Chapter 4

On the day the merchant team departed, Mom prepared breakfast for the whole family as usual.

When I came downstairs with my luggage, she was busy cutting meat.

She paused when she saw my bags. "Going off with the merchant team again?"

I hummed softly in response.

She turned back to her cutting board, the knife in her hand never stopping. "How long will you be gone?"

"Quite a while."

Mom put a pot on the stove and began preparing soup. "Don't take doing business with the merchant team too seriously. As a shewolf, you still need to take care of your family. Besides, aren't you supposed to have your marking ceremony with Virgo next month?"

I said nothing.

She then asked if I wanted some soup before leaving.

"Mom, Selena is busy. She doesn't have time to drink soup. Give me some instead!" Sierra rubbed her eyes and wandered over. It looked like she'd just woken up.

She stretched lazily. "Have a safe trip and come back soon, Selena! I bought pastries for everyone."

Gripping the suitcase handle, I paused briefly.

She immediately raised both hands in surrender. "Don't get the wrong idea. There isn't a prank this time. I swear to the Moon Goddess."

Dad walked over with a smile. "Look what you've done to Selena. She's so traumatized by your tricks that she doesn't believe a word you say anymore."

Sierra stuck out her tongue while seeming completely unconcerned. "Well, that's because she's gullible and falls for everything."

Everyone laughed.

Right then, Virgo happened to walk in.

He saw my luggage and casually asked, "Heading out with the merchant team again?"

"Yeah."

"When will you be back?"

I glanced at him and shook my head. "I'm not sure."

He frowned. "How can you not know that? How do you even run a business?"

He picked up a bowl of soup Mom had served and began drinking.

Nobody asked where the merchant team was going.

Nobody seemed to think that I might never return.

Just as the merchant team's vehicles were about to depart, Sierra suddenly called me.

She was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. "Selena! Come home quickly! Dad fell down and hit his head on the corner of the table. He's bleeding so much!"

Her desperate sobs rang in my ears.

My heart clenched instinctively.

One of my teammates looked at me with concern. "Selena, why don't you go home and check on them?"

I was silent for a moment.

Then I asked, "Have you contacted the healer's den?"

Sierra's crying faltered. "W-What?"

"If there's so much blood, why didn't you call the healers to come and treat him?"

Silence fell on the other end for a moment.

I then heard a burst of laughter.

Dad's booming voice rang out. "Well, look at that! You've finally gotten smarter!"

Mom laughed too. "See? I told you she wouldn't fall for it again."

I lowered my gaze.

Even on my very last day at home, they were still placing bets on me.

Sierra's laughter came through the phone. "Hey, Selena, are you still in the merchant team's vehicle? You really have gotten smarter! I even bet with Virgo that you'd jump out of the vehicle and run home immediately."

Virgo's voice followed. "I bet ten minutes. I know her. No matter how angry she gets, when it comes to her parents, she won't be able to bring herself to ignore them."

Their grating laughter echoed in my ears.

Suddenly, I started laughing too. "Fine. Go ahead and enjoy yourselves. Make the most of it."

Sierra paused in surprise. "Selena, what do you mean by that?"

I hung up directly.

Two minutes later, Mom sent me a voice message.

Five minutes after that, Virgo called.

I turned on the 'Do Not Disturb' mode on my phone.

The merchant team's cargo had already been loaded.

One of my teammates waved me over. "Selena, we're counting on you once we get there."

I smiled and replied, "Sure."

I then picked up my phone, left the family group chat that had been pinned to the top of my messages, and turned off family location sharing.

As the merchant team's vehicles crossed the pack border, I took one last look at my messages.

Virgo's texts kept appearing one after another.

[Selena, that's enough now.]

[Your mom made your favorite oatcakes. Everyone's waiting for you to come home and eat.]

I remained silent for a moment.

I then switched off my phone.

I looked out the window as the scenery passed us by.

The pack grew smaller and smaller behind me.

They were still trying to trick me.

They were still expecting me to do what I'd done every time before.

They thought I'd panic and run back without a second thought even when I knew there was a chance they were lying.

They thought I'd drop everything and go to them at the first opportunity.

But this time, I wouldn't look back.