Chapter 4

The banquet wasn't over yet, but I'd already lost any desire to stay.

I went upstairs alone and closed the bedroom door, shutting out the noise from downstairs.

In the middle of the night, I felt a warm body wrap around me from behind.

I opened my eyes and saw Caleb.

The dim moonlight fell across his sharply defined profile, and for a brief moment, I was lost in a familiar illusion.

It felt as though we'd gone back to the days when we'd first become fated mates.

Back then, no matter how late he worked on Pack business, the first thing Caleb did when he returned to our bedroom was pull me gently into his arms.

Even if I was already asleep, he'd carefully tuck the blankets around me.

I'd once believed those days would last forever.

But now, I immediately pulled away from him.

The scent that had once made me feel safe now only made me feel suffocated.

Caleb woke fully, frowning.

"Does that moonstone necklace really mean so little to you?"

He suddenly asked.

I looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"You know perfectly well that I made it for you as a symbol of your position as Luna, yet you casually gave it to Vivian."

He sighed.

"Elena, do you really have to make such a fuss over a necklace?"

I didn't answer. I simply pulled back the covers and prepared to get out of bed.

"I'll sleep in the guest room."

The next second, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back toward the bed.

His voice remained gentle, but there was an unmistakable air of condescension in it.

"I know you're upset because I let Vivian wear your necklace."

"That's why I came back tonight specifically to spend time with you. Stop throwing a tantrum, all right?"

So, in his eyes, I was still just jealous over a piece of jewelry.

In the past, whenever I noticed him favoring Vivian, I'd chase after him and demand an explanation.

I'd call him, wait outside his office, and even stand in front of his car when he tried to leave with Vivian, all just to get him to come home and have dinner with me.

But every time, his guards would stop me.

He would merely glance at me through the car window before driving away with Vivian.

Now, I no longer needed him to come home.

"I've gotten used to sleeping alone. Having you here actually makes it harder for me to sleep."

Caleb stared at me for a long moment, his expression gradually darkening.

Then he let out a cold laugh.

"Fine. It's not as if Vivian likes staying at her own house alone, either."

He picked up his phone.

"I'll go stay with her now. You don't have to worry about me being away from you anymore."

Only then did I notice his call history on the screen.

He and Vivian had been talking for over an hour.

After ending the call, he looked at me.

"Since you enjoy being alone so much, since you're so independent, I'll take Vivian on a two-week trip."

"I assume you won't mind?"

I nodded calmly.

"Not at all."

Whether he took someone else on a trip or never came back again had nothing to do with me.

I'd originally planned to find an opportunity to tell him that the baby was gone and there was no need for another prenatal appointment.

But watching him hurry out of the room, I suddenly realized the truth no longer mattered.

When the baby was still alive, he hadn't had time to listen to me.

Now that the baby was gone, I had no reason to tell him.

After the door closed, I packed the last few pieces of clothing into my suitcase.

This time, I wasn't waiting for him to come back.

The next morning, the Pack's family doctor called me.

He had no idea I'd already suffered a miscarriage.

"Ms. Winslow, your prenatal appointment has been scheduled for nine in the morning, seven days from now. Alpha Caleb specifically asked me to arrange it. He said he'd accompany you himself."

I was silent for a few seconds.

"Please cancel it. I won't be needing it."

The doctor seemed to sense that something was wrong.

"But Alpha Caleb told us you only postponed the appointment because you were upset with him. If that's the case, we could..."

"Please cancel it."

I hung up.

Tonight, I'd be arriving in the Northern SilverMoon Alliance, officially joining their research center.

Before leaving the estate, I placed three things on the bedroom desk.

The agreement dissolving our mate bond.

My transfer papers from Blackthorn Pack.

And the medical report documenting my miscarriage.

Then I picked up my suitcase and walked away without looking back.

Before boarding my flight to the North, I drank the potion that would sever my mate bond.

As the potion took effect, my wolf let out a pained howl inside me.

Just then, Caleb reached me through our mind-link. His voice was filled with panic.

"Elena! What are you doing?!"

"Why is our mate bond breaking?!"

"Tell me! The agreement and the miscarriage report are fake, aren't they?!"