Chapter 8

In the past, no matter how heartbroken I was, I was always willing to wait silently for Ethan to turn back. He had long grown accustomed to me always following behind him.

Everyone around him said that I would never leave him, that she couldn't survive without the protection of an Alpha. He truly believed that too.

I pulled my suitcases, preparing to leave.

Just then, Ella's gentle voice rang out, carrying a smug tone. "Ethan, you're here!"

She rushed over and tightly linked her arm with Ethan's, pressing most of her body against him. She brazenly rubbed her scent onto him as a way to stake her claim.

"Has the rash gotten better?" Ethan asked.

He brushed aside the stray hair on her forehead and carefully checked her over, his gaze gentle as if he was looking at something precious.

"Much better." Ella looked up and smiled. "Ethan, don't be mad at Ivy."

As she spoke, she hugged his arm and gave it a light shake. "Actually, it's my own fault for being so weak. If I weren't so frail just after my first shifting and allergic to a common herb like evening primrose, the Council wouldn't have made me swap rooms with Ivy.

"Ivy wouldn't have taken her anger out on me then…"

"How can you blame yourself? She's just narrow-minded, like some savage Rogue." Ethan glanced at me and deliberately pulled Ella into his embrace, releasing calming pheromones.

"Let's go inside. You just recovered. We can't have you catching a chill," he said gently.

Ella nodded happily. "Okay."

I watched the two of them leave, holding each other like they were joined at the hip. My heart didn't stir, feeling as dead and calm as still water. Even my wolf turned away, not wanting to witness this disgusting scene any longer.

…

After Mom's memorial passed, Dad didn't return to bring me back.

And in the blink of an eye, Ethan's full-moon shifting had arrived.

In previous years, I would've long prepared the herbs and rituals to help soothe the frenzy during an Alpha's shifting.

I also would've gone to great lengths to arrange the grandest banquet for the full moon, meticulously setting up the traditional ceremony for werewolves.

But this time, I prepared nothing. Neither was I going to the celebrations for him again.

At five in the afternoon, I was in a car on the way to the airport. New messages started pouring in on my phone one after another.

Dad asked, "Why aren't you here yet? Linda, Ella, and I are already at the pack house. Ivy, you need to be magnanimous. Ethan will be the future Alpha, and we're allies. If you don't come, what will outsiders think? They'll think you two are at odds, and it'll hurt the family's image."

I found it utterly laughable. I didn't reply to him at all and simply blocked him.

When I was about to board the plane, I suddenly received a text message from Ethan.

"Why aren't you here yet? All the pack members are waiting for you. My wolf is also restless, and he needs you to calm him."

I smiled at the text. Without replying to his text, I blocked all his contacts everywhere as well as the contacts of all the pack members.

Then, I walked through the boarding gate and never looked back.