Chapter 4

The next morning, Lucas said through the mind-link, "Garrett told me you moved out last night.

"Mia is only staying at the main house temporarily. You don't need to resign as patrol captain over something like this."

A few minutes later, he sent another one.

"Ten o'clock this morning. Don't forget to see Rosa. We agreed a long time ago that we'd visit her together after taking over the pack."

Rosa was a retired senior firearms specialist from the Alliance.

She was also the one who had taught me to build weapons.

Three years ago, while hunting Shade rogues, I had saved her life.

She told me I didn't have to throw myself into danger every time. She taught me to make the silver bullet gun. One shot, one kill.

Lucas wanted to learn too, but his wolf didn't have my level of sensory tracking. Once a bullet lost its lock on a target, it became useless and could even hit the shooter.

"You just hold on to that treasure Nora of yours!" Rosa had told him.

Lucas had scratched his head at the time, grinning like a boy.

Rosa had always liked the two of us together.

Because the day I got silver poisoning, Lucas didn't hesitate. He drew the toxin out himself, knowing it could kill him, and he wasn't afraid.

I didn't reply to Lucas's mind-link, but I still went to Rosa's patrol base.

I was leaving Frost Fang. I needed to say goodbye to Rosa.

At ten, I pushed open the door.

The air smelled of gun oil and wood shavings.

Rosa had tea ready, and a narrow wooden box sat on the table beside it.

She glanced behind me. "Where's Lucas?"

"He probably got held up."

By ten-thirty, the door had opened twice. Neither time was it him.

At noon, Lucas finally sent a mind-link.

Thunder crashed through the connection, followed by Mia's crying.

"Nora, are you there?"

"I'm here."

"I'm sorry. Mia's wolf was startled by the thunder. She's extremely agitated and needs me to calm her down. I can't get away."

He sounded rushed. "Explain to Rosa for me. I'll come with you next time."

In the background, Mia was sobbing, "Lucas, I can't control it..."

"I'm here. Don't be scared."

After soothing Mia, he turned back to me. "Nora, she could really hurt herself right now. You've always been the understanding one. Don't make me take care of two people at once."

"Don't bother."

"What?"

"There won't be a next time."

I ended the mind-link.

Rosa didn't ask what happened. She just pushed the wooden box across the table.

Inside was an old carving knife. The handle was worn smooth from years of use, but the blade was still sharp.

"I used this when I was young," she said. "I was planning to give it to you after your wedding."

I ran my fingers over the handle, and my nose suddenly stung.

"Now is just as good."

I closed the box. My tears hit the lid.

"Rosa, I'm done with Lucas."

She simply pulled a tissue and pressed it into my hand. She didn't try to change my mind.

After leaving Rosa's place, I went straight to the airport.

Three days earlier, a security company run by the North Ridge pack had offered me a position to help them develop methods for detecting Shades.

They had already arranged housing and a pack transfer application, just waiting for my response.

Back then, I hadn't been ready to leave.

Now, I booked the earliest flight available.

While waiting at the gate, a video popped up in the Frost Fang pack group chat.

Mia was curled up in a blanket on the sofa in the Alpha's residence. Lucas sat behind her, blow-drying her hair.

The caption read: Hoping the storm passes soon.

Helen was the first to like it and left a comment: "Seeing Lucas treat Mia so well puts my mind at ease."

Garrett replied right after: "With such a loving Alpha and Luna, the pack is only going to thrive!"

I stared at that living room that no longer belonged to me, left the group chat, and blocked Helen and Mia.

Then I severed the mind-link with Lucas completely.

With thousands of miles between us, they would never find me.

A sharp pain tore through my chest.

I swallowed the pain and stopped responding to his bond.

The boarding announcement came on, and I walked through security with my suitcase.

That night, Lucas finally left Mia and went to the patrol office.

He was carrying a box of moonlight honey cakes, my old favorite, and pushed the door open.

"Nora, stop being mad. Look what I brought you..."

The office was empty. Every trace of my scent was gone.

The standard patrol maps still hung on the walls, but all my personal belongings and weapons cases had vanished.

A document sat on the desk.

My resignation from the patrol unit, signed and sealed.

Lucas stood in the doorway.

The cake box slipped from his hands and hit the floor. The precious moonlight honey slowly oozed across it.