Chapter 3

I never expected to run into the person I least wanted to see again like this.

Derek's expression grew colder by the second. He seemed almost indifferent.

Eliana subconsciously tightened her grip on my hand. She looked a little uneasy.

I patted the back of her hand reassuringly.

Derek remained silent. The air between us turned eerily still.

I knew he was waiting for an explanation.

So I used a mind-link to ask Eric to take Eliana home first.

"I ran into something. I need to sort it out. Please take care of Eliana for me."

Eric agreed without hesitation.

"Eliana."

I crouched down before smoothing her hair and packing up her backpack. I retrieved her favorite candy from my pocket.

"Go wait at the school gate for Uncle Eric, okay?"

"Mom." Eliana took a deep breath and asked carefully, "Will you come back?"

I smiled. "You're my only child. If I don't come back to you, where else would I go?"

Eliana smiled in relief. She nodded.

She then picked up her backpack and ran toward the gate without looking back.

The moment she left, Dominic wiped his tears away and immediately rolled up his pant leg. He started complaining to me.

"Mom, Eliana hurt my leg! That shameless Omega actually dared to fight back!"

He huffed angrily. "Mom, it hurts so much I can't even walk."

I glanced at his leg.

It was only a minor bruise.

"Mom, why did you say you're her mother? Are you still mad at me?"

When I didn't answer, Dominic leaned against me and asked for a hug.

"Mom, I was wrong. Please forgive me. Let's go home together. I won't look for Lisa anymore, okay?"

I held in my anger and took a step back. I was putting distance between us. I then looked up at Derek.

"Can we talk alone?"

There was a look of mixed emotions in his eyes, but he nodded in the end.

After Dominic was brought away, Derek and I sat facing each other in silence.

He waited for me to speak first. It was what he'd always done.

I didn't even know where to begin.

I once believed what I had with Derek was a love that could endure the test of time.

Later, I realized I was only deceiving myself. It had been futile from the start.

Years ago, during a pack dispute, Mary had nearly lost her life. My mother, Wanda Sullivan, arrived just in time to save her.

From gratitude and frequent visits, the two women became close friends.

When I grew older, I was sent to the strongest training camp within the Blood Moon Pack by the werewolf academy.

My mother specifically contacted Mary and asked her to look after me.

The first time I met Derek, I was dragging heavy bags out of the car while he leaned casually by the school gate.

When he walked toward me against the sunlight, I froze.

The overwhelming, powerful aura he carried drew me in completely.

At the time, he seemed to feel nothing special toward me.

That was how my one-sided crush began.

Fortunately, he would often help his mother deliver supplies to me. We ended up keeping in touch that way.

My diary from those years contained nothing but daily training notes and everything about him.

Later, his childhood friend and one true love, Lisa, returned.

They broke up and reunited over and over. Their romance became a long-lasting gossip within the Blood Moon Pack.

My brief one-sided love story ended without ever truly beginning.

I wished him happiness and gradually let go.

It wasn't until an accident that changed everything.

Derek's parents left for an extended hunting expedition, and suddenly, the large house was left with just the two of us.

I never expected his heat period to come so suddenly.

In the middle of the night, a loud crash woke me.

I found Derek collapsed beside the couch.

The moment I approached, his eyes turned red as he grabbed my wrist.

The aura of an Alpha pinned me in place. He pushed me down beneath him.

His teeth sank into my neck.

Right away, he started tearing my clothes apart. I was overwhelmed by the pheromones from his heat period at the age of eighteen.

If I had been stronger then, I would've been able to push him away.

Perhaps things wouldn't have turned into this mess.