Chapter 2

The hotel’s New Year’s activities began the next morning.

A huge wishing tree stood in the center of the courtyard, its branches covered with New Year’s wish cards written by the guests.

Beside it, a wall of love locks lined the covered walkway.

Couples could reserve a lock in advance, have their names and wishes for the future engraved on it, then hang it on the wall together.

When Rowan and I were eighteen, we made a promise.

Once I graduated from the Healer Academy, we would spend New Year’s Eve in the werewolf capital and hang our own love lock here.

I had reserved a spot when we checked in.

But now, all I wanted was to cancel it.

The staff member had just taken out the lock engraved with our names when Rowan walked up behind me.

He picked up the gold lock.

Rowan and Claire were engraved on the front. On the back were the words we had chosen all those years ago.

[From this year into forever.]

“Why didn’t you wait for me?” Rowan held the lock out to me.

I did not take it.

“Are you still angry about yesterday?” Rowan frowned. “You missed the celebration because your stomach hurt. Don’t blame anyone else.”

Ethan walked up behind him.

As Shadow Pack’s future Beta, he had always been calm and thoughtful. He was also the one who usually stepped in whenever Rowan and I argued.

“Rowan already promised to make it up to you next year,” he said evenly. “Claire, don’t let one accident ruin everyone’s morning.”

In the past, Ethan had stood between us to defend me.

Now he was still standing between us, but only to make excuses for every time Rowan chose someone else over me.

As though Ethan’s support had settled the matter, Rowan took my hand.

“Come on. Where do you want to hang it?”

He opened my hand and placed the cold lock in my palm.

I did not refuse again. I could not let him realize that I was leaving.

We had barely reached the love lock wall when Lily approached with a New Year’s wish card in her hand.

She glanced at the lock I was holding, then at the clock beside the wall.

Only three minutes remained before our reservation expired.

Her eyes gradually turned red.

“Rowan, could you help me hang my wish card from the highest branch?”

“Every New Year’s Eve, my mother used to help me write down my wish.”

“She’s gone now, but I want to hang the card as high as possible. Maybe she’ll be able to see it from there.”

Rowan immediately took the card.

“I’ll help you.”

The staff member reminded him,

“After nine, this spot will be given to the next couple.”

Lily could easily have asked a staff member to hang the card for her, but Rowan had already picked up the ladder beside the wishing tree.

“It’s just a lock. We can hang it another time.”

“Our reservation expires at nine,” I said.

Rowan frowned.

“Then we’ll make another reservation. We can come back next year.”

Next year again.

The proposal could wait until next year.

Our love lock could wait until next year too.

As long as I stayed where I was, everything he had promised me could be postponed forever.

Lily hurriedly grabbed his arm.

“Forget it. You should stay and hang the lock with Claire.”

She lowered her head and slowly pulled the wish card back.

“Mom has been gone for a long time. I can manage on my own.”

Rowan’s voice immediately softened.

“Don’t think like that.”

“I promised I would hang it for you. I’m not going to let you down.”

I said nothing else.

At exactly nine, the courtyard clock began to chime.

The staff member removed the reservation card with our names on it and gave the spot to the next couple.

Standing beneath the covered walkway, I watched Rowan climb the ladder and hang Lily’s wish card from the highest branch.

Ethan raised his phone.

“Lily, move a little closer to Rowan.”

The camera shutter clicked.

I handed the love lock engraved with Rowan’s and my names back to the staff member.

“Please dispose of this for me.”

She paused.

“Your names have already been engraved on it. Are you sure you don’t want to keep it as a souvenir?”

I shook my head.

“No.”

There was no point keeping a lock that had never been chosen.

After returning to my room, I canceled my flight back to Shadow Pack with the others and booked a new one to Blood Moon Pack.

The flight would depart at midnight.

By then, my permanent pack transfer would already be in effect.

And I would no longer belong to Shadow Pack.