Chapter 2

"Alice! Wake up! Today's the last day to submit college applications! Don't sleep through it!" Alice's mother called out from the living room.

Alice's eyes snapped open. She looked down at her young, smooth, and blemish-free hands.

The calendar showed that it was March 3, 2026—application submission day for wolf college.

Alice pinched herself hard. It hurt. She leaped out of bed and ran barefoot to the mirror. Her 18-year-old self was staring back at her. She had gone back in time.

Suddenly, her mind-link buzzed. It was Alexander.

"Alice, I changed my application to Moonshadow Academy. Didn't you always want to go to the same school as me? Well, hurry up and change your application. Don't miss the deadline!"

His voice was exactly as she remembered. This wasn't a dream. She had really been given a second chance at life!

"Alexander, you know perfectly well that my dream has always been to become a remarkable healer. My goal is to enter the Royal Wolf Kingdom College of Medicine."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the mind-link.

"Alice, Anna's score can only get her into Moonshadow Academy. We agreed we'd go together, remember? Don't be difficult.

"Anyway, I've already planned a camping trip in the forest tomorrow with some friends. I'll pick you up in the morning. Make sure you submit your application to Moonshadow Academy!"

After cutting off the link, Alice stood by the window, staring at the harsh sunlight outside. The wound from those 50 years still throbbed dully in her chest.

She opened the application system and let the cursor hover over the Royal Wolf Kingdom College of Medicine for a few seconds. Then, she clicked confirm.

She decided then and there that she and Alexander would go their separate ways from that moment on. Neither of them would have anything to do with the other anymore.

…

Early the next morning, Alexander arrived at Alice's door right on time. With that well-mannered and warm smile, he quickly charmed Alice's parents, and they practically pushed Alice out the door to go with him.

Alice said nothing.

As soon as they stepped outside, Alexander asked, "Did you submit your application?"

"Yeah."

His eyes lit up. "Perfect! The three of us can be together again."

He reached for her hand, then pulled back halfway. His face twisted into an expression of guilt. "Alice, I'm sorry. I still can't get past the mate marking rejection disorder. But don't worry, I'll figure this out and make you my mate."

Alice looked at his deceitful face and felt a surge of absurd, bitter irony. It wasn't that he couldn't. He simply didn't want to touch her.

She moved toward the passenger seat, but he quickly moved to stop her. "Alice, Anna's coming too. She gets carsick, so can you take the back seat?"

Alice stayed silent and slid into the back seat without a word.

The car was filled with nightveil blossoms. She remembered carefully choosing fresh flowers to decorate his car in the past, only to have him refuse every time. Now, the whole vehicle bore the fragrance of nightveil blossoms.

Alexander chuckled sheepishly. "Anna was feeling down, so I put some flowers in here. I'll remove them later."

Anna sat in the front passenger seat with a sweet smile on her lips.

"Alexander, that movie we watched in the human town yesterday was so good. I cried my eyes out! Thankfully, you were there to wipe my tears and hold me the whole time to comfort me."

A while later, she said, "You must be thirsty from driving. Here, have some water."

Then, she passed him a water bottle, and Alexander took a sip from it.

"Oh no, I'm sorry! I grabbed the wrong bottle! That's mine. You don't mind, do you?"

He smiled indulgently. "It's fine. You didn't mean to."

As Alice watched their interactions, her nails dug into her palms. Alexander had an obsession with cleanliness. Back when she once accidentally used his cutlery, it took her three full days of comforting him before he stopped sulking. So it turned out that his cleanliness obsessions had exceptions too.

Anna blushed and tugged at Alexander's sleeve. "Alexander, I accidentally left my bra at your place yesterday. Can you give it back to me next time?"

"Well… I already washed it for you…"

He stopped abruptly, glancing nervously in the rearview mirror. "Alice, don't get the wrong idea. Anna—"

Before he could finish, Anna suddenly began coughing so violently that her face turned red. "Alexander... I feel terrible..."

Alexander slammed on the brakes.

Caught off guard, Alice lurched forward, hitting her forehead on the front seat. The skin broke, but he didn't even notice.

"Is it your asthma acting up again? Where's your inhaler?"

"I forgot it... Can you give me mouth-to-mouth? Please… I feel awful..."

Alexander hesitated and glanced back at Alice.

Anna's eyes welled up. "Never mind. I don't want to make things hard for you."

Alexander seemed to steel himself. His gaze was questioning as it met Alice's. "Alice, it's a matter of life and death. You won't mind, will you? I'm just trying to help. You're the only one I love."

Without waiting for her answer, he cupped Anna's face and kissed her.

Alice watched as their lips pressed together. Soon, the car filled with the sound of quick, ragged breathing.

What started as mouth-to-mouth soon turned into a passionate, lingering kiss. Every sound felt like a blade slicing deeper into Alice's heart.

She remembered how clumsy and inexperienced he had been when he first kissed her under the shooting stars that night. Afterward, he had sworn, "Alice, my kisses will only ever belong to you."

The neon lights outside the window stung her eyes, but she forced the tears back.

She just needed to hold on a little longer. This would all end very soon.