Out of Home, Out of Heart

When I walked into the office of Lucas Dravenhart, my Alpha mate, he was passionately kissing my stepsister, Isabella Hawthorn.They hadn't seen each other in seven years, and they were completely lost in the moment.Lucas had his back to the door, and Isabella was sitting on his lap. As expected, there were suppressant pills for the mate bond laid out on the desk."I waited seven years for you. You're finally back with me," he said in a soft tone I had never heard.Isabella half-opened her eyes and looked at me with utter contempt.I met her gaze and left in a hurry before Lucas noticed I was there.She had to be feeling pretty triumphant, thinking she had taken everything from me—both my father and my mate.My head buzzed, and Lucas' assistant was still yammering in my ear. "I told you his girlfriend's inside. What kind of rude person barges in at a time like this?"Lucas and I had been together for seven years. I traveled all the way from the Moonhowl pack to this faraway ci

The email confirming my résumé had been accepted arrived quickly, and the hiring manager invited me for an interview at a restaurant in the Moonhowl pack.My fingers lingered on the restaurant's name for a moment. It was the place Lucas and I used to frequent.Back when we had just become mates, it was our tradition to take Finn there every weekend.My wolf cleared her throat, pulling me out of my thoughts.Once I passed the interview, I would begin a new life in the Stormcrest pack. It was time to let go of the past.When I arrived at the restaurant's entrance, a luxury car pulled up in front of me.I recognized the license plate instantly, and my heart skipped a beat. I quickly stepped aside to hide myself.Finn jumped out of the car, followed by Lucas holding a bouquet of roses. They were both dressed formally as they walked into the restaurant lobby.Only then did I see Isabella was already there waiting.Finn rushed over and threw himself into her arms, hugging her as if

Lucas felt a little unsettled on the way back from the hospital. He kept replaying the look in my eyes and the expression on my face.He picked up his phone and told the hospital staff to take good care of me, finally easing his mind a bit.However, his wolf was still restless and uneasy.When he got home, Isabella was with Finn, eating junk food while playing video games.He frowned slightly. At this rate, Finn would never grow up to be a proper heir of the Alpha."Dad, is Mom okay?" For once, Finn sounded worried. "Mom's wolf is really strong, right? She'll be better soon, right? I need her to help me finish my school project.""She's fine," Lucas answered coldly, though his eyes were fixed on Isabella."She promised not to accuse you, but you really shouldn't have done that to her. We lost our pup," he said."You're still mad at me? I didn't know she was with pup! I thought her wolf would protect her. I was just getting back at her for you—she was on a date with another man

A month passed, and Lucas and Finn still hadn't gotten used to life without me.Lucas had grown used to the coffee I made. Without that familiar taste, he felt constantly irritated.Finn wasn't doing much better—his schoolwork and training were a complete mess, and he couldn't get anything right."I got third place, Dad." Finn sighed as he looked at the rankings from the combat competition."If Mom were here, I definitely would've gotten first."Lucas didn't have the patience to comfort him. The pack members had never stopped searching, but they still couldn't find any trace of me.After all, the Stormcrest pack was the most powerful pack in the Alliance. They had the means to protect the privacy of every teacher at their school.So, the two of them had no choice but to head to the award ceremony for the combat competition, held at the Stormcrest pack's largest arena.The ceremony ended in silence, and when Finn stood up, he suddenly caught a familiar scent.After turning his

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Lucas snarled, looking even more confused than I was."Lucas, we can still go back to how things were, right? I'm already pregnant with your pup. I'll definitely give birth to an outstanding heir," Isabella said.Isabella looked completely unhinged. The clothes she wore were tattered, and the hair she used to obsess over hadn't been brushed in a long time. It was just a wild, matted mess.It was the first time I'd seen her in such a pitiful state.From the day she stepped into our home, my father gave her the best of everything—a spot at the nobles' academy, expensive beauty treatments, designer clothes, and bags.Every time the two of us went out, people instinctively assumed I was the lowly Omega."I've said it before. I have nothing to do with you or your pup," Lucas said coldly.Just moments ago, Lucas had been begging me. Now, he seemed to have regained his Alpha composure.With a cold, emotionless face, he signaled to the people behind