Chapter 1

On the third day after my miscarriage, Adrian finally came back to our villa.

I sat on the couch, still weak from the injury caused by losing my pup.

The moment Adrian saw me, his sharp eyes instantly turned cold.

"Selena." His tone made it clear that he was trying to suppress his anger. "Are you satisfied now?

"The Elders' Council just sent me a message. They said that I caused a strain on medical resources across the territory by taking the Saint-Tier Healer without authorization. They even reprimanded me for it. Who else would be petty enough to report me in this whole territory other than you?"

He walked over and stopped in front of me, looking down at me. He then said in a tone full of disgust. "Evelyn just lost her mate, and she's pregnant too. This is the period when she's the most vulnerable. You've never been a mother, so you don't know just how hard this is for Evelyn. Stop making trouble for me at a time like this and be a little more understanding, alright?"

I smiled faintly as the pain pulsed in my heart.

Evelyn had lost her mate, so Adrian became her protector. But… What about me? I had lost our cub, but I became his problem instead.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault," I said in a faint voice.

Adrian was stunned. He had probably expected me to argue with him hysterically. Maybe he had even prepared himself to face my accusations. Instead, my calm seemed to make him even more irritated.

He let out a sigh and tried to sound gentler.

"Good, as long as you know that. I picked this scarf out just for you. It's top-grade silk. You'll like it." He then handed me a pink scarf from a luxury brand.

My eyes instantly turned red.

I had already seen it in Evelyn's social media post half an hour earlier. This was the scarf she had left in the corner.

The caption was: [Adrian is always giving me these outdated things. They're so tacky. They're not even good enough to use as a leash for the stray dog next door!]

And on Evelyn's finger was the custom ruby ring Adrian had promised me for my birthday. He had promised me that ring for staying by his side for the past decade.

He had once said to me, "This ruby presents my utmost sincerity. Only the one I love most deserves to wear it."

He had taken the scarf that Evelyn treated like trash and given it to me as if it were some kind of reward. But he had given the one promise that was supposed to be mine to someone else instead.

"What is it? You don't like it?" Adrian asked with a frown when I did not take it.

I put the scarf away and forced out a smile. "I like it."

He let out a sigh of relief. As he walked toward the study, he asked casually, "By the way, you kept trying to communicate with me a few days ago, mind-linking me wildly. What was that about?"

I hid the despair in my eyes and answered calmly, "Nothing. I just wanted to ask if you were coming home for dinner."

The instant the door shut, I called Clark. "Are the arrangements done? I've made up my mind. I'm giving up my status as Adrian's mate and going to the Northern Ancient Wolf Research Institute."

Clark was delighted. As one of the few senior scholars in werewolf society, he had always hoped that someone as gifted as I would leave my worldly desires behind and devote herself to exploring the mysteries of ancient bloodlines.

"Selena, once you join the Research Institute, you'll never be able to come back. And once you sever the mate bond, you'll be in a lot of pain. Have you really thought this through?"

"I have," I said.