Chapter Four

Morgan frowned the moment his gaze fell upon what I had ordered, his brows slowly knitting together as quiet disapproval settled into his expression. 

“Just vegetables?” he asked, his tone firm though not raised, carrying the natural authority he had always held. “There is barely any nourishment in that, and you are already far too thin as it is, so you should order something with meat.” 

Before I could respond, he had already taken the menu from my hands, his movements decisive and unhesitating, as though this was something he had done countless times before. He added several dishes with ease, all of them familiar, all of them things I had once loved enough to ask for without a second thought. 

During the meal, Lily could hardly remain still, her attention lingering on me far more than her own food as she gently urged me to eat more, placing dish after dish into my bowl while reminding me softly of how much I used to enjoy them, how often I had asked for them when I was younger, her voice carrying a warmth that made it difficult to refuse her outright. 

I smiled in response, the expression gentle and compliant, yet my appetite did not follow along with it. 

After only a few bites, I quietly set my fork down, the small movement enough for Lily to notice immediately, just as I had expected. 

“Tracy?” she asked, her brows drawing together as concern surfaced in her eyes. “What is wrong? Do you not like the food?” 

I shook my head lightly, keeping the faint smile on my lips as I answered in a calm, even tone. 

“No, it is good. I just ate a little earlier, so I am not very hungry.” 

It was not the truth, but it was easier than offering an explanation that would only lead to more questions, questions I had neither the strength nor the intention to answer. 

My appetite had been fading for a long time now, slowly and quietly, just like everything else in my life, and there was no reason to let them see that change when nothing could be done to stop it. 

After a while, a dull discomfort began to twist in my stomach, subtle at first but gradually becoming harder to ignore, until I had no choice but to excuse myself. 

“I will be back,” I said softly before rising from my seat. 

The corridor outside felt quieter, the air cooler against my skin as I made my way toward the restroom, my steps steady despite the discomfort that lingered beneath the surface. 

As I passed the smoking area, familiar voices drifted through the haze of cigarette smoke, their tones relaxed and unguarded in a way that immediately told me who they belonged to. 

Alpha Chandler’s friends. 

“Alpha Chandler, you are not heading back to the pack house tonight?” one of them laughed, his voice filled with casual amusement. “Did your Luna not mind-link you to check on you?” 

“With how clingy she is?” another voice followed, carrying an easy mockery that suggested this conversation was far from new. “Of course she did. I am sure you smoothed it over like always.” 

“Seriously, she is exhausting,” a third added without hesitation, his tone sharp and dismissive. “Always checking up on you like that. After all these years, anyone would get tired of it.” 

“Exactly. Look at Yvonne instead,” someone else said, his voice turning almost admiring. “Her appearance, her figure, her background… she has everything. Anyone would be tempted.” 

Their laughter followed, light and effortless, yet undeniably cruel. 

I lowered my gaze slightly, the corner of my lips lifting into a faint, cold smile that held no real emotion. 

The ease with which they mocked me could only mean one thing. 

They had done this many times before. 

And Alpha Chandler had never once stopped them. 

Not even once. 

I turned to leave, unwilling to remain there any longer, but through the drifting smoke, a familiar presence shifted, and before I could take more than a few steps, his gaze locked onto me. 

Alpha Chandler saw me. 

His expression changed instantly, the casual indifference disappearing as he crushed the cigarette into the ashtray and strode toward me without hesitation. His friends scrambled to follow, tossing their cigarettes aside as they hurried after him. 

“Tracy.” 

His voice was sharp, edged with irritation as it reached me. 

“So this is how you check up on me now?” he continued, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Following me around?” 

The men behind him exchanged glances, clearly startled, because none of them had expected me to appear here tonight, especially not in a place chosen so carefully for privacy. 

Just how much had I heard? 

I stopped walking. 

For a brief moment, my chest tightened painfully as memories surfaced without warning, overlapping the present with a past that no longer existed. 

The boy who had once stood in front of me without hesitation, who had been willing to break himself just to protect me. 

And the man standing before me now. 

Alpha Chandler. 

Cold. Impatient. Looking at me as though I were nothing more than a burden. 

When had it changed? 

When had love turned into something like this? 

I steadied myself, forcing a small, polite smile onto my lips, carefully smoothing over everything that threatened to surface. 

“Sorry,” I said lightly. “I am here for dinner, not to look for you.” 

I moved to pass him, intending to continue toward the restroom, but before I could get far, his hand closed around my wrist, his grip firm as his expression darkened further. 

“Tracy, can you stop making a scene?” he said, his voice low with irritation. “I am here to discuss pack matters, and if you keep this up, you are only embarrassing me.” 

I glanced down at his hand before calmly pulling free, my movements unhurried as I lifted my gaze back to him, one brow rising slightly. 

“Making a scene?” I repeated, my tone mild though the sarcasm beneath it was unmistakable. “By going to the restroom?” 

There had been a time when I truly had clung to him, when I had checked on him again and again, refusing to accept the distance that had begun to grow between us, until he had finally grown tired of it. 

Because I had seen what it looked like when he loved me the most. 

And the moment that love disappeared, I had felt it immediately. 

It had been selfish of me, trying to force him back into someone he was no longer willing to be. 

But not anymore. 

I knew now that the boy I had once known no longer existed. 

Alpha Chandler’s expression darkened further, irritation flashing clearly in his eyes, but before he could say anything more, his friends quickly stepped in, eager to smooth things over. 

“Hey, do not misunderstand,” one of them said hastily. “We really are just here for pack business.” 

I nodded, completely unbothered, as though their explanation held any real weight. 

“Of course.” 

I turned slightly, a faint, almost mocking smile touching my lips. 

“Then go ahead. I will not disturb you.” 

Business, or celebrating a birthday in someone else’s arms, it no longer mattered. 

In one month, he would be nothing more than my former mate. 

A stranger. 

None of this had anything to do with me anymore. 

I walked away without looking back, leaving behind the tension that had settled in the air. 

Behind me, I could feel their unease, hear the hesitation in their voices. 

“…She really does follow you everywhere,” one of them muttered awkwardly. “Still strict as ever.” 

“Maybe you should go after her,” another suggested. “Calm her down.” 

I did not stop. 

And this time, I did not care whether he followed or not. 

Behind me, Alpha Chandler pulled out another cigarette, the irritation on his face no longer concealed as someone hurried to light it for him. He took a long drag before exhaling slowly, his voice cold and dismissive. 

“Annoying.” 

A few seconds later, his expression smoothed over as though nothing had happened at all, and without another word, he turned and walked back into the banquet room.