Chapter 4

Damian was a wolf who respected rules, but for Scarlett, he broke the rules of Unclaimed Moon again and again. He did not return to the Alpha residence after the party that night.

I sat beside the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the central district of Moonridge territory, feeling strangely calm. Time seemed to slow as I erased every trace of us from the residence.

Through an encrypted call, I contacted my family's legal counsel. Within forty-eight hours, I started the process of separating all our shared assets.

On the fifth day, Damian called me with the roar of a sports car loud in the background. He sounded breathless as he asked where I had put the silver-inlaid dagger engraved with the Moonridge Pack crest, while I was throwing one of our photos into the fireplace.

I told him where it was in a distant voice.

On the tenth day, he sent someone to pick up several custom suits. I walked into the music room, where our limited-edition vinyl records were kept, and snapped them across my knee one by one.

On the twentieth day, he sent roses from far away to wish me a happy birthday. At the time, I was watching the auction house carry away the two custom pianos we had bought together.

They had once belonged to a famous composer and his mate, who were said to have spent their lives playing duets on them.

On the thirtieth day, I had the nursery dismantled. The soft cradle, the expensive comfort toys, and even the warm wallpaper were stripped away from the room I had secretly prepared for two months.

Just as the last truck drove out of the underground garage, the keypad by the door beeped.

Damian was back.

He wore a black shirt with the top buttons slightly open, and the scent of another she-wolf still clung to him. I hated that scent.

He opened his arms with a smile, certain I would still be unable to resist him. "Aurora, the month is over. I'm back. Thank you for waiting."

I did not rush into his arms as I usually did. I did not cry, sulk, or ask where he had been.

He smiled again. "Are you too happy to speak, Aurora? Did you miss me that much?"

I thought about it for a moment before answering. "No."

I was not happy, and I had not missed him.

The smile at the corner of his mouth stiffened. He tugged at his cufflink with irritation and strode inside.

"Why does this place feel so empty?"

His sharp gaze swept across the hallway before landing on the newly emptied room. A flicker of curiosity crossed his face, and he walked toward it.

"You finally opened it? You always kept it locked and said it was a secret." He laughed softly, his tone teasing. "What, did you fill it with portraits of me?"

He pushed open the door, and his smile froze. "Why is it empty?"

Because you came too late.

He seemed about to ask me what I wanted for dinner when his phone rang. The sound echoed through the residence, now hollow and cold.

I could clearly hear the voice on the other end, weak, tearful, and broken by static.

"Damian, help me! The Blackwater wolves cornered me at the docks. They're carrying silver weapons!"

Damian's expression changed at once, panic rising visibly in his eyes. I folded my arms and watched him, waiting for his choice.

He did not hesitate for even a second. He turned and walked straight toward the door.

When his hand closed around the handle, he glanced back at me and spoke in a casual, self-assured tone. "Aurora, this is life or death. Give me one more day. There are thirty-one days in July, so this doesn't break the rule."

I almost laughed at the irony.

Usually, he insisted on using every minute of those thirty days. But now, for her, he was desperate to claim even one more second.

"Aurora, you have to wait for me. Just one more day."

This was not truly about life or death. With Moonridge Pack's intelligence network, a few guards could have handled it, and he did not need to go himself.

The answer was obvious. He wanted to go, and for her, he was willing to fight for even one more day.

I watched him leave and let out a soft, empty laugh. "Goodbye."

The door slammed shut. I followed him out immediately, suitcase in hand.

I could not wait another day, not even another second.