Chapter 4

Flames tore at Rae's skin. Scalding, thick smoke choked out the last bit of oxygen in her lungs.

Dragging her bloodied body, she crawled onto the third-floor terrace and pushed open the fire door.

Freezing rain hammered down on her, washing away the blood dripping from her forehead.

Rae leaned against the third-floor railing and looked down.

In the rain-drenched front yard, Colton burst through the flames, holding that Persian cat.

Tessa, sobbing hysterically, threw herself into his arms and clung tight to his waist. Colton handed her the cat and pulled her close, comforting her with soft eyes full of concern.

What a sweet couple, enduring life and death together.

And Rae, his lawful mate, stood in the fire and rain three stories up—a tragic, pathetic spectator.

The last spark of light in her eyes died. Her dormant wolf let out one final, agonizing whimper as it slipped away.

She opened her fingers, releasing her grip on the railing, and fell straight down.

CRASH!!

The brutal impact tore through her bones with blinding pain. Rain mixed with her blood, spraying across the lawn.

When she opened her eyes again, a sterile white ceiling met her vision, filled with the harsh smell of disinfectant.

"Rae! You're awake?!"

A raspy, panicked voice exploded beside her.

Colton bolted up from the bedside. His gorgeous, proud face was pale and bloodshot, covered in fresh stubble. Fear and desperation bled out of his red eyes as he reached out to grab her hand.

"Rae, how do you feel? Doctor! Call a doctor!"

Rae stared at him, cold and detached. A split second before his fingers touched her, she pulled her hand away.

Colton froze in mid-air. Tears welled up in his eyes, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry... Rae, I'm so sorry! The fire was too fast. I just wanted to grab the cat real quick. I didn't think you... Why did you jump from the third floor?!"

"You were the only one up there! If you had stayed put, I would have come back for you right after saving the cat! How could you gamble with your life?! You almost died!"

"If the pack hospital didn't have wolf medicine to heal you, do you think you'd be sitting here fine?!"

His frantic questioning was laced with raw panic and fury.

Rae looked at him quietly. No sorrow, no heartbreak—not a single flicker of emotion in her eyes.

"Because I'm tired," Rae's voice was dry and scratchy, like sandpaper. "And I finally see things clearly."

Colton's pupils shrank. His tall frame shuddered hard. "What did you see clearly?"

"Colton, I expect nothing from you anymore."

The words were soft, but they drove straight into his chest like a poisoned blade.

Colton went deathly pale, veins bulging on his temples. He grabbed her by the shoulders and roared, "What do you mean, nothing?! I am your Alpha! Your husband! You carried my baby!"

"The baby died a long time ago," Rae interrupted, her eyes dead quiet. "The day you locked me in the panic room for Tessa, you killed him with your own hands."

"I..." Colton looked drained of every drop of energy. His lips quivered, unable to form a word.

Right then, her phone rang loudly on the nightstand.

"Tessa" flashed across the screen.

Colton panicked and tried to decline the call, but his finger accidentally swiped to accept.

"Colton... sob... I'm so scared..." Tessa wept hysterically over the speaker. "The mansion burned down... I'm alone at the hotel with an injured leg... Can you please come stay with me? Without your pheromones, I can barely breathe..."

Colton gripped the phone tight, his eyes darting frantically between the screen and Rae.

"Rae, Tessa is badly hurt, and she's emotionally unstable right now..." He lowered his voice, looking at her with a guilty, begging look. "I'll go handle this real quick. Wait for me. In a few days, I'll take you to visit your mother's grave myself, okay?"

Hearing that familiar promise, Rae let out a soft laugh.

"Colton, do you know what day it is today?" Rae stared at him, her eyes as cold as a corpse.

Colton blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"Today is the anniversary of my mother's death," Rae said calmly. "And it's also the anniversary of Tessa's coming-of-age ceremony."

Colton's face changed completely.

"In the four years we've been bonded, every single year on this day, you used business trips as an excuse to fly to New York and celebrate with Tessa," Rae exposed every lie, tearing away his fake mask. "You never went to the cemetery with me once. This year, you don't have to pretend anymore."

Colton felt like his mind blew wide open. Unprecedented terror and humiliation flooded his face. He tried to explain frantically, "No, Rae, listen to me! Back then, I just..."

"Colton, your Tessa is waiting for you."

Rae closed her eyes slowly, curling away from him without another word.

Colton stood frozen by the bed. Hearing Tessa's shrill crying over the phone and looking at Rae's cold, unyielding back, he felt a wave of chaotic frustration rush through him.

"Get some rest. I... I'll be back soon."

He threw down those words and rushed out of the room in total panic.

Hearing the door click shut, Rae opened her eyes and pulled a backup phone from under her pillow.

The screen lit up with a fresh itinerary reminder:

[Dear Ms. Rae, your private flight to London is ready. Departure is in exactly 48 hours.]