Chapter 1

The clinic lights were blindingly white.

When the healer cut away my shirt collar, the fabric stuck to my neck, tearing open the blistered skin underneath as it pulled away.

I bit my lip so hard it bled, just to keep from screaming.

Reese leaned over and grabbed my hand, lowering his voice to a gentle murmur. "Fiona, if it hurts, bite me."

I used to think he was just worried about me when he said it before. But right now, all I could focus on was the lipstick mark on his collar, the exact shade Selena was wearing today.

I pulled my hand back.

Reese froze. He followed my gaze down to his neck, saw the streak of red, and quickly tried to rub it off.

"Selena was hurt and couldn't walk, so I had to help her. It must've brushed against me then. Don't overthink it."

I didn't say a word.

The healer took one look at my burns and couldn't help but frown. "Didn't you guys know someone with skin like hers should never be exposed to direct sunlight?"

Reese’s throat tightened, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "We knew."

"Then why on earth did you let her get burned like this?"

Silence stretched across the room. The healer just shook his head, turning around to grab the ointment.

Meanwhile, Selena was leaning against the doorframe, idly spinning my sunhat in her hands. The brim was already crushed out of shape from her pinching it.

"I'm sure it's not that bad," she added, tossing her hair. "She’s just pale, so it looks worse than it actually is."

Reese turned his head.

"Selena," he said, though there was no scolding in his tone.

Selena’s eyes immediately welled up. "I know I messed up, okay? I just felt like you were always coddling her, so I wanted to toughen her up a bit. How was I supposed to know she was actually this fragile?"

Reese let out a soft sigh, looking helpless against her act. "Alright, that’s enough."

He turned back to comfort me instead. "Fiona, don't mind her. She’s just honest, but she doesn't mean any harm."

Lying flat on the bed, I finally spoke up. "She locked the door."

Reese's brow instantly furrowed. "Fiona, do you really have to keep score of every single detail?"

"Do I need to schedule a better time to be in pain, too?" I raised my head to look him straight in the eye.

It was as if my words stung him. The very next second, he softened his tone. "That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying you should be the bigger person here. You're going to be the Luna of the pack one day. You can't keep holding onto petty grudges and making things difficult for me."

Selena immediately spoke up in a hushed, pitiful voice. "Forget it, Alpha. I should probably just leave. I don't want to make her upset just by looking at me."

She turned around as if to leave, but staggered at the doorway with a sharp gasp. "Ouch..."

Reese rushed to support her almost instantly. "What’s wrong?"

Selena bit her lip, tears catching on her eyelashes. "It’s nothing. I think I just re-injured my sprained ankle from earlier."

I watched the scene unfold as Reese slowly crouched down, reaching out to touch her ankle. "Don't move around. I'll take you to another healer to get it checked out. We can't risk damaging the bone."

However, my back hadn't even been treated yet.

"What about me?" I asked.

Reese’s hands paused mid-air. Seeing this, Selena instantly pulled her foot back.

"Never mind, Alpha. You stay with her. I can manage on my own."

The moment she said that, Reese's face darkened. "Stop forcing yourself."

He stood back up and looked down at me. "Don't worry, the healer will be right back to apply the medicine. I'm just going to take Selena to check her ankle first, and I'll be back to keep you company in no time."

"They need a family member's signature for the treatment," I pointed out.

"I'll sign it as soon as I get back." Reese stared at me, clearly trying his best to hold back his patience. "Fiona, I know you're in pain, but her ankle injury is serious too, and we can't delay it.

"Besides, it's not your first time getting treated here. Don't be so dramatic. I'll be back real soon."

Selena leaned against his arm, sniffling softly.

"Fiona, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to steal him from you. It's just that ever since I moved here all by myself, Reese is the only person I know. I really don't know what I'd do without him."

I stayed silent.

Before leaving, Reese took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders. "I'll get you your favorite moonberry juice when I return."

But the coat had barely rested on my shoulders when Selena whispered from the side, "Alpha, I'm so cold."

Reese hesitated for merely a second before pulling the coat off me and wrapping it around her instead.

"Fiona, let Selena wear it for now. Since you're indoors, it won't be too cold for you anyway."

Once the door clicked shut behind them, the healer stepped back in and gently applied the medicine to my back. The ointment felt icy cold, but my raw skin was still burning hot with pain.

Half an hour later, my phone buzzed with a notification of a video posted by Selena.

In it, she was sitting in a wheelchair wearing Reese's coat. A man was crouching down in front of her to tie her shoelaces, his head turned away so only the top of his hair was visible.

Her caption read: [Someone claimed he only spoils his little moon, but in the end, he still couldn't bear to see me in pain.]

People were already hyping it up in the comments.

[Who is this? Looks like he's done this a million times before!]

Selena replied with a vague, playful message: [Well, he's just used to taking care of patients.]

So in their eyes, our bond was nothing more than an obligation.

After a long silence, I dialed a number.

"I need a favor. I've decided to leave."

The person on the other end sounded surprised, asking uncertainly, "Have you really thought this through?"

I looked at the clinic door.

"Yes. I've made up my mind."

"Alright. It'll take about five days to get everything set up for you."

After hanging up, I watched the fading light of the setting sun stretch across the corner of the wall.

And slowly, I closed my eyes.