Chapter 3

When Kellan came back, I was standing alone on the balcony.

He saw the wound on my knee and frowned immediately.

"Does it still hurt?"

He grabbed some bandages, crouched down, and carefully wrapped my knee.

"Evelyn, Serena is family to me. You shouldn't treat her like that."

I looked down at his still-damp hair. "So she's family now? The kind you hold while you're both naked in the Moon Spring?"

Kellan stopped what he was doing.

"Who told you that?"

"Serena—your 'family,' of course. She told me the treatment only works if you're naked."

I emphasized the word "family." "Kellan, you make me sick."

Kellan's jaw tightened, and he slowly stood up.

"It's just part of the treatment.

"She's my healer, and I'm her patient. That's all. I've never crossed the line.

"You're really going to kick her out over this? She's an Omega raising a son on her own. Where's she supposed to go?"

The mate bond pulled tight in my chest.

Kellan's bottled-up anger crashed over me like a wave.

I shot to my feet. "Of all the treatments available, you had to choose this one? Did you ever think about how I'd feel?"

Kellan lowered his head. After a long pause, he muttered, "I'm used to it. It's the treatment that works best."

I was so angry I laughed.

"So I'm supposed to just put up with it? Even when you humiliate me in front of everyone? What did you promise my father back then?"

Kellan flinched.

He obviously hadn't forgotten.

Following the Moon Goddess's guidance, he'd traveled all the way to the Blackcliff Pack to find me.

In the Moon Goddess's temple, before my father, the Alpha of the Blackcliff Pack, he'd sworn the most solemn vow he could make.

"As long as I live, I'll never let anyone mistreat Evelyn."

Looking back now, it had all been a lie.

Kellan stayed silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "I'm sorry. I didn't think things through when I gave her the moonstone necklace.

"But Serena can't leave."

I stared at him, and the hope that had just flickered in my chest slowly went cold.

He avoided my eyes, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere to rest." He didn't look back. "I need some quiet tonight."

Whenever we fought, Kellan ended the conversation with the same excuse.

He'd say he needed somewhere quiet to sleep.

I'd always thought he was just avoiding the fight and giving us both time to cool down.

It wasn't until my people looked into it that I learned what his "quiet" really meant.

It meant falling asleep in Serena's arms.

"Going to hold Serena while you're both naked again?"

Kellan's voice rose sharply. "Can you stop making everything sound so filthy?"

Suddenly, I didn't have the strength to fight with him anymore.

"My mother arrives at the White Moon Pack tomorrow," I called after him. "You're coming with me to meet her."

Kellan finally stopped.

"I have pack business to deal with tomorrow."

I stared at his tense back, and my heart kept sinking.

"You have to come. It's basic courtesy."

Kellan stiffened for a second, then opened the door and left without a word.

He thought I didn't know.

Tomorrow was Serena's birthday.

He'd already made plans to take her boating on the icy river in Moonshadow Valley.

His pack business was just an excuse.

And he definitely didn't know that my mother was coming because of the message I'd sent.

The next day, I waited and waited, but Kellan never came.

I reached out to him through the mind-link more than 12 times, but I got nothing back.

With no other choice, I took my attendants and set out for the border on my own.

My mother's party was already waiting at the border.

She stepped down from her carriage, looked around, and her eyes landed on the empty road behind me.

"Where's Kellan?" Her smile faded a little. "How could he let his Luna ride out to the border alone?"

I gripped the edge of my cloak and forced a smile.

"Something came up. He'll be here soon."

Then I reached out to Kellan through the mind-link. "Come meet my mother. Once she's settled in, you can go.

"If you come, I promise I won't try to force Serena out of the pack again."

My mother and I would leave with the Blackcliff reinforcements.

After seven years in the White Moon Pack, all I wanted was to leave with some dignity.

This time, Kellan answered right away, "Okay. I'll be there in 30 minutes."

30 minutes later, Kellan showed up.

But Serena was right behind him.