Chapter 6

Only one day remained before my departure.

At ten minutes to ten in the morning, I sat on a bench in the cemetery with a bouquet of white daisies.

My pup's name was engraved on a tiny tombstone.

It wasn't Noah.

I had given him a new name, Ian.

I recalled how, long ago, Lucien had circled that name in a fairy-tale book and told me that if we ever had a pup, he would personally read bedtime stories to him.

At exactly ten, my phone rang.

Lucien said he was already on his way.

I told him to turn right after entering the cemetery and look beneath the birch trees in the third row.

At twenty minutes past ten, Mom messaged me to ask if I'd taken my shawl with me. Kayla couldn't find anything suitable to pair with her dress.

I told her it was on the second shelf of the hallway closet.

At twenty minutes to eleven, Ella asked whether I had taken my medication on time.

I sent her a photo of the pillbox.

At eleven, Lucien finally called.

His voice was very soft. "Erin, I'm sorry. Kayla fainted while sorting through Daniel's belongings. I got a call and had to make a detour."

I heard someone calling his name through the phone.

He covered the receiver for a moment. When he spoke again, he sounded exhausted. "The healer is examining her. Find somewhere warm to wait, and I'll come a little later–"

"Take your time."

I tightened my grip on the bouquet and continued speaking before he could. "Actually, don't bother coming. I'll finish reading the story."

He fell silent.

I heard him draw a breath as if he wanted to say something. "Erin, I–"

"You should get back to what you're doing."

After hanging up, I placed the flowers in front of the tombstone and finished reading the fairy tale to my pup.

In the story, a pup who had lost his way finally found his way home.

By the time I reached the last page, my hands were so cold I could barely turn it.

Deep inside my consciousness, my wolf gently nuzzled me.

"We should get going too." I slipped the book into my bag.

When I returned home that afternoon, I packed the last few pieces of clothing into my suitcase.

Lucien had stopped by. A bouquet of daisies sat on my nightstand next to a note.

He wrote that Kayla was fine now. He would make a brief appearance at the party and come straight home afterward. He told me not to wait for him to eat, but to stay up so we could talk when he returned.

I placed the note beneath the photo of us that was taken when we first got together.

In the photo, I had just been brought home by my parents and didn't know what to do with my hands.

Lucien was holding one of them. He smiled widely without holding back.

I gently touched his face in the photo, but I didn't take it with me.

At eight that evening, photos from the newborn pup welcome party began appearing on the pack's Instagram account.

My parents stood beside Kayla, while Ella stood near the pup's car seat.

Lucien was a little farther away and holding his phone.

A second later, I received a message from him.

[Have you eaten anything?]

I looked at the half-eaten piece of bread on the dining table and replied to him.

[Yes.]

[If you're tired, go to bed first. I'll be home as soon as I can.]

I didn't reply again.

At half past nine, I returned the house keys and the access card to the study.

The butler stared at the tray in surprise. He then glanced at my suitcase.

"Luna, what are you–"

"The handover checklist is in the study. Please check everything tomorrow morning. If anything is missing, contact the Werewolf Council officer."

He stood there while slowly tightening his grip on the edge of the tray.

I thanked him, picked up the wooden box, and walked out the front door.

This time, a car was waiting for me outside.

Pamela, the healer assigned to me by the Werewolf Council, was inside. She propped up a cushion for me before allowing the guards to load my luggage.

Throughout the drive, no one asked me to wait another two minutes for someone else.

At eleven, I arrived at the service center beside the highway checkpoint.

The officer confirmed my decision one final time. The Alpha King's representative began removing my mark while Pamela monitored my condition.

The familiar warmth I had felt for three years gradually turned into a sharp, needle-like pain.

My wolf let out a low whine.

I knew she was reluctant to let go.

Lucien's wolf had once licked the wounds on her paws. On snowy nights, he had even used his own body to shield her from the wind.

I gently soothed my wolf. 'It's all in the past. Don't let yourself suffer anymore.'

At two minutes to twelve, the representative completed the final step of the mark removal.

Once midnight arrived, the mind-link connection would be disconnected, and our mate bond would officially be severed.

I settled back into the car and placed my pup's wooden memorial box on my lap.

There were three missed calls on my phone, and they were all from Lucien.

He had probably returned home by then.

Another message appeared immediately afterward.

[Why did you leave the keys behind? Where are you?]

I stared at the screen without replying to him.

The barrier at the highway checkpoint slowly rose.

The officer glanced at the clock and pressed the send button.

The farewell letters I had written to four people, along with the complete medical records, were sent out together.

My parents received the request I had made that night, asking them to come and sit with me for a while.

Ella received the record of the request she had declined.

After receiving the mate bond severance notice, Lucien would see our pup's name and the farewell documents I had signed alone.

He would also learn that the chance he had missed that day was our last opportunity to keep a promise to each other.

Only a few seconds remained until midnight.

The pain in my neck suddenly shot into my chest, and I could barely keep hold of the wooden box.

Pamela steadied my arm. I raised my hand and touched the mark as it began to fade.

Almost simultaneously, Lucien desperately reached out to me via our mind-link connection.

Thirteen days of delayed fear and grief finally flooded through without restraint.

"Erin, wait–"

Midnight arrived. The escort vehicle passed the highway sign marking the border of Silverpine Pack's territory.

Lucien's voice was cut off behind me.

Holding my pup's memorial box, I left Silverpine Pack's territory.

My phone lit up again.

Calls from Lucien, Dad, Mom, and Ella came one after another.

The four werewolves I had waited for in vain that night were finally all looking for me.