Chapter 2

Zoe, on the other end of the line, sounded both surprised and thrilled. "Really? Tessa, I'm so proud of you!

"But that project's going to be really tough. The pack you're heading to is in the middle of a war. Will your Alpha even let you go?"

I gripped the phone tightly and said with great strength, "It doesn't matter if he agrees or not. This is my decision."

The moment I hung up, a wave of dizziness hit me.

The side effects from the bone marrow transplant came crashing back. I leaned back, hoping to steady myself against the wall. But the second I took a step back, I hit a solid chest.

I froze.

Cayden was frowning. "Who were you on the phone with? What project?"

I steadied myself and lied calmly, "My mentor was asking if I wanted to join the pack's medical support team."

He didn't ask more. He just said in a commanding tone, "The blood transfusion surgery's scheduled for next week. I'm bringing Rosie home so I can take care of her until then.

"I don't want to see any more of those drawings of me in the study. The last thing I want is for Rosie to get the wrong idea."

I turned my head away and dug my nails into my palm, using the pain to suppress the storm in my chest. Then I quietly said, "Okay."

The drawings he thought were nothing but a mess actually contained every bit of my love and longing, with every line shaped into the image of him.

But to him, they were just pieces of clutter that needed to be cleared out.

He seemed satisfied with my obedience. Without another word, he turned and walked into the ward.

An hour later, he was carefully helping Rosie into the car, holding her as if she were made of glass.

She slid into the passenger seat like it had always belonged to her.

I was stunned for a moment. Just as I reached for the back door, the car sped off without even a pause.

I stood there frozen. My phone buzzed, and I looked down to see a message from him.

"Rosie has OCD. She doesn't like the smell of strangers. You should find your own way home."

I stared at that text as the light in my eyes slowly faded.

I flagged down a cab. The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror and asked with concern, "Miss, is your face okay? Does it hurt? Do you need to see a healer?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine. It'll heal soon."

But deep down, there was a bitter sting.

It turned out that a total stranger could be more thoughtful than someone who was supposed to be my family.

At least he asked if my face hurt.

I opened the door of the villa as soon as I got back. Cayden was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw Rosie lounging on the couch, turning over a medal of honor in her hand.

My blood ran cold.

It was the only thing my late father left me. I had always kept it locked up in the safe, too precious for even me to touch unless absolutely necessary.

I rushed over, reached out my hand, and said coldly, "This belonged to my father. It's all I have left of him. Give it back. And why were you in my room?"

She gave me a disdainful glance, but before she could respond, Cayden's voice came from the stairs. "Why couldn't she be?"

He walked down slowly, looking down at me from above. "Rosie is my fated mate, and she'll be the lady of this house. She gets to do whatever she wants and go wherever she likes.

"If she wants to live in your room, you don't get a say."

I was shaking with rage.

Rosie got even cockier now that she had his support. "It's just a stupid medal. Here, take it."

She tossed it carelessly toward me.

I immediately reached out to catch it, but the medal slipped right through my fingers and hit the floor with a sharp crack, shattering into pieces.

"No!" At that moment, my heart broke too.

It was the last connection I had to my father.

I didn't understand. Was falling in love with my fated mate really such an unforgivable crime? Why did it feel like I wasn't even allowed to keep my father's final gift?

Maybe someone like me didn't deserve happiness.

I shoved past Rosie, dropped to my knees, and desperately tried to piece the medal back together, but it was no use.

She stepped back like she was scared, putting on a pitiful act and shrinking to the side.

Cayden frowned. He looked like he'd never seen me fall apart like this before. He was just about to help me up when Rosie grabbed his sleeve and said softly, like she was hurt, "Tessa's not going to make things hard for me over this, right?

"What if she refuses to go through with the transfusion?"

In the blink of an eye, Cayden's face went cold. "Enough. She didn't do it on purpose. Just let me know how much it was worth. I'll pay you back."

"Pay?" I looked up at that cold, distant face. All of a sudden, I laughed, but it was the kind of laugh that sounded more like crying.

I gently gathered the broken pieces of the medal, stood up, and said, "Forget it, Alpha. It wasn't worth anything."

Nothing was worth anything to people who didn't know what it meant.

That medal was just like my love for him, both worthless in his eyes. I should've let go a long time ago.

And with that, I turned and walked away.

Cayden stood frozen in place, stunned by the title I hadn't used in years, "Alpha".