Chapter 3

Two more days passed.

Cora was mostly recovered. Rhys finally remembered to visit me.

He walked into my room. It was empty.

A nurse was cleaning up.

"Where is the patient?"

The nurse looked up. "She's gone."

Hearing this, his Alpha possessiveness flared. He was furious.

He tried to reach me through our mind link.

But his mind was dead silent.

Usually, our bond hummed when he called. Now, it felt blocked by an invisible wall.

"You forced the bond shut? You've got nerve, Aurora."

Rhys shoved down his anger and went back to Cora's room.

Cora sensed his rage. "Is Aurora mad? Does she refuse to forgive you?"

"It's all my fault. I'll go explain everything right now. Don't let me ruin things between you two. She is your fated mate after all."

Cora rushed to get out of bed. Rhys stopped her at once.

"Don't worry about her. You just need to stabilize your power."

"Once you fully recover, your parents will be thrilled."

"As for Aurora, let her be. The mate bond is right there. Where could she run? Once she suffers enough, she'll come crawling back."

Rhys remembered how I begged before the surgery. It rubbed him the wrong way.

We were sisters. Why wouldn't I save her?

Seeing how Cora constantly thought of me, he felt I was petty and jealous.

He figured if I wanted to act like a brat and run away, he'd let me cool off.

He could always give me a way out during Cora's recovery party. It wouldn't be too late.

Inside the Alpha's office, the air was freezing cold.

Seeing Rhys's dark face, his subordinates shut their mouths.

Rhys felt something was off. "What were you all just talking about?"

Nobody spoke.

After a long pause, his Beta stepped forward. He bowed his head and spoke carefully.

"Alpha, we were just saying how deep your bond with the Luna is."

Rhys thought about how I gave up half my heart.

True, he forced me. But I still helped him. I saved Cora.

Thinking of this, he forgave my sudden disappearance. But my ignoring his calls still pissed him off.

The Beta saw the conflict on his face.

"Alpha, the Luna just had an organ removed. It's a female wolf's instinct to act out."

"Just release your calming scent and spend time with her. The mate bond will fix everything."

Rhys relaxed. The Beta made sense.

He bought my favorite pastries and went to our apartment.

"Aurora? I got your favorite pastries. Stop this drama. I forgive you."

No answer.

He put the pastries down. Then he saw it. The mate rejection letter I left on the table a week ago.

The moment he asked for my heart, I decided to sever our bond.

Rhys stared at the finalized rejection paper in shock. His golden eyes shrank into feral slits.

Was this really necessary?

All over a heart?

She wanted to break the mate bond over this?

Enraged, Rhys smashed the table to pieces. The pastries rolled across the floor.

"Fine! Good! Aurora, as long as you're breathing, you will never escape my territory!"

Just then, his phone rang.

"Rhys? Where has Aurora been lately?"

It was my father. He rarely called to ask about me.

Usually, he only cared about Cora.

Rhys thought for a moment. Only my parents could force me out of hiding.

Plus, Cora was almost fully healed.

So, he told my father about Cora's successful heart transplant.