as she recovers."

I quietly interrupted him. "Where are my things?"

Ultimately, I found them in the basement. The gifts I had once treasured and the things Curtis had given me were all covered in dust. Some had even been damaged and tossed carelessly into a corner.

I crouched down and stared at the gift box I'd once cherished. The items inside had long lost their original luster.

I didn't take them with me. These were all gifts from Curtis.

I had cherished them as precious treasures. Now, I didn't want them anymore, much like how I no longer wanted Curtis.

On my way out, I walked past my former room. Ciara was lying on the bed, while Curtis sat next to her, soothing her. His gaze was solemn and tender, so much so that he didn't even notice me walking past the door.

I only took one look at them and left without a moment's hesitation. This time, I wasn't going to wait for him to turn around.

…

Once Ciara's wolf stabilized, Curtis began personally preparing for our mating ceremony. He picked the finest moonflowers and arranged the grandest venue for the event.

Ciara could no longer sit still. She went to Curtis and pretended to be weak. "My wolf feels restless again, Curtis. Can you stay and calm her down?"

This time, he turned her down. "I've already promised Willow, Ciara. This time, I'll definitely give her a real mating ceremony!"

Ciara bit her lip. She hadn't expected Curtis to be so unyielding. No matter how she tried to manipulate him, he didn't change his mind.

…

On the day of the mating ceremony, Curtis invited the entire pack to witness the grand event. He stood in the center of the banquet hall, surrounded by all the meticulously arranged decorations. However, as time ticked by, I was still nowhere to be seen.

Curtis was rooted to the spot, his grip tightening around his ring. Ciara walked up to him and said softly, "Curtis… is Willow still mad? She's probably running late on purpose, waiting for you to go and coax her."

Curtis pressed his lips into a tight line. He was about to say something when a wave of hushed murmurs suddenly broke out around them.

"Did you hear? Early this morning, a motorcade from the Dark Briar pack arrived."

"It was quite a spectacle."

"Dozens of elite guards escorted them. Every one of them wore the Dark Briar pack's insignia. The entire street went quiet as they drove through."

Someone couldn't help but marvel. "Judging by the size of that motorcade… I'd wager only the family member of an Alpha or a core member of the pack could possibly receive this kind of protection."

"No kidding. Whoever they're here for must be incredibly important for the Dark Briar pack for them to send a motorcade like this."

"You've all got it wrong. I thought some important figure from the Dark Briar pack had come to visit the Zephyr pack too, but I heard they're only here to pick someone up."

Several guests gasped in astonishment.

"Who could possibly be important enough to have an entire motorcade come pick them up?"

"Who knows. Apparently, it's just an ordinary wolf who lives at Celestia Residence."

Curtis' breath hitched. I lived at Celestia Residence.

"Is it a male or a she-wolf? What do they look like?" someone asked.

That wolf racked his brain for a while. "A she-wolf. She was very beautiful, wearing a distinctive dress with a jagged hem."

Curtis froze. He remembered that I had a dress just like that. Back then, he had even poked fun at it, noting that the hem looked as though a rogue had taken a bite out of it.

"Is the wolf they were here for… Willow?" Curtis muttered under his breath. Panic crept into his voice for the first time.