Chapter 4

Before I had even figured out how to get Reese to sign the consent form, Selena showed up at my door again on my third day of recovery.

She unlocked the door and walked right in using her own key.

At that moment, I was lying awkwardly on my stomach on the couch, trying to apply my medicine, the consent form resting casually on the corner of the table.

Just as I squeezed a bit of ointment onto a cotton swab, Selena poked her head over and smiled at me. "Fiona, I'm here to apologize."

Her sudden entrance startled me. My hand jolted, accidentally jabbing the swab directly into my raw wound. Pain shot through me, making my vision go pitch-black for a second.

Reese walked in right behind her, holding a cake box in his hand. "Why are you changing it yourself? Didn't I tell you to wait for me?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "You said half an hour. It's been four hours."

Selena quickly raised her hands in defeat. "My fault, my fault! I was so set on picking out an apology gift for you that I dragged Alpha around shopping for ages. That's why we were delayed."

She placed a bag on the table in front of me.

Inside was an ordinary sunhat—pink with a wide brim and an over-the-top layer of tacky lace. It was practically useless for my condition.

"Thanks, but you should return it."

The smile on Selena's face froze. "I spent the entire afternoon picking that out..."

Reese set the cake down, his tone darkening. "Fiona, don't be like that. Selena meant well."

Selena's eyes welled up with tears again. "Fiona, do you look down on the things I pick out? I know you always use high-end, professional stuff, but I really don't understand those things..."

Reese let out a soft sigh. "Fiona, she's not like you. She doesn't know what actually works."

I looked up at him. "Which is why I said I can't use it, and that she should return it."

"Would it kill you to just accept it?"

Would it kill me? Just like that day, when she took my sun umbrella for a quick photo, or when she snatched my blackout blanket?

Perhaps when she locked me up on the rooftop conservatory, saying, "Would it kill you to wait just ten or fifteen minutes?"

Before I could even speak, Selena suddenly spotted the tube of ointment on the table. "Can this stuff stop itching? My allergies are acting up, and my legs are covered in tiny bumps. They itch so badly!"

I reached out to grab it, but she was already one step ahead, squeezing a huge dollop directly onto her leg. "Wow, that feels so cool!"

My face drained of color. "That's my preion medicine."

Selena blinked in surprise. "Sorry. I only used a tiny bit."

I grabbed the tube back and squeezed it. What she called a "tiny bit" was actually half the tube.

Reese glanced at it casually. "I'll buy you another one."

I stared right into his eyes. "I need to apply this three times a day, and it's made with rare herbs that take a long time to process. It's not something you can just buy off the shelf."

"I'll have my men check multiple places and buy it for you."

"But I need to change my dressing right now."

Cornered by my insistence, Reese's brow furrowed tightly. "Fiona, Selena was uncomfortable because of her allergies, so she wanted to try it out. Besides, isn't there still half a tube left? Can't you just make do with that for now?"

Make do? What was left wasn't even enough to cover my back for today.

I went silent.

That's when Reese noticed the paper sitting on the corner of the table. He frowned and asked, "What's that?"

I snatched it up before he could, finally deciding to ask for his signature. "I need you to sign this. It's..."

Suddenly, Selena burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Fiona! I get it now. I'm just an outsider here, and everything I do is a mistake!"

Reese's expression went completely cold as he scrambled to comfort her in a soft, gentle voice.

"Fiona, she apologized! Still, you refused to accept her apology, you rejected her gift, and now you're even throwing a fit over a bit of ointment. What on earth do you want her to do?"

I stared at him for a long moment.

In the past, he would have never let me suffer this kind of injustice.

Back then, I was deeply troubled by my vampire lineage, searching everywhere for a cure. My family members were all human, and I was the only one who had unexpectedly reverted to this ancestral trait, becoming an anomaly.

Hearing that the werewolf pack might possess a remedy, I had wandered into their territory. On my very first day, being an intruder, I was almost killed.

It was Reese who saved me. He patiently listened to my story, arranged a place for me to stay, and ordered his pack members to help me search for answers.

He was the Alpha with endless responsibilities, yet he always made time to talk to me and guide me around the territory. He cooked meals for me with his own hands, learned my habits, hunted down the best light-shielding gear for me, and looked into my eyes with nothing but sincerity and love.

I had lost myself in that love, falling for him step by step until we ended up together.

At first, the pack disapproved of us, spreading endless rumors. However, Reese held my hand tightly, silencing the gossip and easing every doubt. He promised me that as long as he was around, I would never have to suffer a single grievance.

So, I gave up on returning home and chose to stay here with him.

As time went on, the doubts faded, and eventually, every she-wolf wished for a love as precious as mine. Reese's blatant favoritism toward me was common knowledge across the entire pack.

But now, his heart had drifted elsewhere.

I clutched the paper so tightly that it crumpled beneath my grip with a sharp crinkle.

"Alpha, I-I should probably just leave," Selena sobbed, seeing that I was still silent. She turned and ran out the door.

As Reese rushed to chase after her, I caught his arm. "I need you to sign this..."

Before I could finish, he snatched the consent form out of my hand and signed his name without even glancing at the paper, before throwing it onto the floor.

"Fiona, I've really spoiled you rotten! When Selena gets back, you better accept her apology properly and stop throwing these childish tantrums!"

He bolted out the door. It took a long time before I slowly withdrew my gaze, picked up the consent form from the floor, and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles.

I don't know how much time passed before the front door was pushed open once again.

Selena still had tears clinging to the corners of her eyes, hiding behind Reese and looking at me pitifully, as if I were some grand villain.

"I accept your apology," I spoke up slowly. "And thank you for the gift."

Reese let out a sigh of relief, and a smile finally broke through. "That's my girl. Don't worry, Fiona, I've already sent someone to buy that ointment for you."

He pulled me to the table and motioned for Selena to come over too. "Alright, let me cut us some cake. Fiona, this is from your absolute favorite bakery. I had to wait in line for a really long time to get it."

He sliced a piece and brought it to my lips.

I opened my mouth and chewed in silence. "Mm, it's delicious."

The sweet flavor flooded my mouth, but it couldn't reach my heart.