Chapter 2

Ethan didn't return until noon the next day.

He wasn't alone.

Trailing behind him was a girl in a camel trench coat, a suitcase resting beside her hand.

Vivian...

I first met Ethan during our college years.

Back then, he was already the Alpha heir of the Blood Moon Pack.

The first moment we stood near each other, the wolves inside us awakened almost simultaneously.

That pull from the depths of our bloodlines was completely irresistible.

Once we discovered we were fated mates, we quickly fell in love.

Only later did I learn that long before I ever came into the picture, there had already been a girl by Ethan's side for twenty years.

I told myself countless times that they were just friends.

Until proof of his blatant favoritism was shoved in my face again and again.

On my birthday, I waited three hours for him at a restaurant, only to receive a text:

"Vivian isn't feeling well today. I'm going over to keep her company."

Another time, I was shivering in bed with a high fever, and he promised he would come home to hold me that night.

Yet Vivian said she was terrified of the thunderstorm.

So he went to her instead.

I confronted him so many times.

Every single time, he would only sigh with exasperation:

"Elia, she really is just a friend. Stop overthinking."

Then he would take my hand, reassuring me:

"You and I are fated mates. You're the one who will be my Luna."

So I convinced myself over and over, ignoring every red flag that tore at my heart.

Looking back now, being his fated mate never changed who truly mattered most to him.

"Elia."

Ethan's voice snapped me back to reality.

"How are you feeling?"

I looked up.

"I'm fine."

He glanced at Vivian behind him, his tone carrying an edge of defensive explanation: "She terminated her apartment lease to move abroad, and her hometown is too far away. She doesn't have a place to stay right now."

"Can she stay with us for a while?"

After graduating from college, Ethan and I had moved into his apartment.

I had personally decorated every corner of that home, but now, none of it mattered to me anymore.

I said flatly:

"Whatever."

Vivian's eyes instantly welled with tears, and she gently tugged on Ethan's sleeve.

"Ethan, is Elia upset? Maybe I should just leave."

Ethan immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her.

"It's fine."

Then, he turned to me, frowning:

"She's my friend. You should show a little more grace toward my friends."

I looked at him.

In my past life, hearing those words would have devastated me.

Now, I simply nodded.

"Okay."

Standing behind Ethan's back, Vivian stared at me, the corners of her mouth curling into a sly, triumphant smirk.

A moment later, she murmured softly:

"Ethan, I'm kind of hungry. I haven't had your cooking in so long."

Without a second thought, Ethan took her suitcase. "What do you want to eat?"

She beamed. "Anything you make is fine."

"Let's go home then. I'll cook for you."

They walked out together right in front of me.

He had promised to stay and look after his injured mate, but the moment Vivian showed up, he forgot every word.

Left alone in the quiet hospital room, I couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle.

I was discharged five days later.

Throughout those five days, Ethan never visited once, nor did he send a single text.

When I unlocked the apartment door, the first thing I saw was Vivian lounging in the living room.

She was wearing my pajamas, wrapped in my favorite throw blanket.

My laptop was resting on her lap, and beside her was a cup of coffee Ethan had freshly brewed for her.

Seeing me walk in, she froze for a split second.

"Elia, you're back?"

My gaze locked onto my laptop.

Stored inside were years of my research files, along with several werewolf genetics papers left behind by my father.

A wave of anger flared within me as I stepped forward and snatched the laptop away.

"Who said you could touch my things?"

Vivian's eyes turned red immediately.

"I'm sorry..."

She turned tearfully toward Ethan.

"I just felt cold, so I borrowed your blanket... and Ethan was the one who told me I could use the laptop."

I looked at Ethan. His brow furrowed in disapproval.

"Elia, don't be so petty. You're going to be the Luna of our pack one day. You need to learn to be generous."

Always this.

The second Vivian's eyes turned red, I was automatically the villain.

Suddenly, I had nothing left to say.

I simply opened the laptop and quickly ran through my files.

My research papers were still there, untouched.

I snapped the laptop shut and said quietly:

"It's fine."

Ethan seemed surprised by how calm I was.

"You're not mad?"

I shook my head. "No."

Because there was no point.

I had already decided to leave.

In four days, I would be at the Werewolf Genetics Research Institute in Boston.

All I wanted was to leave smoothly without drama, though for some reason, an unsettling dread crept into my chest.