CHAPTER 3

By the time I got downstairs, Mrs. Vera had already found another reason to complain about me. She stood near the dining table, watching a maid arrange the plates, and the moment she noticed me, she pointed towards the kitchen.

"Don’t just stand there looking lost. Go and bring the food."

I swallowed the words I wanted to say and did as she asked. It was nothing new. I had learned that answering back only made things worse, so I kept my head down and carried the food to the table.

I had barely finished arranging everything when my phone rang. I hurriedly brought it out of my pocket and saw “My Forever” on the screen. It was Aiden.

After everything that had happened between us, I still found myself hoping he would call to explain, maybe even apologise for the way he had treated me or for what I had seen earlier. I knew I shouldn’t expect much from him, but a small part of me still believed there was something left between us.

I quickly answered the call.

"Amelia, come to the pack house now," he said.

His voice was cold, and I became scared, thinking I had done something wrong. "Is something wrong?"

"Do I need a reason to call you? Just come, and try not to ask too many questions for once."

The call ended before I could reply. I stared at my phone, feeling the sting of his words, but I still hoped he had called because he wanted to talk about us. There was something else I wanted to tell him too. It was about my wolf. Lately, she had been responding to me more often, stirring inside me at moments when I thought she was too weak to do anything. I wanted to ask Aiden if he had noticed anything different about our bond, but I wasn’t sure he’d even listen.

When I arrived at the pack house, a few members were gathered near the entrance. Their voices dropped as I passed, and I caught one of them looking at me with pity. My stomach tightened, but I kept walking.

Aiden’s office door was slightly open. I knocked once and stepped inside.

He stood behind his desk while Seraphina sat on the edge of it, looking perfectly at home. Her hand rested on his shoulder, and she slowly brushed a piece of lint from his shirt when she noticed me watching.

“What is she doing here?”

"You’re late," Aiden said, avoiding my question.

"I came as soon as I could."

"Of course, you always have an excuse for everything" He looked me up and down with an irritated expression. "You were raised in a decent home, yet you still carry yourself like someone who has never learned her place. You should have learned from your sister."

I stared at him, hurt by how easily the words came to him. "Why did you ask me to come, exactly? Was it to insult me or to talk about us?"

"Us?" he snapped. "You have so much boldness, don’t you?"

“If you have nothing else to say, I may take my leave,” I said.

Seraphina’s fingers moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck. She gave him a soft smile, then looked at me.

"Don’t be upset with him. He has been very patient with you."

"Patient?" I repeated, staring at her without showing much emotion.

Her smile widened just a little. "Well, some people aren’t meant to be together. You should accept that instead of forcing him to stay with you."

I looked at Aiden, then back at her. “You have no shame.”

Seraphina was about to reply, but Aiden stopped her. “There’s no need for that. Don’t waste your strength on something this worthless.”

“That’s not the reason you’re here, Amelia,” he said, glancing back at Seraphina as she gave a cruel laugh. “The next full moon, our separation will take place.”

For a moment, I couldn’t make sense of what he had said. "Our what?"

"I’m not going to repeat myself. You heard me right. It’s happening tomorrow at the pack ground."

"Can we at least talk about it first? I know things haven’t been good between us, but I thought…"

"You thought what?" he cut in. "That if you kept following me around and playing the unwanted wolf, I’d suddenly have pity on you and fall in love with you?" He let out a cruel laugh. "Dream on."

My cheeks burned. I didn’t even know what to say anymore. I could feel my wolf stirring faintly, and my chest began to feel uneasy.

I swallowed hard. "Is this really what you want?"

He nodded. "I’ve always wanted it, so now you may leave."

"I hope you never have to feel the way you’ve made me feel," I said quietly, finally letting the tears I had been holding back throughout our discussion fall.

He turned away as if I hadn’t spoken.

I walked towards the door, and then the pain hit me. It began deep in my chest and spread through me until I had to grab the doorframe to keep myself upright. My wolf stirred weakly, frightened and confused, as the bond that tied me to Aiden began to tear apart. One thing I knew was that this was only the beginning.

Outside, the air felt colder than before. I pressed a hand to my chest and tried to steady myself, but my legs felt weak and my wolf had gone quiet. I didn’t know what would happen to me when the bond was fully broken, but I was ready for what was coming.

I took a deep breath and continued walking, hoping to get away from the pack house before anyone saw me like this, especially my stepmother.

Then I heard a strange sound. It was so faint that I brushed it off, thinking I was imagining it. Then I heard it again, this time much more clearly, sending a strange chill through me.

"Before the next moon rises, you must choose whether you are ready to lose everything you have ever known… or discover why you were never meant to belong to him."