Chapter 2

Beside me, Walter's breathing was even as he slept deeply. He had one arm wrapped around my waist possessively, as though it belonged there.

Yet, all I felt was a burning heat where his skin touched mine. It was so hot that I wanted nothing more than to escape.

My entire body was as stiff as a rock as I slowly extricated myself from his grip. Only when my back bumped into the chilly wall of the room did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I couldn't sleep at all. Everything I had learned tonight raged through my mind chaotically. Just as I thought I would be tormented by these emotions the entire night, my phone suddenly lit up.

At this point, I didn't even need to glance at it to know it was Rose.

As expected, she had sent me a message. "Lily, Walter didn't get angry at you because of me, did he? He's always had a short fuse, so don't take it to heart. If he dares to bully you, just tell me, and I'll punish him for you."

On the surface, it may have seemed like she was expressing her concern for me, yet the implied meaning behind those words was a harsh slap to the face.

Why did she think she had to "punish" Walter when he was my mate? If she truly only had my best interests at heart, then why would she have chatted with my mate for so long on our honeymoon night?

I told myself to stop thinking about it. Instead of making wild guesses, it was more practical to personally verify whether there truly was something going on between them.

Turning on my side, I rested my head on Walter's shoulder to make it look like I was curled up in his loving embrace.

Then, I took a photo and sent it to Rose with the message, "No. Why would he get angry at me? Thanks for the concern, though. We're utterly exhausted and are getting ready to sleep now. After all, we have to get up early tomorrow morning to get that tattoo on his chest removed."

The moment I sent that, Rose, who always replied instantly, was surprisingly silent.

I instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over me. Had I gone overboard with that message? She was my best friend, and I trusted her more than anyone else. If there really was something going on between her and Walter, I would've learned of it long ago, right?

At the very least, she hadn't said anything. Maybe there really wasn't anything off about their relationship.

Slowly exhaling at that thought, I finally felt a sense of calm.

I had known Rose since we were nine, and we had grown up together. She came from a poor family and constantly had to go without food. So, she was as thin as a stick—so much so that it looked like even the slightest gust of wind could knock her over.

Nevertheless, she would always share half of her meager piece of bread with me, and whenever I was bullied by other pups, she would stand protectively in front of me, shielding me with her frail body.

In return, I treated her like my own sister, gave her my pretty dresses, toys, and snacks, and even shared my parents' love with her. She would always look up at me, her eyes gleaming with gratitude. Eventually, I started thinking of her as family, even though we shared no blood ties.

My thoughts drifted to a memory of when Rose, Walter, and I had gone on a vacation together. At the time, we were at the beach watching the sunset. Walter had lifted me high into the air while a smiling Rose took a picture of us.

Memories of all of these heartwarming moments soothed my doubts, and I told myself I was just overthinking things. Finally feeling at ease, I drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Walter and I headed for the most well-known tattoo parlor in the pack.

Walter likely thought he had crossed the line last night, so on our way there, he bought me a cup of coffee, which was a rare act from him. He even delayed a pack meeting and told me that he would have lunch with me.

"It'll only take an hour to get the tattoo removed, so don't be upset anymore." He patted my head the way one would when appeasing a child.

Watching him step into the room for the tattoo removal, I silently sighed in relief.

Yet that relief didn't last long. Mere seconds later, he rushed out with a grim expression.

My heart abruptly sank to my feet as I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Rose was in a bad mood and went on a walk in the forest. She was attacked by wild beasts."

I became rooted to the spot while my mind went blank. My instincts told me that this definitely wasn't a coincidence.

I stopped Walter from leaving and said, "I can handle this matter. You should get the tattoo removed first—"

"I can get it removed anytime!" He swiftly cut me off, his voice thick with anxiety and impatience. "Let's go quickly! Right now!"

If this had been the past, I would've certainly been even more anxious than he was. But now, I merely stared at him and said firmly, "No. She's my best friend, so it's enough that I visit her. There's no need for you to bother yourself."

Time seemed to come to a halt.

Walter gritted his teeth, and I could see the frustration and worry in his eyes.

"Lily, are you serious right now? Don't you have even the slightest bit of sympathy? She's your best friend, yet you don't seem to care about her life at all!

"Or do you think this tattoo is more important than her safety? If that's the case, then I'll just cut it out right now! Would that satisfy you?"

With that said, Walter snatched up a knife from a nearby workstation. He didn't even hesitate as he pressed the sharp tip to the rose tattoo on his chest.

Right before the blade was about to sink into his flesh, my heart clenched fiercely, and I relented. "There's no need for that. Just go."

Upon hearing that, he instantly tossed the knife to the ground and strode away.

The tattoo artist stood awkwardly to one side, shooting me a sympathetic look. But I acted as though nothing had happened and calmly pushed the door open to leave.

At some point, it had started to rain heavily. I hadn't brought an umbrella, so I was immediately soaked to the bone.

When I finally got home, I sneezed a few times and felt my stomach roiling. Before I even got a chance to change out of my wet clothes, I received a message from Rose.

Upon tapping on the message, I saw that it was a photo of Walter sprawled by her bedside, fast asleep. Though he appeared exhausted, there was a relaxed look on his face.

I could practically hear the smug triumph in her gloating words. "So sorry for borrowing him again, Lily. He's worn out now because he was busy running around for me. Oh, right—he didn't manage to get the rose tattoo on his chest removed, did he? What a pity."

In that moment, I couldn't even bring myself to feel angry. I stared at my own reflection in the screen, noting the blank look in my eyes and the pitiful pallor of my skin. It was as though I had finally realized just how big of a joke I was.

In this war for love, I had lost—completely and utterly.

Then again, this also meant that I no longer had to constantly grapple with the anxiety and uncertainty of losing it all.

As I soaked in the bathtub, letting the warm water numb me, I kept hoping that this was all a dream, that I would wake up to find that Rose was still my best friend and Walter, my beloved mate…

The urgent ringing of my phone snapped me awake.

Reaching out to grab my phone, I checked the name on the screen. It was Rose.