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Chapter 2

Author: AlphaGo
Blair knew my phone password.

At the last gathering, she borrowed my phone to take pictures for everyone. Noah told her offhandedly.

"Her birthday. Easy to remember."

I wasn't happy about it.

But he said friends shouldn't be so guarded with each other.

Now Blair unlocked the screen and opened my text thread with Noah.

[Cancel the wedding.]

[If you think Blair is more important than me, then go be with her.]

I lunged for it.

"Blair, delete that!"

She couldn't hear me.

The phone buzzed quickly.

Noah:

[Are you serious?]

Blair didn't reply. She tossed the phone back into my handbag.

The next second, the door was shoved open.

Noah stood in the doorway, his bow tie still crooked, his breathing uneven.

"Emma, what do you mean by this?"

I sat on the sofa without moving.

He waited a few seconds, his face slowly darkening.

"Blair went too far today. I already told her off."

"But threatening to cancel the wedding—isn't that going too far too?"

I stared at him.

Told her off?

When?

When I was struggling desperately?

Or when you all left me here alone and told me to cool off?

Blair's eyes reddened.

"Noah, don't fight with her because of me."

"It's all my fault. I just wanted to film a funny video. I didn't think she'd mind this much."

She lowered her head.

"Maybe I should go out right now and apologize to all the guests with a microphone. Tell them I ruined the Alpha's wedding."

Luke immediately frowned.

"Are you crazy? The neighboring packs are right next door."

Ethan was unhappy too.

"Who in the training camp hasn't been pranked? Why is it that when it comes to her, everyone has to be embarrassed?"

The training camp.

They treated getting a face full of cake as roughhousing between cubs.

But none of them considered that I wasn't one of their companions who could break a bone and recover quickly.

Noah's temples were tight from the arguing. Finally, he looked at me.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"Do you have to blow this up this far?"

I froze for a long time, then suddenly remembered three years ago, when my design studio won its first award.

At the celebration, Blair got drunk and laughed at me in front of the whole table.

"Emma's best at playing the good girl. Noah used to hate humans who break at a touch and need to be taken care of for everything. And then he fell for one."

That day, I stormed out in a rage.

Noah waited outside my door all night.

Just before dawn, I opened the door and saw him soaked to the bone, carefully protecting a freshly bought hot breakfast.

"You can be mad at me."

"But don't take away my chance to take care of you."

That was when I started to believe that Noah did love me.

He just hadn't learned yet where the boundary should be between friends and a lover.

One day, he would understand.

Now I knew. A person could love you.

And still, every time he needed to stand up for you, let you lose.

The makeup artist Claire came in suddenly.

She was a human I'd hired from the city. She'd been with me all morning and had just stepped out to grab a bite.

"Why hasn't her makeup been touched up?"

Blair stepped aside.

"You do it. She's mad. Won't talk."

Claire walked up to me. The moment she touched my chin, her hand jerked back.

"Why is she so cold?"

She stared at my half-open eyes, her face slowly changing.

"Emma? Can you hear me?"

Noah finally looked up.

"What's wrong?"

Claire reached to check my breathing.

Blair suddenly wedged herself between us.

"She's doing it on purpose."

"We just played a joke on her, and she's been holding it against us."

Claire frowned.

"But her face—"

"Enough."

Noah cut her off.

"There's nothing wrong with her. Please step out for a moment. Let us talk alone."

Claire didn't move immediately.

Noah's voice turned colder.

"I know her."

Those four words stabbed into my heart like a needle.

You know me so well.

And you couldn't even tell I was dead.

Someone outside urged again.

"Noah, nineteen minutes left!"

Claire hesitated, then pulled her hand back.

She was just an ordinary person hired to work in the territory.

Standing in front of her was the Alpha of this land.

In the end, she picked up her makeup case and retreated.

Noah walked up to me and crouched down again.

His anger seemed to have dissipated.

He took a pair of folded slippers from his pocket and set them by my feet.

"You tried on shoes again yesterday and scraped your feet. After we exchange vows, change into these."

He paused.

"Emma, I don't want to fight with you."

"After we go home, I'll sleep in the guest room for a month if you want. But stop scaring me with breakups and canceling the wedding."

He held my hand.

"I'll take you seriously."

I looked at his slightly reddened eyes.

Noah.

You don't have to be afraid anymore.

I won't mention breaking up again.

And I won't be going home with you.
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