Chapter 4

Georgia's POV

The morning I left, the house was livelier than usual.

Lily had set up a camera in the corner of the living room. The moment she saw me dragging my suitcase, she turned and blocked the lens.

"You can't look."

I stopped. "Why?"

"You'll find out tonight." She gave me a mysterious smile. "I've planned a huge surprise."

Mom came out of the kitchen with a plate of freshly baked muffins and put one in front of me. "Try this. You haven't eaten anything this morning."

Her eyes swept over my face, as if checking to see whether I was still feeling unwell. "Does your back still hurt?"

"No." I shook my head.

"Keep it dry, and don't do any strenuous exercise. The witch said you need to give the new tattoo at least a week to heal."

Mom sounded genuinely concerned. Then she turned to Lily. "Don't upset your sister again."

Lily waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, please. She's not that fragile. Give her two days, and she'll be fine."

Mom glanced at Lily, looking like she disagreed. In the end, she just muttered, "Georgia has always been tougher than you."

It sounded like a compliment. But in this family, it usually meant I was expected to put up with more.

Dad was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper. He chimed in casually, "She used to talk about leaving all the time when she was little. Right after her first awakening, she even said she was going to live as a Rogue."

He chuckled. "But she ended up getting hungry when she reached the territory border and came walking back home that night."

Ethan was leaning against the dining table with a cup of coffee. He laughed when he heard that. "Same as now. Where could she even go?"

They didn't bother lowering their voices. In their minds, I was just throwing another harmless tantrum.

Mom finally noticed the suitcase by the entryway. "Are you moving over to Ethan's place today?"

Lily's eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. "Already? Georgia, weren't you still angry with Ethan?"

Ethan's mouth immediately curved into a grin. "You should've told me. I thought you were actually going to take the job with the Northridge pack."

He walked over and reached for my suitcase.

I stopped him. "I can carry it myself."

His hand stopped in midair, and his brows drew together. "Still mad?"

"I don't need your help."

"Fine, whatever." He pulled his hand back, irritation creeping into his voice. "You're always like this. You want me to comfort you, yet you act like you don't care."

I didn't respond.

Mom immediately tried to smooth things over. "Ethan's just worried about you. It's normal to be emotional before the mating ceremony. Don't push him away when he's trying to look out for you."

She handed me a paper bag. "There's pain medication and healing ointment inside. If your back starts burning again tonight, take the medicine and use the ointment."

I took the bag. "Thank you, Mom."

She paused, seemingly surprised that I had thanked her.

I placed the bag on top of my suitcase and walked into the kitchen.

There was an old photo stuck to the refrigerator. It was a family photo from the day Lily's wolf awakened when she turned 18. In the corner was an even older drawing. It showed only Dad, Mom, and little Lily.

Later, someone had added a tiny figure at the very edge with a blue crayon. I had drawn that myself when I was five, right after I was brought home from Grandma's house.

Mom had asked me back then, "Why did you draw yourself so small, tucked way off in the corner?"

I didn't have an answer then. Now, I finally did. I'd simply put myself, instinctively, in the little space they'd left for me.

I finished my water and headed for the door.

Lily ran after me and called out from the entryway, "Make sure you're back by six! I really have a great surprise for you."

Dad looked up and warned her, "Don't take it too far."

"It's only fun if she cries," Lily said with a laugh.

Just before the door closed, I heard Ethan's voice. "Don't worry. She'll be back."

I stood outside and pressed the elevator button.

He was right. The old me really wouldn't have wanted to leave.

I couldn't bear to walk away from the care my parents showed me, like the ointment they bought for me and the fact that Mom remembered my favorite foods.

I held on to the memory of Dad standing guard outside my door when I was weak after my first moon-phase shift, and I couldn't bear to walk away from Ethan, who had been by my side for five years.

They weren't cruel to me all the time, so I'd kept justifying their actions.

Mom was more worried about Lily. Dad simply believed I was tough enough to handle everything. Lily just liked playing pranks, and Ethan only wanted me to get along with Lily.

I'd made excuses for every single one of them. But starting today, I was done bending over backward for anyone.

A black sedan was waiting downstairs. The driver sent by the Northridge pack popped the trunk and loaded my suitcase for me.

My phone kept buzzing with messages from my new coworkers.

"Your office is all set up."

"We're hosting a welcome dinner for you tonight at the pack's biggest restaurant."

"Welcome to Northridge, Ms. Cornwell."

I replied, "Thank you. I'm looking forward to it."

As the car pulled away from the neighborhood, Mom sent me a message. "Let me know when you arrive at Ethan's place. And don't forget to use the healing ointment."

A few minutes later, Lily texted too. "Come back tonight. My surprise is waiting for you."

I stared at the two messages without replying.

Right as we approached the border of the Northridge pack's territory, Ethan finally called.

I swiped to answer.

The background noise was loud and chaotic. I could hear Lily asking him whether she should hide the camera by the fireplace or behind the dining room door.

"Where did you run off to?" Ethan asked, his voice thick with annoyance. "Cut the act. It's time to head back."

"I had something to do," I said.

He gave a mocking laugh. "Alright, knock it off. Lily's spent all day preparing this. She'll be crushed if you don't show up."

Even now, he was only worried about disappointing Lily.

I was silent for a few seconds before saying softly, "Ethan."

"Yeah?"

"I'm not coming back. We're over."

The line went completely silent on the other end.

Before he could respond, I hung up. Then I blocked his number, social media accounts, and every other private channel of communication.

Outside the window, the city lights gradually gave way to the dark forests in the countryside. In the distance, a full moon was rising above the treetops.

Deep inside me, Nyx opened her eyes. "We're finally leaving."

"Yes," I answered silently.

"Do you miss them?" Nyx asked.

I watched the neighborhood grow smaller in the rearview mirror.

"I do. But missing them isn't a reason to stay."

The car crossed into the Northridge pack's territory. I turned off my phone and severed the blood bond between me and my family.