Chapter 7 Reluctant Sisters

Aeris' POV

It turned out that Freya was my mom's other daughter. To make things worse, Caius was supposedly her fiance.

The realization struck me so hard that my vision went black for a moment, and I nearly fainted again.

Mom went over, smiling as she held Freya's hand. It was just as she had held mine when she led me into the house. The motherly touch I had yearned for for years was just a simple routine gesture for Freya.

"Sorry about that, Aeris. I'll apologize for her, alright? This is Freya, your elder sister."

Mom was apologizing? And on Freya's behalf?

I forced myself to look at Mom's face. She smiled at me apologetically and pulled Freya closer to her. Then, she wrapped her arms around Freya dotingly.

"Freya, this is my daughter and your younger sister."

I didn't move, and no one spoke. The atmosphere took an awkward turn.

Freya clearly had no desire to acknowledge me as her sister. And the truth was, neither did I.

Mom's eyes darted quickly between us, trying to ease the tension. But before she could speak, a pup's shrill cry broke the silence.

A nanny walked in carrying two pups. One was the boy I had once glimpsed, Zack. The other was a little girl who seemed slightly younger than him. Both of their faces were red and tear-streaked. The nanny handed the girl to Freya.

Freya quickly took her, her expression softening instantly. Holding the girl close, she soothed her gently, "Shh, Chloe. I'm here. Mommy's here."

My fists clenched. If my pup had survived, she…

Caius, unexpectedly, reached for the boy. With practiced ease, as though he had done it countless times, he lifted him up. His gaze softened in a way I had never seen before. It was gentle and tender like the serene moonlight.

He patted Zack's back gently and asked, "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

This supposedly warm scene was a heart-wrenching sight to me.

My pup had died, yet Caius was playing father to Freya's pups. What was I to him? And what about my pup? She had been innocent!

Rage and grief surged turbulently inside me, tearing me apart. I shot to my feet and snatched Zack out of Caius' arms.

But when I looked at his face, I froze.

He looked just like Caius. In fact, they were too much alike. He had the same slightly wavy dark brown hair. His olive green eyes, which were exactly the same shade as Caius', were brimming with tears now.

His cheeks were flushed from crying. He looked nearly a year old. His little hands flailed as though searching for something. He had initially been struggling in Caius' arms. But the moment I held him, he miraculously piped down and stayed still.

"This is your pup?" I asked, whipping my head toward Caius.

I stared at him unblinkingly. I didn't blink even when my eyes felt sore, as I didn't want to miss even a flicker of his expression.

Caius didn't look at me. His gaze was fixed warily on Zack, as though afraid of what I might do to him.

"Yes," he said.

That word shattered me. Pain ripped through my stomach, and I could feel my soul fracturing.

And then, it happened again.

That strange, crushing force drained me in an instant. Chunks of black filled my vision. My fingers trembled uncontrollably.

The pain was unbearable. I accidentally bit through the inside of my cheek, causing blood to spill in my mouth. My throat convulsed and wanted to expel everything.

With the last of my strength, I forced myself to shove Zack back into Caius' arms. Then, I staggered toward the bathroom at the fastest pace I could manage.

I collapsed over the sink and vomited. Blood poured out, streaked with small clumps of what seemed to be internal tissue. Weakness overtook me, and I slid down limply to the floor. Cold sweat drenched my forehead. My mind went blank.

My condition was worsening.

I didn't know how much time had passed before I finally managed to crawl up, rinse my mouth, and smear lipstick on just to put some color back on my face. I couldn't let anyone notice that I was a dying woman.

"Perfect," I said to myself as I forced a smile at the broken figure in the mirror.

So, Caius had started seeing Freya a long time ago. They had been together long enough for her to bear pups nearly the same age as the pup I lost.

I had been blind to all of that, lost in my excitement at becoming a mother.

I washed my face and straightened myself up carefully in the mirror. I even wiped away every trace of blood from the sink before stepping out of the bathroom.

The moment I opened the door, I realized that Mom had been waiting outside.

She asked with concern, "What's wrong, Aeris? Are you unwell?"

I forced a smile, gripping the doorframe for support. "It's nothing. I just felt nauseous. I feel better now that I've thrown up."

Mom sighed in relief. "Good. Let me introduce you. This is Freya's fiance. His name is—"

"I know," I cut her off, looking up. "Caius Everett. Who doesn't know him? He's the youngest Alpha the Darkclaw pack has ever had."

"Yes. I heard he defeated all the challengers single-handedly and emerged as the only victor. He's managed the pack so well, too. Caius is young, but he's really capable," Mom praised.

I sneered. "Indeed, he's capable. In fact, he's so capable that he has started planning a mate-bonding ceremony before even getting a bond severance. Who else would dare do something so outrageous?"

Mom froze. Her expression stiffened. She seemed to realize something, though disbelief clouded her face.

"Aeris, what are you saying? When has Caius ever had a mate? No one's ever heard of that."

"He's unmated? Then, where did this mark come from, Caius?"

I lifted my wrist to show them the golden-brown wolf paw print that was our bond mark.

Caius' expression darkened considerably.

I pressed tauntingly, "Go on, Caius. Tell Mom what kind of relationship we share."

He was silent for a long moment.

When he finally spoke, his tone was flat and detached. "It's in the past. We're in the process of severing the bond."

Years of love were reduced to just the past.

Even during our happiest times, he had already been having an affair. He even had a pair of twin pups with Freya, for crying out loud!

My chest heaved, and my breath became ragged. The hot and familiar metallic taste rose in my throat yet again. With the last of my strength, I pulled the ring box from my pocket and hurled it at Caius' face.

Tears streamed down as I screamed in a hoarse and raw voice, "Fuck you, you bastard! My biggest regret in this life is that I became your mate! I want a bond severance!"

The box struck his face, leaving a faint red mark behind. He didn't move. He just sat there like a silent statue. The box fell, tumbling across the floor and gathering dirt. The ring fell out of it and lay on the floor quietly like discarded trash.

I ran out.

It was raining again. I hadn't gone far before I collapsed on the wet ground.

Before my consciousness left me, a thought flickered in my mind.

My mother had another daughter now. Caius was about to become someone else's mate and some other pups' father.

No one cared about me anymore. If I died here, maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

There was nothing left in this world worth holding onto anyway.