Chapter 2

During my year at the psychiatric care facility, Kieran had never visited me.

Feeling frightened, I'd cling to the nurses and beg them to contact Kieran through my tears. But no matter how many times they called him, he never picked up.

Over time, I grew numb. Eventually, I asked them to stop contacting him.

Suddenly feeling thirsty, I got up and headed downstairs for a glass of water.

Kieran was on the balcony, talking to someone on the phone. He kept his voice low, but I could still hear every word.

"That's enough. I'll give you whatever you want. At tomorrow's auction, bid on anything you like. Consider it a gift from me," he said, his voice tender and indulgent. "I've been extremely busy lately. So unfortunately, I can't spend much time with you."

He used to speak to me that way, too. But now, that side of him was reserved for someone else.

I leaned against the doorframe and eavesdropped for a while. Then, I found myself growing bored.

I had just turned to leave when I heard him say, "Caroline? When did you come downstairs?"

He had already hung up.

"Just now, I—"

Before he could finish, I cut him off. "You don't have to explain yourself. I just came down for some water. Feel free to get back to whatever you were doing."

A flicker of surprise crossed Kieran's face. He tried to walk over and stop me, but I headed upstairs before he could.

I didn't stop walking until I reached the bend in the staircase. I could clearly feel his gaze on me as I made my way upstairs.

…

The next morning, Kieran made me the latte I loved.

This was a habit he had kept for years.

In the past, I'd drink every last drop while he'd watched me with a tender expression. But this time, I didn't touch the latte. Instead, I poured myself a glass of warm water.

The smile on his face stiffened. His eyes darkened, but he didn't say a word. Moments later, he got up and grabbed his coat.

"I'm heading out."

"Okay," I replied coolly.

When he got to the door, he stopped and glanced at me. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"

I froze for a moment.

In the past, I would've pressed him for every detail of his outing. Somewhere along the way, I had become anxious and insecure, and I was constantly terrified that he'd leave me. Fortunately, I didn't feel that way anymore.

"Nope," I answered calmly.

Stunned, Kieran stared at me for a few moments. In the end, he left without saying anything.

After he left, I returned to my room and started packing my suitcase.

There wasn't much worth taking. I packed a photo of my parents and the journal I had kept during my time at the psychiatric care facility.

I flipped through it casually. Only a few words were written on each page.

[Called Kieran today for the 108th time. Still no answer.]

[Today's desensitization therapy was especially hard.]

[I miss my parents so much. No one has showered me with love and affection ever since they passed away. Now, even Kieran and my sister are trying to crush me as well.]

[It's my birthday today, but no one remembered.]

[I think it's been three whole days since I last mentioned him. The nurses told me I'm about to make a full recovery soon.]

I shut the journal and tossed it straight into the trash.

Soon, Kieran returned with three of his fellow pack members in tow.

The four of them went into the study to discuss pack affairs. I sat in the living room, and I was able to hear their entire conversation clearly.

"How are things between the two of you, Alpha Kieran?" Liam Shenton, the Delta, asked.

"Pretty good," Kieran responded evenly.

Zachary Lawson, the Beta, added, "She seems much more normal now. Just now, I thought she was going to go crazy again when she saw us."

"Speaking of which, Hannah's been a bit too conspicuous lately," said Liam. "She went all out at the auction to purchase a necklace called Tear of the Moon Goddess. Now, she's flaunting it everywhere and telling everyone you gave it to her as a gift."