Chapter 4

Tears completely blurred my vision.

My heart felt like it was gripped tight by a large, thorn-covered hand, throbbing with pain.

Seven years of foolish delusions finally met a pathetic answer at this moment.

The mate mark he kept promising was fake. The Alpha loyalty he was so proud of was fake.

He didn't go to the border to fight rogues last night.

He went to a trashy hotel, holding a stand-in who looked exactly like my dead sister, having wild sex.

Thankfully, it was almost all over.

There were less than twenty-four hours left until my flight to Halo City.

Dawn broke. Sterling still hadn't returned to the Packhouse.

The elders were already frantically rushing the final steps of the coronation ceremony.

I ignored them.

I ordered a cab and headed straight for the pack's corporate tower.

I was going to see him one last time. To get an answer that would kill my hope completely.

I pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of the Alpha's office.

Sterling was sitting behind his massive desk. Seeing me, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

Guilty, he tugged at his shirt collar, trying to hide the lingering hickey on his neck.

"Harper? What are you doing here?" He frowned, instantly putting on his Alpha authority. "Did someone give you a hard time again?"

I shook my head, staring blankly at the man I had loved for seven years.

"Sterling," I asked softly, "do you really love me?"

The smile on his lips froze.

He avoided my gaze, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

"Stop this nonsense, Harper. I have an important cross-territory pack alliance video meeting at noon." He waved me off dismissively. "Be good. Go back to the Packhouse and rest."

Right then, the door to the inner lounge in the office was pushed open.

The young girl from the video last night swaggered right out.

She was wearing nothing but one of Sterling's oversized white shirts.

It was unbuttoned down to her chest. Her collarbones and pale neck were heavily covered in vicious bite marks left by an out-of-control Alpha.

Barefoot, she walked provocatively up to me.

With those exact same eyes as Chloe, she looked me up and down.

"So you're the Luna about to be crowned?" She covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes wildly arrogant. "Well, you saw it. You know who is truly the most important person in the Alpha's heart."

I didn't say a word. I just turned to look at Sterling.

This top-tier Alpha, who cared so much about the rules, showed absolutely no intention of scolding her.

My silence completely enraged the girl.

A vicious glint flashed in her eyes.

Suddenly, she spun around and grabbed the pure silver letter opener displayed as a trophy on the desk.

Without a second thought, she slashed the silver blade hard across her own forearm!

Blood instantly gushed out. She threw the blade at my feet and stumbled toward the door.

"Help! Alpha, save me!"

She screamed hysterically into the hallway.

"This crazy bitch is jealous that I look like her sister! She tried to ruin my face with silver!"

It was an extremely cheap, childish trick.

Normally, anyone who dared pull this kind of stunt in front of Sterling would have their neck snapped instantly.

But she looked too much like Chloe.

Silver burned shifter skin. The foul stench of charred flesh filled the room.

Sterling smelled it.

He looked up and saw that face, so much like his first love, covered in tears of pain.

His sanity shattered.

A terrifying, Alpha-level fury swept through the office like a hurricane.

He charged at me like a crazed beast.

His thick arm clamped down on my wrist, gripping so hard he almost crushed my bones.

"What did you do?!" He roared at me like a madman, his eyes bloodshot.

"Sterling, she cut herself." I looked at him calmly.

"Shut up!" He completely lost his mind, violently throwing me against the wall.

He shielded that girl behind him, looking at me like I was disgusting trash.

"You dare use silver on her? Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

He cursed at me, trampling my seven years of dignity into the dirt.

"You're just a filthy half-breed! You have no right to even be compared to Chloe!"

The very last shred of hope in my heart finally crumbled into dust.

But his rage wasn't over.

He glared at me through gritted teeth and cruelly spat out the most vicious curse.

"Instead of choosing you, I wish to the Moon Goddess you were the one who died to the rogues back then!"

Something inside me finally snapped.

I didn't cry. My heart didn't even ache.

That was good.

He finally told the truth.

And I finally got the answer I wanted.

I looked at his face, twisted in anger, and gave a completely understanding nod.

"I got it."

I turned around and walked cleanly out of the office.

No hysterical arguments, no pleading tears, and absolutely no lingering attachment.

Sterling probably thought I would crawl back to the Packhouse, lick my wounds in secret, and obediently put on my dress for the coronation tonight—just like the countless times before.

But he was wrong.

I walked out of the building. I didn't look back. I flagged down a car.

"The airport," I told the driver. "And hurry. I need to change my ticket to the earliest flight."

I didn't want to breathe the same air as him for another second.

Hours later. The airport waiting hall.

I sat in first-class.

The flight was headed to Halo City.

Outside the window, the night sky was endless.

Goodbye, my pathetic seven years.

The flight attendants were doing their final safety checks.

The cabin doors closed. The plane taxied toward the runway.

I pulled out my phone to turn it off.

Ding.

An unexpected text flashed on my screen.

And in one second, my hard-won peace shattered all over again.