Chapter 2

I didn't argue or make a scene.

I simply looked at him quietly for two seconds.

In those two seconds, I remembered so many things about us.

I remembered meeting him for the first time when I was five. He'd been holding the Alpha's hand, looking at me with curiosity in his eyes.

I remembered his birthday, when I'd personally fastened that cufflink onto him.

I remembered all the times he'd told me about his plans after we went to the Warrior Academy.

He'd said he would take me to see the largest Church of Christ the Savior and watch white doves soar across the sky.

Whenever he'd said those things, his eyes had curved into a smile, and I'd thought he was truly planning our future together.

Two seconds passed.

I took a step back and moved aside.

Dominic froze for a second. He hadn't expected me to give way so easily.

Surprise flashed in his eyes, even disbelief, as though all the words he'd prepared to persuade me had suddenly been thrown off course.

He quickly recovered and turned happily toward Sloan. He took her hand and led her toward the dance floor.

When the music began, Dominic gentlemanly slipped an arm around her waist, and Sloan's skirt swayed around her.

She couldn't quite keep up with the rhythm, occasionally stepping on his polished shoes. Embarrassed, she looked up at him.

Dominic slowed his movements and patiently guided her.

Everyone around us was watching. Some whispered to each other. Others pulled out their phones to record.

A few people's gazes fell on me. Some were sympathetic. Others were confused.

I looked away and turned to leave.

Outside, a light rain had begun to fall.

I didn't bother with an umbrella. I simply let the rain strike my face.

The moonstone bracelet around my wrist suddenly snapped. I stopped and stared at it for several seconds.

It was the first gift Dominic had ever given me. The chain had broken several times before, but I'd repaired it every time.

This time, I simply let it fall into a puddle and didn't pick it up. There was no point anymore.

My phone screen lit up. It was a message from Dominic.

I checked the time. Five minutes had passed. It was exactly when he and Sloan had finished their dance, and he had a free moment.

"I told you, Sloan only has the two of us as friends. She doesn't dare ask anyone else to dance. Even when you're throwing a tantrum, you should know the right time and place to do it."

Every message was an accusation. Every one carried that same familiar tone he always used when defending Sloan, as though I'd actually done something wrong.

I read them again. Then I let out a soft laugh.

What Dominic didn't know was that two days earlier, I'd changed my mind. I'd decided to attend the Royal Healer Academy in Moscow. It was the first decision I'd ever made with such absolute certainty.

When I got home, I gathered up everything related to Dominic, including the ring he'd made and polished for me with his own hands, along with a thick stack of letters. The handwriting was young and clumsy, but every sentence was filled with concern.

"Why didn't you talk to me today? Are you upset?"

"You haven't been going out much lately. Do you want me to take you somewhere to clear your head?"

I put everything into a cardboard box.

Then I looked up at the wall covered in photographs. There were pictures of Dominic and me swimming together, with him bending down to look at me.

There were also pictures from when his football team won the championship, when he'd insisted on taking a picture with me first, looking triumphant and full of life.

I took them down one by one and stuffed them all into the box. It was almost full. I hadn't even sealed it yet, and everything inside carried some trace of him.

There was an old Ferris wheel ticket, yellowed with age. I remembered staring in wonder at the city glowing with lights when, suddenly, he'd grabbed my wrist.

His eyes had been bright as he asked, "Adelaide, we're at the very top of the Ferris wheel. What are we supposed to do now?"

I'd stared at him, completely baffled.

The next second, his lips pressed against mine.

"We're supposed to kiss."

From the age of five to eighteen, his imprint was everywhere in my life. He was my entire youth.

My phone suddenly rang. It was a notification from the academy forum.

I opened it and saw a post from Sloan. There was only one simple picture. Her pale hand was firmly clasped in a large hand with long, prominent knuckles.

I recognized that hand instantly. It was Dominic's.

The Laurent watch on his wrist was one I'd personally bought from a collector. There was only one in the world.

At the time, he'd run his fingers over it again and again, saying that every gift I gave him was exactly what he'd wanted.

Sloan had captioned the post: "Turns out even someone this incredible gets clingy when he's drunk."