Chapter 2

The following morning, Silas left early to attend to pack business.

A little after 9:00 am, my phone buzzed. He sent me a hotel reservation confirmation.

[I’ve arranged for our trip after the engagement ceremony. We’re going to a mountain resort in the Northern Territories. The butler said the first ski slopes of the season just opened. I thought you’d love it.]

I stared at the words, my vision slowly blurring.

For the past six years, the slightest chill had been enough to send waves of excruciating pain through my injured knee.

I had never liked skiing. In fact, I rarely participated in any outdoor activities during winter.

The one who spent half of every winter at that mountain resort was Thea.

I placed my phone face down on the table and did not reply. Less than five minutes later, the screen lit up again.

This time, he sent me a long string of voice messages.

“Are you still upset about last night? Thea had too much to drink. She’s still childish at heart. Don’t take anything she said to heart.

“She grew up without parents and never had the chance to experience a proper ceremony. It’s only natural that she's curious about getting engaged. That wager was nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment game. Don’t hold it against her.”

Every single word was another excuse for Thea. I listened to them all, then let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.

It had been six years since I watched this same performance play out more times than I could count.

When Silas and I first got together, I voluntarily resigned from my position as my father’s advisor to put the Nightmoon elders at ease.

I gave up the cross-territory affairs I had already been entrusted to manage independently.

With two suitcases in tow, I moved to Silas’ city.

Back then, I genuinely believed that if we were going to build a life together, someone had to take the first step.

I had been more than willing to be that person. However, reality had slapped me in the face.

Silas’ mother, Evelyn, disapproved of how frequently I appeared at high council meetings. She thought it made me look anything but a proper lady.

Therefore, I willingly stepped behind the scenes and kept a lower profile.

When people whispered behind my back that I knew nothing of the Nightmoon Pack’s traditions, I shut myself away in the study and painstakingly memorized an entire stack of etiquette manuals from beginning to end.

For six years, I had done everything I could to prove that I was not trying to control Silas. All I had ever wanted was to become part of his family.

Once during a pack council meeting, someone openly challenged me. They accused me of using my father’s influence to interfere with the Nightmoon Pack’s internal affairs.

It was the first time Silas had ever stood up for me so fiercely in front of everyone. He abruptly called the meeting to a close, took my hand, and walked out without looking back.

That decision cost him the support of several influential elders. Yet all he said to me was, “Lyra, you should never have to suffer just to be with me. I’ll always have your back.”

Later, when I tried to establish myself through my own efforts, I managed to botch several projects in a row. Whenever frustration brought me to the verge of tears, he would pull me into his arms and gently pat my back.

“Stop pushing yourself so hard. I’m here. You don’t have to be afraid of anything.”

It was because he had once been so kind to me that I kept making excuses for him whenever Thea crossed a line and he asked me to take another step back.

He was just sentimental. He was simply too softhearted to turn her away.

Time and again, I clung to the memory of the Silas who had once stood up for me six years ago, using it to convince myself to endure the hurt he caused me now.

However, it was not until today that I finally saw the truth. For all these six years, I seemed to be the only one who had been making sacrifices.

I got to my feet and walked into the dressing room, pulling out the old suitcase I brought with me when I first moved in.

There was not much to pack, really. After years of compromise, so little of what I had once owned remained.

Just as I closed the suitcase, my phone began vibrating repeatedly. Thea’s name flashed across the screen, followed by a series of notifications indicating that encrypted files were being received.

[Lyra, I’m in a good mood today, so I’ve got a little present for you. Thought you might like to see just how thoroughly you’ve been made a fool of over the past six years.]