Chapter 3

I was out cold in the old stone house all night.

When I woke up, I was back in my own bed.

Mia sat beside my bed, her eyes puffy from crying.

"Dr. Mercer came by."

"What did he say?"

"He said you lost control of your shift because your fated bond was just acting up."

I looked at my wrist.

The silver burn was still there.

"He didn't mention this?"

Mia shook her head.

I laughed a little.

I wasn't surprised at all.

People in this territory were far too used to making excuses for Damian.

That morning, Noah burst in with his two younger brothers.

The moment he saw me in bed, he blurted out, "Are you really running away with another wolf?"

I slowly sat up.

"Who told you that?"

"Everybody knows."

His eyes were red with anger.

"You made Dad look bad."

I looked at the faint old scar on the back of his hand.

He'd gotten it the first time he tried to shift.

He'd been terrified that night and cried nonstop. Cecilia had just given birth to her youngest and was still recovering, so I'd held him for half the night.

He'd lost control of his claws and torn the skin on my shoulder.

I'd laughed it off and told him that even the strongest wolves struggled with their first shift.

Now he obviously didn't remember.

"Noah."

"What?"

"If I really went back to Grant territory, would that make you happy?"

He barely hesitated.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because if you leave, Mom won't be sad because of you anymore.

"And Dad won't keep coming to see you."

I nodded.

"Okay."

Noah didn't seem to expect me to agree so fast.

That afternoon, Damian sent someone to tell me I had to attend the public ceremony for Noah that night.

He said the rumors from the night before had already spread, and if I didn't show up, it would only make things look worse.

Mia was so angry she was ready to start yelling.

I stopped her.

"I'll go."

"You can barely stand."

"One last time."

I changed into a simple long black dress.

I didn't wear the Holt pendant.

The hall was packed.

Damian sat at the very front, with Cecilia standing beside him and Noah between them.

Everyone was celebrating the start of Noah's training as heir.

From the back row, I could see it all clearly.

For seven years, Damian had only ever been "fair" behind closed doors.

He'd come keep me company.

He'd give me the best of everything.

He'd sit up all night with me when I was sick.

But when it came to building a future, he'd always chosen someone else.

Why had I ever thought his visits to my room meant I was somehow different from my sister?

Halfway through the ceremony, my hands started shaking.

I reached for the edge of a table to steady myself, but my nails suddenly lengthened.

A sharp pain shot through my fingers.

Someone cried out.

Just then, Cecilia came over to steady me.

Before I could pull my hand back, my claws raked across her forearm.

Blood ran down her arm at once.

"Cecilia!"

Damian was on his feet instantly.

Cecilia pressed a hand to the wound, but her first words were in my defense. "Don't blame Evelyn. She had a bad scare last night.

"She might not have recovered yet."

Everyone around us got even more tense.

I could smell how wary they were.

The next second, a powerful wave of Alpha dominance bore down on me.

"Kneel."

Damian gave a single command.

My wolf was already very weak.

My knees buckled, sending me crashing to the floor. I braced myself against the cold stone tiles, barely able to hold myself up.

Damian's expression shifted.

"Evelyn?"

But with so many people in the hall, he still didn't take back the command.

"Go wait in the lookout hut for an hour."

His voice softened a little. "Once your wolf settles down, I'll come get you."

I gripped the edge of the table and pushed myself to my feet.

When I got to the door, I stopped.

"Damian."

He looked at me.

"Accept my rejection."

The whole hall went silent.

Cecilia looked up too.

"I'll return to my pack," I said slowly. "You'll never have to see me again. I won't interfere with the succession or anyone's mate bond."

Damian's face darkened.

"No."

I'd known that would be his answer.

But hearing him say it still felt ridiculous.

"Why not?"

"You're my fated mate."

"You already have a chosen mate."

"One doesn't rule out the other."

"Of course it doesn't. Not for you."

He took a step toward me.

"I can give you something else."

I looked at him.

"I don't want anything else.

"I want you to accept my rejection."

Damian was quiet for a long time.

In the end, he still shook his head.

"I can't."

In that moment, I finally understood everything.

"So you don't actually need me?" I asked.

He frowned.

"You just want to keep me tied to you forever."

"Evelyn."

"Enough."

I turned and left.

Back in my room, I picked up the Holt pendant I'd worn for seven years.

Mia took it, her hands shaking.

"You're really going to reject him?"

"Yes."

"But your health..."

"I know."

She burst into tears.

I was strangely calm.

"Mia, other people have made too many choices for me.

"Let me decide this last one myself."

An hour later, I was taken to the old lookout hut on the hillside.

Not long after, word came from the main house.

Noah was running a high fever, and his wolf was restless.

Damian rushed to Noah's room.

He said he'd come get me once Noah was stable.

Mia hurried through the snow to bring me the news, watching closely for my reaction.

I just smiled a little.

"Of course he'd go. Those are the people he's really afraid of losing."

Once I'd said it, I realized I wasn't even sad anymore.

I didn't want it anymore. I didn't want any of it. It was time to cut all ties.