Chapter 2

Katie slammed her hands on the table and jumped to her feet.

She seemed furious.

"How could he steal from you?

"He's a jerk!"

I gently patted her head.

"The world isn't just black and white."

After the funeral, I didn't sleep for days.

I desperately tried to prove that everything was a lie.

I buried my parents and used the last of my money to hire private investigators.

The truth they uncovered sent a chill down my spine.

Shane had been right.

We really did owe him.

That ambush years ago was part of my father's plan to injure Barry Lewis, Shane's father.

He'd then take the chance to seize part of Dark Wood Pack's territory.

But he hadn't expected the rogues to lose control.

My father could use pack resources to help Shane, yet he was also capable of sacrificing two lives for a little more territory.

Shane had endured everything while waiting patiently for his chance to take revenge.

Only then did I finally understand how deep the vengeance and hatred ran between Shane and me.

Katie's eyes welled with tears.

"But he treated you so well before.

"He's just as awful as my dad.

"He doesn't like the scent of flowers.

"And he doesn't treasure his mate."

She lowered her head.

"I've never seen my mom since I can remember.

"An Omega was the only one who took care of me.

"Today my dad is holding a marking ceremony with that Omega.

"She always tells me my mom was a bad person.

"But I don't think so."

Hearing the word Omega made my heart clench.

I was about to ask more when a loud crash came from the doorway.

Both of us jumped.

I looked outside and saw that the rogue was still there. He tried to pick up a shattered pot.

I was about to go help when the girl grabbed my hand.

She looked suspiciously out the door before turning back to me with a smile.

"Miss, don't worry about that man outside.

"Let that idiot clean it up himself.

"So Miss, did you just leave him like that?"

I recalled my memories again.

"I thought about it.

"But at that time, I was already pregnant."

The next time I saw Shane was a month later. It was at a healer's den in the Neutral Zone.

I had collapsed from exhaustion.

While unconscious, I smelled the familiar scent of cedar.

When I opened my eyes, Shane was sitting in front of me.

He looked away with tears in his eyes. His voice was hoarse.

"You didn't even know you were pregnant.

"Are you an idiot?"

The news of the pregnancy struck me like a bolt of lightning.

But the moment I thought of the blood feud between us, instinct took over. Using the last bit of strength I had, I pushed Shane out of the ward.

After leaving the healer's den, I quickly moved away from my old residence.

To avoid Shane, I even changed my name.

But he always managed to find me.

He forced his way into my cramped little room and placed the food he had hunted on my table.

No matter how I drove him away or how I yelled at him and hit him, he only stayed silently by my side.

It wasn't until late in my pregnancy that I collapsed for the third time from exhaustion.

For the first time, Shane forcefully picked me up.

"You can hate me if you want, but the pup is innocent."

He was right.

No matter how much I hated Shane, the pup was innocent.

I stopped struggling and moved back to the pack with him.

Shane settled me in the center of the pack territory. Even the bedding, the bed itself, and all the daily necessities had been blessed by the Moon Goddess during the full moon.

Not only that, but Shane even arranged for an Omega named Leah Allen to take care of me.

No one mentioned what had happened before I left.

It was as if everything had returned to the way it once was.

Shane and I were still the model couple of the pack.

One day, I saw Shane kissing that Omega in the living room.

That very night, my breathing turned chaotic.

My emotions spiraled out of control, and my water broke early, and I gave birth to my daughter.

I was so weak I couldn't even shift into my wolf form.

Shane nervously reached out and tried to touch my daughter's face, but I held her tightly in my arms.

I said coldly, "Shane, let's break the mate bond."

The candy jar in Katie's hands slipped and fell onto my lap.

I looked at her as if waking from a dream.

"Shane? That werewolf's name is Shane?" She asked blankly.

Her eyes were filled with tears.

I was confused by her reaction, but I slowly nodded.

"Yes."

Katie's lips trembled.

She suddenly stood up and held back her tears before asking me more questions.

"So after that, you ended the mate bond with him?

"You never saw him or your pup again?

"Did you ever miss your daughter?"

I wiped away her tears, but no matter how much I wiped, they wouldn't stop.

Her tears soaked through my apron.

"Katie, what's wrong?

"Why are you suddenly crying?"

She looked at me.

Her lips trembled pitifully.

I stared at her face, and my heart suddenly jolted.

It was as if I understood something, yet I didn't dare believe it was real.

I reached out and pulled Katie into my arms.

I continued telling the rest of the story.