Chapter 2

Evelyn's POV

The sun was up by the time I got to the airport. The lines were huge.

Just as I was handing over my boarding pass, my phone vibrated.

I didn't even get a word in before Ethan's shrill, crying voice blasted through the phone.

"I want bagels! The toasted ones! Now!"

I moved the phone away from my ear.

The same five-year-old who told me I wasn't good enough last night now wanted me to make him breakfast.

He didn't want his mom; he just wanted his favorite food.

"Come home right now!" he screamed between sobs. "You're never here! Charlotte says a good mommy is always home! You're a bad mommy!"

"Charlotte says." Always Charlotte.

She gave him the candy I didn't allow and let him play the games I said no to. She was always the "nice" one, while I was the one with the rules.

And the whole pack—from the Elders to the help—just let it happen. They all thought she was a better fit for Adrian anyway.

Even my own son thought I was the villain.

I heard some noise in the background, then Adrian's voice, deep and annoyed.

"Evelyn, where's breakfast? Where are you?"

"Adrian, the bond is broken," I said, my voice completely flat.

"Don't call me again."

I hung up and turned off the phone.

As the plane took off, I felt the weight of the last six years drop away.

"Don't look back," I told myself.

Five Years Later. St. Aurelia Medical Center.

Theodore's office still smelled like old books and bleach.

I put a thermal bag on his desk. The deep amber liquid caught the warm light through the glass, blending evening primrose, silverleaf thyme, and a guiding herb I had blended myself.

"Here are the tinctures for that patient. Three times a day for a week. The dosage is on the jars."

Theodore looked at the labels, his eyes widening. "You can't buy this stuff anywhere, Evelyn."

"That's because I made it myself."

He lined them up and looked at me. "Evelyn, since you're staying in town..."

"The new show starts filming soon. I'm the lead writer," I said, zipping up my bag. "I've got things to handle."

"That's not what I meant." He sighed. "The hospital needs someone to run the rehab wing. You're too talented to just be writing..."

"Theodore," I interrupted. "I love my job. You don't need to fix my life."

He started to say something else, but my phone rang.

It was my friend Lila. I waved goodbye and headed for the elevator. "I'm heading out. Make sure the patient drinks the tea before it gets cold."

As I walked into the elevator, I could still hear Theodore's helpless chuckle.

The elevator stopped halfway down.

The doors opened, and a huge shadow blocked the light.

I didn't look up. My phone buzzed again—a text from Lila, "Hey honey, I can't make it, but I sent my boyfriend to pick you up. He's almost there."

"No rush, babe," I muttered to myself.

I put my phone away, still not looking at the man standing there.

But I knew that scent. Cold, heavy, suffocating. An Alpha.

We hit the first floor.

I finally looked up.

Adrian. He was in a sharp navy suit, hair shorter than before. He looked harder, older, and a lot more intense.

He was staring at me like he'd seen a ghost.

"Excuse me."

I tried to brush past him.

Suddenly, his hand clamped onto my wrist. It hurt.

I was yanked to a halt, forced to stop, his aura making my calves start to tremble.

"Five years," he growled, his voice thick with rage. "You don't think you owe me an explanation?"

I looked at his hand, then let my own wolf's power flare up. It slammed into his, instantly pinning his Alpha aura down.

"Owe you?" I looked him in the eye. "For what? You're my ex, Adrian. The man I rejected. Remember?"

I laughed at the shock on his face.

"The bond is gone. My wolf is fine without you."

He winced, his jaw tightening.

"As Ethan's father, I have a right to know where you've been."

I tried to pull away, but he held on tighter.

So I stopped fighting and looked him dead in the eyes.

"I walked away from the kid too," I said, enunciating every word. "What makes you think you matter?"

"Evelyn!" He looked like he was about to explode.

Just then, a car pulled up and honked.

A handsome guy leaned out the window. "Evelyn! Here!"

Adrian lost it. "Is this why you left? For him?"