Chapter 3

I chased Marcus into the hallway and turned on every ounce of charm I had. "Come on, I worked so hard on this. Just try one bite? For me?"

His gaze dropped to the cut on my finger. A small crease appeared between his brows. "Be more careful next time. I'll get you a bandage."

He cared. He still had me in his heart. I seized the opening. "See? I literally bled for this meal. The least you can do is sit down and eat it."

Marcus stared at me, then exhaled slowly through his nose. "Fine."

Works every time. Sweetness is a superpower.

The table was set with all his favorites, or at least, the favorites I remembered from five years ago.

He didn't smile. He didn't soften. But he sat down across from me, and that was enough.

I piled food onto his plate, grinning at him. "Eat up. Everything here is something you love."

He didn't touch his fork. He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.

"What did you put in the food this time?"

The smile died on my face. "I didn't —"

"I've told you before. No matter what you do to me, I will never agree to dissolve the bond. Give it up."

Honestly? Seeing him like this, guarded, wounded, bracing himself against me like I was the enemy, it made my chest ache so badly I couldn't breathe.

Five years of my future self's cruelty had broken something in him. It didn't matter what I did. He assumed everything was a new angle, a new attack, one more play to force him into signing the dissolution papers.

"Marcus, I did not poison the food."

I picked up my fork, stabbed a bite off his plate, and ate it right in front of him. I chewed, swallowed, and met his eyes without flinching.

"See? Still alive. No poison."

He looked at me quietly for a while, then picked up his fork and took a bite.

He chewed slowly.

Slowly, he let his guard down.

We ate facing each other in silence. I kept sneaking glances at him when I thought he wasn't looking. Neither of us spoke. We both understood, without saying it, that we didn't want to shatter this fragile moment of peace.

When the plates were empty, he spoke first. "It's been a long time since I had your cooking."

The words left my mouth before I could think. "I can cook for you every day."

Marcus's eyes brightened, then dimmed, wavering between trust and doubt.

I saw my chance and pressed forward. "Marcus, I'd like to talk to you tonight. Really talk."

His entire body went rigid.

"I'm busy."

He stood up, and his expression went cold again. "I have to work late. We'll talk some other time."

He practically fled out the front door.

I knocked my forehead against my palm. Five years of missing memories, and I had no way to bridge the gap. It was maddening.

Aunt Vera hovered behind me, choosing her words carefully. "Luna... were you going to ask the Alpha about the dissolution again tonight?"

I lifted my head slowly. "Again?"

"Is that something I do a lot?"

Aunt Vera sighed. "More than a lot. This past year you've been dead set on dissolving the bond. Every single time you saw him, you pressured him to sign the papers."

She hesitated, then added: "You even tried using a dissolution potion, the kind that forces a mate bond to sever. But then you found out you were pregnant, and the potion would've been too dangerous for the baby. So you gave up on that approach."

So that was why he'd bolted. He'd heard "I want to talk" and assumed it meant the dissolution again.

Of course he ran.

I didn't understand why my future self had cheated. I didn't understand why she'd been so desperate to dissolve the bond. Was her brain just completely waterlogged?