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ALANA’S POV

“Father went home because he had things to do there, but he promised to be back. He will return soon," Cameron answered.

I nodded at his words, but my heart was squeezing painfully, as if someone had wrapped a tight band around it. I tried to swallow the lump that formed in my throat, but it only made me feel more choked up.

My eyes burned with fresh tears that threatened to spill over, but I refused to let them fall. I didn't want to show any weakness or vulnerability. I wanted to be strong—for myself and my children.

Within me, I felt anything but strong. I was broken, shattered, and hollow. The room seemed to spin around me, amplifying a profound sense of loss. Kai’s absence had left a void in my soul like never before.

He had been the one to mark me as his mate, and he had left me again. He might have promised to return, but his departure was still a silent goodbye, and it hurt more than any spoken words could.

The pain was more intense than when he first rejected