Chapter 5

Two days remained before my departure.

Healer Pamela Deacon confirmed that my body had recovered enough for the bond severance, but I would still need continued rest after the procedure.

The council officer handed me my departure documents. "On your final night, make your way to the council hall service center beside the northern highway checkpoint at eleven.

"The Alpha King's representative will perform the mark removal there. Your mate bond will officially be severed at midnight, and Pamela will remain with you throughout the procedure."

She asked if I wanted to notify my mate in advance. "The Alpha King has already approved your application. Lucien's consent isn't required. Whether you want to tell him privately beforehand is entirely up to you."

I lowered my gaze to the electronic document on my phone, where the words 'Application Approved' were clearly displayed.

"Keep the schedule I selected when I submitted my application. Send the formal notification when the severance takes effect," I said.

I didn't want to hear another request to wait.

When I returned home, Ella was waiting in the living room.

She clearly wasn't expecting to see the suitcase on the table. "Are you really planning to leave?"

"Everything has been arranged," I said.

"Does Lucien know?"

Instead of answering her question, I asked her for the complete medical records from that night.

Her expression changed. "Why do you suddenly need those?"

"The healer in Northshore City needs to know my medical history."

It was a perfectly reasonable explanation, and she had no grounds to refuse.

She called the records department and asked them to send the files over. Even so, she couldn't resist adding, "Erin, no one deliberately chose not to be there for you that night. Kayla hasn't been doing well since Daniel died."

I opened the file and read through it page by page.

Attached to the emergency treatment records was a log of family contacts.

The first call had been to Dad.

He had answered and said Mom was comforting Kayla and would come over later.

The second call had been to Mom.

She had asked whether there was any point in her coming if the emergency treatment was already underway.

The third entry was a notification to Lucien about my condition.

The message had been marked as read.

There were additional notes farther down.

[The patient regained consciousness and requested that her friend Ella be contacted to stay with her.]

[Request status: Unable to leave another patient in labor.]

I stopped at that line.

Ella leaned over, saw what I was reading, and lowered her voice. "I thought you'd already been taken into surgery. I wasn't the lead healer, so there wasn't much I could have done if I'd gone over–"

"I know you weren't the lead healer." I looked up at her. "I was asking for my friend."

Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

She suddenly reached for my hand. It was the same way she used to when we were in school.

I transferred my phone to my other hand and moved out of reach.

That evening, Lucien found me in the bedroom.

When he saw the suitcase, he crouched down and placed a pair of soft-soled shoes inside. "It's cold up north. Don't bring those thin shoes again."

I watched him move, and my nose began to sting.

He smiled and gently held my ankle before helping me slip into my slippers.

"My assistant told me you checked the traffic conditions on the northern highway. I know you want to get away for a while. Give me a few days to arrange the pack's affairs, and I'll come keep you company."

"What if I don't wait for you?" I asked.

His hand stopped moving.

Silence filled the bedroom for a long time. "You're angry with me."

"Lucien, do you think I shouldn't be?"

He lowered his head. "You should."

It was the first time since we lost our pup that he hadn't followed up by explaining how pitiful Kayla was.

My tears finally fell.

He reached out and held me while carefully avoiding my wounds. "I'm sorry. I always assumed you'd understand. I kept thinking I could take care of whatever was in front of me first and make it up to you later."

I rested my forehead against his shoulder while breathing in his familiar cedar scent.

Once, that scent had helped me get through countless nightmares.

He rubbed my back and spoke in a hoarse voice. "I'll spend the entire day with you tomorrow. Let's go see our pup, okay?"

I closed my eyes.

It was a long time before I answered. "Okay. I'll be at the cemetery at ten in the morning."

It wasn't one last test for him.

I had already made up my mind to leave.

I just hoped that before I went, we could say a proper goodbye to our pup together.