Chapter 3

Stella noticed the drastic shift in Alexander's mood, and her expression stiffened briefly.

Soon, she broke into a smile. "You're quite lucky, aren't you, Ms. Sage? You have two amazing brothers who care so much about you. I can't help but feel envious. I think Alex is great. Perhaps you should consider—"

"That's ridiculous. Lolo is my sister!" Alexander said with a frown, his eyes full of helplessness despite her unfinished sentence.

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I've only ever seen Alexander as my brother. Ms. Lockhart, you shouldn't joke about things like this again. Honestly, I think you two are more suited to each other than I am."

Alexander's face instantly went ashen. He ground his teeth and enunciated, "Yeah? Should I introduce you to someone else, then?"

"That'd be great. Thank you, Alexander," I answered softly with a gentle smile, without a hint of resistance on my face.

With a loud crash, he overturned the glass on the table. He seemed not to notice as he strode toward the door without even saying a word to Stella.

She muttered an apology and hurried after him. Before leaving, she shot me a long, intense glance, an expression I couldn't quite read.

My chest tightened, and an inexplicable unease settled.

Meanwhile, the always clueless Christopher didn't realize a thing. He simply grumbled, "What's wrong with him this time? That temper of his never changes! I don't even know how he managed to find a mate!"

Indeed—seven years together, and I had tolerated his temper endlessly. Thinking back now, I realized I had been foolish.

I didn't continue talking to Christopher about him. Instead, I brought up my plans for further study. "Hey, Chris? I'm planning to book a flight three days from now and head to Northmoon early."

He blinked in surprise. "So soon? I thought the semester wasn't starting for another month. This is all happening so fast… You haven't even told Alex about your plans."

I shook my head lightly, speaking both to him and to myself. "I don't have to. He doesn't need to know, anyway. My matters are no longer his concern."

…

I assumed my life would no longer intersect with Alexander and Stella from then on, but the day before I was to leave, she personally called me to the edge of the forest, saying she had something important to tell me.

I hadn't wanted to go, but she seemed to anticipate my refusal and said outright, "I figured your relationship with Alex isn't ordinary. If you don't want your brother to find out, you'd better come."

A strange tightness gripped my chest. I honestly didn't want Christopher learning about my messy past with Alexander right before I left.

That day, Stella wore a bright, flowing dress. She looked radiant. The first thing she said when we met was blunt, almost accusatory. "Willow, I knew you had something going on with Alex!"

My heart sank, but I still denied it. "He's always just been a brother to me. How could there be anything between us?"

There never should've been anything beyond friendship between us. Denying our relationship was nothing more than returning to where it all started.

Stella looked dubious and refused to let go. "Really? You don't like him at all? Aside from me, you're the she-wolf he's closest to. If there was nothing between you two, why would he be so close to you?"

"I really don't. He's only close to me because he's best friends with Chris. Besides, he told me himself that he plans to hold a mating ceremony with you, for the sake of your pup."

Ever since I died alone and miserably in my previous life, I had decided to let them have their wish and be together.

Delight flashed across Stella's eyes, but a strange, unsettling smile quickly replaced it. "He really said that? I don't believe it. To see if you're telling the truth, I'll first have to do… this."

As she spoke, she suddenly stepped closer to me. A bad feeling surged through me. I turned to run, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me alongside into the swamp.

Mud and water rushed up around us, carrying rotting leaves and a fetid stench. I struggled on instinct, yet the harder I fought, the faster I sank. A swamp had no bottom, and it gave no one time to react.

My breathing fell apart. Beside me, Stella screamed, stretching her hand toward the forest path. That was when I saw two figures sprinting toward us—Alexander and Christopher.

In a daze, I watched Alexander rush to Stella without hesitation. He plunged half his body into the swamp and dragged her out of the sucking mud.

What was I even hoping for?

Thankfully, Christopher arrived in time and pulled me free. As I watched Alexander's retreating figure, I refused Christopher's suggestion to take me to the infirmary.

Hoarsely, I said, "Take me straight to the airport, Chris. I want to get out of here now."

My luggage had already been packed, so I changed my flight to the earliest available. After taking a quick shower, I left the pack without looking back.