Chapter 1

I don't remember the last time Zack Gate and I were able to have a civil conversation with each other. I used my spoon to play with the foam on top of my coffee as I stole a glance at the werewolf who was both familiar and a stranger to me.

Zack hadn't changed much since we broke our bond. It was just that the band around his ring finger no longer had my name engraved on it.

The ring glinted with a cold light as we ordered our drinks.

"What do you want to eat? It's my treat. Do you want strawberry cake?" he asked.

I paused for a moment before rejecting Zack, saying, "No need. I'm allergic to strawberries."

Surprise flickered over Zack's face. "When did you—"

He cut himself off before he finished his sentence.

Strawberries were Wanda Finch's favorite fruit. Zack had forgotten that I had been allergic to strawberries since I was a pup.

He ordered a cup of coffee, the same as mine, before falling silent.

A message popped up on his phone while we were waiting for our coffee. I glanced at his screen. The wallpaper was a family portrait of three. Everyone was smiling brightly.

Zack hastily locked his phone when he noticed what I was looking at.

As I took a sip of my coffee, he asked, "How have you been recently? I heard that you got your healer's license. If you need help, I own a clinic—"

"I'm doing fine. I don't need your help," I replied, interrupting him before he could finish his sentence.

Zack opened his mouth, looking like he had more to say, when his phone started ringing suddenly.

"Darling," he said after accepting the call and rushing out of the cafe, leaving behind an untouched cup of coffee.

We had lost the right to have coffee together a long time ago.

I called the manager over to pay the bill.

"The handsome werewolf already paid for your coffee too," the manager said.

Although I didn't say anything in response, the manager sat down opposite me and asked curiously, "It looks to me that he wants to pursue you. Aren't you going to consider accepting his advances? He looks like a good werewolf."

I rummaged through my bag and retrieved two pills, swallowing them down with my coffee. "No. He's actually my ex-mate. We broke our bond over a decade ago."

The manager was momentarily stunned before he scratched his head awkwardly. He then changed the topic to ease the tension in the air.

"You must be here to see the sea of irises. The Sacred Crystal Lake is the Moon Goddess' hometown. Many come here to pray to her. Apparently, she has granted many of their wishes. You should have come a little earlier. The irises aren't blooming anymore."

My gaze darkened. "I wanted to come earlier, but my mother passed away in July, so I had to make the arrangements for her funeral. Then, I got into an accident and was poisoned by wolfsbane in August. I was warded because the healer wanted to observe me, and I ended up staying for a month."

The manager fell silent and only spoke again after a long while had passed. "The healers in the pack are all amazing. I'm sure they'll be able to cure your wolfsbane."

I smiled. I was a healer too, so I knew better than anyone else what I had been poisoned with.

It had been raining heavily on the day of Mom's funeral. The mountain road had been slippery and muddy, and I accidentally fell into some wolfsbane bushes while I was distracted.

The wolfsbane I was poisoned with had extremely strong toxins. No one in the pack had found a cure for it yet. Those who were poisoned by it only had three months at most to live.

Knowing that my fate was sealed, I didn't want to spend the three months I had left in the clinic. I had already come to terms with my imminent death. Since I didn't have much time left, I wanted to live out the rest of my life as meaningfully as possible.

The manager retrieved a slice of butter cake from the counter and gave it to me. "This is for you. It's on the house."

He smiled brightly when I thanked him, and he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then… Why did the two of you separate, miss? It looks to me that he still has feelings for you. Besides, you need someone to take care of you right now."

I smiled and said softly, "It wasn't over something serious. He cheated on me with my best friend."