Chapter 4

After the rain stopped, I went back to my home and pulled a book from the corner of my shelf.

A secret passage revealed itself on the floor with a deep rumble, exposing the stairs to the basement under the cover.

This had once been where my mother worked on her herbal remedies.

Back then, she had been one of the most gifted healers in the pack. After she was gone, all that remained was the bitter smell of dried hay and old medicine.

I went into the basement and slid down against the cold wall as I sat on the floor.

All the calm and jaggedness I had forced myself to have in front of Jason shattered piece by piece. The ache I had pushed down in my chest rose again, tears welling in my eyes.

It was not because of that dance.

It was not because of Lilian.

It was not even because of Jason yelling at me without finding out what had really happened.

The tears were for the young woman I once was, the one who offered out her heart and had it thrown to the ground, then blamed for getting in the way.

I cried so hard that I could hardly breathe, as if I wanted to empty all the pain and suffocation I felt in my two lives.

The wolf soul inside me let out a low whine, but didn't try to stop me. It simply stayed with me, sharing the weight in silence.

I didn't know how long I cried.

At long last, the pain in my chest slowly drained away. I pushed myself up, wiped my face roughly with my sleeve, and walked to the dusty wooden chest in the corner.

Inside were my mother’s notes as a healer, a few plain old outfits, and a small, sturdy backpack.

I saved a backup of Mr. Byrne’s encrypted recommendation letter, stuffed my most important medical manuals and my mother’s notes into the pack, and then changed into a dark-colored travel outfit that was easy to move in.

I folded my white healer’s robe with care and laid it at the very bottom of the chest.

Finally, I took off the diamond necklace around my neck.

It was the token of love Jason had given me. It was gorgeous and expensive, but it had never really suited me.

I left the secret passage and set the necklace down on my dressing table. Moonlight hit the diamonds and reflected a faint glimmer, as if it wanted me to stay.

I put on my backpack and didn't look back.

-

A few days later…

Jason paced the balcony of a banquet hall, a wineglass in his hand. The confusion and gossip from the rain during the festival had finally died down, and Lilian was smiling again.

Even so, the muted unease in his chest never went away.

There had been no word from Brenda for days. She hadn't posted anything on the pack intranet. Every message he sent her simply went unread.

He had been ignoring her on purpose, certain that she would act like always. She would show up on her own two days at most with her eyes red, asking to make up.

This time, she didn't.

"Alpha, are you still thinking about Brenda?" Lilian walked over with a glass of wine and leaned into his arms, her voice soft and sweet. "Don't worry, she's probably just sulking off somewhere, waiting for you to go to her. You know how she is. She makes a big scene, but in the end…"

A pack member who was passing by with a drink in his hand cut in with a grin. "Yeah, Alpha. Brenda loves you too much to really stay mad with you for long. She's probably just hiding at home crying, waiting for you to soothe her wounded pride."

The words sedated Jason, calming the uneasy feeling in his heart.

Of course. Brenda loved him so much, she could give up everything to the point that she barely had any pride left. How could she really leave? She was just throwing a tantrum and waiting for him to soothe her.

He had been a bit harsh, to be honest.

It was time to go see her.

"I'm heading out for a bit." Jason set his glass and picked up his coat.

Lilian caught his arm and looked up, her eyes bright, almost glittering. "Are you going to see her again? After she talked back to you like that and embarrassed you in front of everyone, do you still want to go to her?"

Jason patted her hand and said with a steady tone, "We need to clear the air. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

He drove to the small house where Brenda lived alone and rang the bell for a long time.

No one answered.

Jason could see that the place was empty through the window. The trash can was almost bare.

The unease in his chest appeared again. He unlocked the door and went inside.

When the lights came on, his heart skipped a beat.

The house was so clean, it barely looked like someone had lived in it. Half the clothes in the closet were gone. Everything Brenda owned on the desk had been cleared away.

Only the diamond necklace that had been their token lay alone on the dressing table, its shine mockingly harsh.

Jason's heart sank.

He turned around and ran back to his car before driving straight to the Healer's Association. As soon as he got out, he almost crashed into Byrne, who was just on his way out.

Jason forced down the panic in his chest and stepped in front of him. "Elder, do you know where Brenda is?"

Byrne lifted his eyelids and gave him a calm look.

"Brenda, you say?" the old man said slowly. "She's not here."

"Then where is she? When is she coming back?" Jason pressed.

Byrne looked at Jason, and he suddenly smiled, but it looked more like a sneer than anything genuine.

"Coming back? She left for a healer program in the Neutral Lands. Closed training. Won't be back for at least three years. So… Alpha Jason, do you need something from her?"