Love After Loss

My sister, Cherry Nicholson, called me nine times before she jumped into the sea. I didn't pick up once.Now everyone says it's my fault she's gone—even my fiance, my Alpha mate—Samuel Carver.He used to stay by my side through every painful treatment for my wolfsbane fever. Now, he shoves me to the ground like I'm nothing.His once gentle face is now twisted with contempt as he looks down on me and warns, "You don't deserve to be happy!"And truth be told, it isn't just them who believe that. Even I do.Since then, I've stopped going out, stopped dressing up, and stopped meeting anyone's eyes.Even when I run into Samuel holding hands with another she-wolf, I lower my head and walk past silently.But when the wolfsbane fever comes back, I drown in agony and despair. I decide to give my life to atone for what happened to Cherry.That's when they all start to regret it....It was drizzling when I headed to the infirmary.Allison Payne, the healer, was a kind-looking, middle-aged woman.

I told the maid to clean up the place. The photo frame was shattered beyond repair, so she asked if I wanted to throw it away.I just stared at it for a long time before shaking my head.After she was done, I got ready to head out to meet my friend, Alma Cooper. She had just returned from another pack and invited me to catch up over lunch.We met at a fancy restaurant.Soft music played in the background. As soon as Alma saw me, she pulled me into a warm hug.When she stepped back, she gave me a once-over. Her eyes were filled with confusion. "You look so worn out. I thought your Alpha was taking good care of you."I didn't say a word.She picked up on it immediately. "He's not treating you right, is he?"I changed the subject. "Let's not talk about him. It's been forever since we hung out."Soon, the food arrived.While eating, Alma launched into stories about her trip, complaining about the new werewolves she had met. She had me laughing halfway through my meal.I had just

The car sped down the road, but the face in that photo kept flashing through my mind.I had almost forgotten. Cherry was once so vibrant and so beautiful.But in the end, all I could remember was the hollow look in her eyes that day and the way she lay there, covered in blood, disheveled and broken.The blood beneath her had long since dried.There was so much blood. I tried to wipe it off Cherry with a handkerchief. It soaked through, and still, I couldn't get her clean.How could a person bleed so much?My white shirt was stained bright red, yet Cherry's face was as pale as snow.The weight of grief crushed me. I dropped to my knees, unaware Mom was charging at me with a savage expression.Not even the patrolling officers could stop her.She yanked my hair hard until my scalp burned. Then her relentless and brutal blows came."Why didn't you answer her calls? She called nine times! And you didn't pick up once! You killed her!"Her angry roar crashed down like a boulder tum

Mike dropped me off at an empty house and left me his number before he left.He said, "I don't know everything you've been through, but if you ever need help, you can call me."I nodded.The moment I turned my phone back on to save his number, the screen lit up with a storm of missed calls.Samuel and Mom had bombarded me with calls, one after another, as if they had coordinated it in advance.I saved Mike's number and shut the phone off again before tossing it aside.There was a thick journal inside Cherry's box. I sat at the desk, lit a lamp, and began to read.It was thick enough to take me four days to finish. And yet, it felt so thin because this one book held the entirety of Cherry's short life.Cherry and I were both raised by Mom, who had an overwhelming need for control.Our childhood was never warm. It was filled with shouting, punishments, and emotional cruelty.In that dark, inescapable time, Cherry and I were each other's only light. So it made sense that she had

I received news about Mom two weeks later.That day, I had brought Cherry's box with me to her favorite place—a field full of blooming flowers and fresh herbs.When I returned, I found out that Mom had lost her mind.I went to the infirmary to see her.Her hair was a tangled mess from yanking it out herself. She cried and laughed all at once. She would tell everyone she had two daughters—one gentle, and one lively.But as she spoke, she broke down again, sobbing uncontrollably. She kept saying she had ruined them both.While clawing at her hair, she hit herself over and over.I watched for a while in silence before leaving.After that, I resumed visiting Allison, the healer who specialized in treating wolfsbane fever. I went to her on a regular schedule again for a proper, science-backed treatment.I always went alone.Allison smiled at her monitor before turning to me. She said I looked better lately.I smiled back.She gently took my hand and gave it a light pat. "Sherry,