Chapter 3

I lay on the hospital bed, my body so weak it felt hollowed out.

Dr. Johnson's footsteps echoed around me, yet I heard nothing. It was as if all sound had drained away. It was a silence only a mother who had lost her pup could understand.

That silence was broken by a message. Someone from the pack's internal network sent me a video.

Xavier was laughing confidently at a banquet, his arm wrapped around Lily's waist as he whispered something in her ear. She laughed aloud and leaned into his embrace. The lights reflected on their faces, as if they were the fated pair.

On the day of my discharge, Xavier did not come to pick me up. Not even the lowest-ranking pack member came.

I carried the old cloth bag the hospital gave me and faced the cold wind alone.

At that moment, I truly understood. To them, I was nothing.

I did not want to return to the Alpha's estate. The air there reeked of humiliation.

However, I had no choice. My identification documents, papers, and even my bank cards were still there.

Yet, fate was cruel. In the corridor outside my ward, I saw them again.

Lily smiled freely, her white dress seemingly making her skin glow. Xavier stood beside her with his hand steady on her waist, their posture painfully intimate.

A nurse passing by laughed and teased, "Alpha, your Luna looks radiant today."

I nearly retched.

However, I did not correct her. There was no point. If she wanted that title, she could have it.

I turned to leave but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Clara? Why are you here? Are you following me?"

The moment he spoke, my feet froze in place, as if bound by invisible chains. I took a deep breath and turned around.

"I'm not following you," I said flatly. "I just got discharged. I didn't know you were here."

He narrowed his eyes, about to say something, but Lily spoke first, gently linking her arm through his.

"Darling, let her come back with us. She donated blood for me. We should at least help her this much."

A cold laugh nearly escaped me.

Xavier reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You're too kind."

Then he turned to me. "Get in the car."

I did not refuse. I needed an opportunity to retrieve my luggage.

The air in the back seat was eerily quiet, until my eyes were stabbed by a piece of lace lingerie.

It was crumpled and tossed on the seat, stained with a white smudge. It was Lily's.

Lily noticed it too but showed no embarrassment. She turned and smiled at me. "Oh my God, I forgot to clean up. We got a little wild in the back seat last week, didn't we, darling?"

Xavier laughed lazily. "Your moans almost attracted attention from passersby."

They flirted in front of me as if I did not exist. Each word scraped across my flesh like a blade. My nails dug deep into my palms, but I made no sound.

I lowered my head and opened my phone. The screen lit up with an encrypted email.

[Clara, here's your new flight ticket. I hope you can make it this time. It's 9:00 PM tonight.]

I smiled slightly, feeling for the first time a sense of being alive.

I replied: [Thank you. I'm sorry I missed the last flight, but I won't this time.]

Almost immediately, a new message came through. [What happened? Do you need my help?]

My finger hovered over the keyboard. If I told him what I had been through, it would likely spark a war immediately. However, I wanted revenge with my own hands.

[I'll tell you after I leave. Now isn't the right time.]

Xavier suddenly turned and stared at me, as if seeking a sense of presence.

"Clara, what are you looking at? You've been glued to your phone since you got in the car. Who are you chatting with?"

I did not even lift my eyes. "Just checking the weather forecast."

He clearly did not believe me. He reached over and snatched my phone.

The screen's light reflected in his cold eyes.

"What's the password?"

"The day we confirmed we were fated mates." My tone was calm, almost cold, as I told him directly.

His expression darkened. He tried once, then again. On the third attempt, a warning popped up and the screen locked.

Lily leaned over with a light laugh, her voice sickly sweet. "Forget it, Alpha. She doesn't have any friends. What else could she use her phone for besides checking the weather so she doesn't get soaked like a drowned rat?

"Or maybe she's been feeling neglected these past few days and found another werewolf outside. She just doesn't want to tell you."

"Shut up!" Xavier said through gritted teeth.