Chapter 2

The next morning, Eric returned holding a bag of truffle bagels from the shop on the south side of the city—my favorite.

It was something you could only buy in the human city, a hundred kilometers away.

To get this breakfast, he had to have left at least two hours early.

It looked like he really loved me.

That is, if I ignored the fresh scratch marks on his neck that hadn't healed yet.

He pushed the door open, looking exhausted and pale.

"Baby, last night was hell."

He put down the breakfast and hugged me from behind while I was pouring water.

He buried his face in the crook of my neck, nuzzling me like a wronged puppy.

"To keep my wolf down, I spent the whole night slamming myself against the basement walls."

Eric's voice was raspy, sounding almost pitiful.

"My bones feel like they're falling apart. It hurts. Hold me."

My body stiffened instantly.

Before, I would have teared up with heartache. I would have turned around immediately to check his body and applied the best ointment to his wounds.

I would have thought this man endured inhuman torture all night just to keep from hurting me.

He was the Alpha who loved me most in the world.

But now, my mind was filled with the sounds that had leaked through the crack in the door last night.

I looked down at the scratches on his neck. Those were left by Victoria during her climax.

But I had always chosen to ignore these marks before.

Eric's warm lips touched my earlobe, trying to move lower.

My stomach churned, and I instinctively wanted to retch.

I pushed him away, using feeling unwell as an excuse.

"You smell like sweat. Go take a shower," I said coldly.

Eric froze for a second, a flash of disappointment and shock crossing his eyes.

In his memory, I had never refused his hugs.

But he quickly found an excuse for himself. "Right, I tossed and turned all night, I must reek. I wasn't thinking. Did I scare you? I'll go wash up."

He turned and went into the bathroom.

A moment later, the water started running.

I glanced at the steaming truffle bagel on the table and threw it, bag and all, into the trash can.

Half an hour later, Eric came out.

An Alpha's healing ability was strong. Unless it was a fatal wound, this level of "exhaustion" was nothing.

He was wearing only a towel, showing off his toned upper body.

He walked over and pinned me onto the sofa.

The lust in his eyes was undisguised.

"Bella, I was thinking about you all night."

He whispered sweet nothings while eagerly reaching under my shirt.

"I want you. You're my best cure."

How ironic.

Sleeping with a she-wolf for biological instinct, and sleeping with a human for "true love."

Just as I was struggling, ready to kick him, his phone started vibrating crazily.

Eric frowned, grabbing the phone impatiently.

"What is it?" His tone was sharp, clearly annoyed at the interruption.

From the other end came his mother Megan's ecstatic scream.

"She's pregnant! Eric! She's pregnant!"

"The medical center just detected strong pureblood fetal movement! It's twins! Possibly even an Alpha King bloodline! Get to the medical center immediately!"

Eric froze. His face was a mask of shock, tinged with wild joy.

Instinctively, he tried to get up, wanting to rush over and confirm the news.

But he forgot I was still pinned underneath him.

When he got up, he failed to control his Alpha strength. He flung me aside, and I smashed hard against the wall.

I slid to the floor, a metallic taste rising in my throat. The sharp pain in my back made me black out for a second, and warm liquid quickly soaked my pajamas.

Hearing the crash, Eric whipped his head around.

He saw me curled up in the corner, face pale as a sheet.

In that moment, the ecstasy in his eyes faded, replaced by panic and guilt.

"Bella!"

He instinctively took a step toward me to help.

But on the phone, Megan continued to roar:

"Eric! What's the hold-up? Victoria is unstable, the babies are reacting. The doctor says she needs the Alpha's scent to soothe her! Hurry up! This is the strongest bloodline our family has seen in a century!"

Eric stopped dead in his tracks.

"I have an emergency, I have to go out. My mother tried IVF to get me an heir before. If it works, she'll never object to us again!"

Eric helped me onto the sofa, explaining excitedly.

"Put some ointment on yourself, the first aid kit is in the cabinet. If it's bad, call the family healer."

"Wait for me, Bella. I'll make it up to you when I get back."

With that, he grabbed his jacket and rushed out the door without looking back.

I lay there, blood spreading across the sofa.

I wanted to laugh, but my chest hurt too much.

IVF?

If I hadn't heard exactly how he "artificially inseminated" Victoria last night, I might have believed him.

Fighting the agonizing pain, I used the wall for support and slowly stood up.

The wound on my back was still bleeding, and I probably had a cracked rib.

I didn't call the family healer.

In this Pack, all resources went to werewolves first.

Now that a "pureblood heir" was involved, every doctor would be swarming around Victoria. Who would care about the life or death of a human pet?

I gritted my teeth and drove myself to the medical center.

Sure enough, the doctors had all been summoned to care for Victoria. Only an assistant helped me dress my wounds.

Seeing my injuries, he looked sympathetic. "It's hard for humans to survive in the Pack. Even a slight loss of control by a wolf can be fatal."

I didn't say anything. I was leaving tomorrow anyway.

Leaving the treatment room, I accidentally saw Eric carefully helping Victoria out of the examination room next door.

Victoria wore a smug smile, one hand caressing her still-flat stomach.

Eric's brow was furrowed, looking annoyed, as if he were still worried about me at home.

But when Victoria pretended her legs were weak and collapsed toward him, he instinctively reached out, gently catching and protecting her.

I remembered two years ago.

The first time Eric shifted, he went into a frenzy during the full moon.

To avoid losing control and hurting me, he literally pinned his own hand to the wall.

His hand was covered in blood, but he smiled at me. "Bella, don't be scared. I'd rather cripple myself than let a hair on your head be harmed."

The lover who would rather self-harm than see me get hurt...

Now, for another woman carrying his child, he had abandoned me while I was heavily injured and bleeding.

I didn't rush in to confront them. When they were far enough away, I returned to the villa.

I took out my suitcase and started packing.

The movement pulled at the wound on my back, making cold sweat drip down my face.

But I didn't stop.

Clothes, jewelry, the expensive bags Eric gave me... I didn't take any of it. I only took my ID, a few old clothes, and a framed photo of me and my late parents.

When I finished, the suitcase was pitifully light.

Sitting by the bed, it was already night. I looked at the date on my phone.

Just one day left.