Chapter 2

It was late at night. I was about to call it a night after showering when the door to my bedroom was pushed open.

Silas walked in, smelling like alcohol. He looked cheerful and seemed to be in a good mood.

"Go sleep in the other room." I sat on the edge of the bed. I didn't look up at him. "And don't wake Remus."

Silas slowly walked over to me, crouched down, and placed his hands on my knees. He looked up at me.

"Vera, are you upset?" He sounded apologetic. "I know it's our anniversary today, but I'm really not free. I'm sorry that I didn't get to spend time with you and Remus earlier."

He seemed so sincere, his face full of affection and his eyes filled with guilt.

If I hadn't discovered those secrets, I would've believed that he truly loved me too.

He leaned in, wanting to kiss my lips. The moment he moved closer, a strong scent hit me. Although the smell of alcohol masked it, my sense of smell was simply too sharp.

It was Eva's scent.

I turned my head, and the kiss that was supposed to land on my lips brushed past my cheek.

Silas didn't notice that I was acting strange, or, to be exact, he didn't think anything of it.

He produced an exquisite velvet box from his pocket and held it out to me. I opened it to find an emerald necklace inside, shimmering brilliantly in the light.

"It's an anniversary gift. I picked it myself. Do you like it?" He reached out, wanting to put it on my neck.

"Leave it." I stopped his hand. "I'll try it on tomorrow."

Silas' hand hung mid-air. He furrowed his brows, as if bothered by my lack of enthusiasm. He placed the box on my bedside table and sighed. "Alright, try it on tomorrow then."

A few seconds later, his gaze fell on my empty left hand. He grabbed it and asked in confusion, "Vera, where's your ring?"

"I don't like wearing the ring when I shower, so I put it in the drawer." I gave him a random excuse.

He stared at me, as if trying to determine if I was lying, but I just looked back at him calmly.

Silas had always been confident in my undying love for him. As expected, he just squeezed my hand without asking further questions.

"I'll go check on Remus." Then he walked over to the smaller bed, leaned down, and gently kissed Remus's sleeping face.

Who would have guessed that behind that loving, fatherly image was a wolf who couldn't even be bothered to come back and check on his pup when he had a high fever?

"I'm going to take a shower." He picked up a change of clothes and walked into the bathroom.

The moment the door closed, the phone I left on the bedside table lit up. The screen showed an unsaved number, but I recognized it immediately.

It was a message from Eva.

"Do you like the necklace? I picked it out especially for you. It suits you, huh?"

I snorted.

There she went again with the same old tricks.

I didn't delete the provocative messages Eva had sent me over the past year.

When I didn't reply, she sent me several more messages in a row.

"Why aren't you replying to me, Luna? Are you touched, or are you wondering whether you're the one he's thinking of when he hugs you tonight?"

"So what if you share a pup with him? He still chose to be with me on your anniversary."

"What's the point of you holding on to your position as Luna? He doesn't even love you anymore."

"Let's make a bet, shall we? Every time I send him a message, he'll leave you to come be with me."

I ignored her provocation and returned my phone to its original spot.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Silas came out, still damp from his shower. He pulled back the covers and lay down beside me, his hand sliding up my waist.

I grabbed his hand and stopped him. "I'm tired. Let's sleep." I turned to the side, my back facing him.

Silas froze.

Ever since I found out about his relationship with Eva, I no longer wanted to share any intimacy with him.

"Alright." He reluctantly pulled his hand back. "You're tired. Get some rest."

Half an hour later, I slowed my breathing, pretending to be asleep.

Sure enough, his phone started vibrating soon after. I heard him roll over cautiously and pick up his phone with his back to me.

I opened my eyes. My excellent night vision let me see everything clearly, even in the dark. On the screen was Eva's number, and her message was brief.

"Silas, I feel awful… My whole body is burning up, and I'm so dizzy. There's no one else home. Can you come keep me company?"

Silas stared at the screen for a few seconds. I could feel his body stiffen in the darkness. A few minutes later, he lifted the blanket and carefully got out of bed. Then he began to get dressed.

"What's going on?" I yawned, pretending that he had woken me up.

Silas paused while buttoning his shirt. He turned to look at me. A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes, but he quickly hid it.

"Yeah… Something urgent came up with the elders. I have to go."

"Oh, really? Then you'd better go."

He came over to my side of the bed and leaned down, his voice low. "I'm sorry, Vera. Thank you for always being so considerate."

He quickly kissed my forehead, then hurried out of the room.

Soon, the sound of a car engine starting came from downstairs.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

There was never any doubt about how this bet would end, but I no longer felt hurt by things like this.

I picked Remus up from his little bed and held him close as I drifted into a deep sleep.