Chapter 2

That night, Sebastian didn't return at all, even though he had once promised me that he would be the first to stay by my side if I were even the slightest bit hurt.

Now, however, the person he was with was Stella.

The next morning, I got ready to leave the hospital. The healer urged me to stay for another two days to recover, but I refused as I would be leaving the Silverwolf pack in two days. Before I did, I still had many things I needed to pack.

My clothes, books, documents to prove my identity…

There were also the random keepsakes Matt had left for me—his very first baby tooth, a candy wrapper he had sneakily hidden away, a small gray jacket…

Last but not least, there was the wolf-fang necklace he had gifted me on his fifth birthday. It was also the very last item he left behind before his death.

I gripped the necklace tightly, my heart hurting so much that I gasped for breath. Forcing the tears back, I carefully placed the necklace into my suitcase. I planned to take it with me.

That evening, Sebastian brought Stella back to the manor. Several housekeepers carrying suitcases trailed behind them.

When Sebastian spotted me, a distinctly uncomfortable look flashed through his eyes.

"Stella needs peace and quiet to recover, and her house is… not that peaceful, so I brought her here to the manor to stay for a few days."

At that moment, a housekeeper approached him and asked softly, "Alpha Sebastian, do we bring the luggage to that room?"

Sebastian nodded. "Yes, Stella will be staying there temporarily."

The room the housekeeper was pointing at was none other than Matt's room.

I widened my eyes in disbelief, and even the nearby housekeepers had hesitant expressions.

Pretending to be considerate, Stella said to Sebastian with fake concern, "Sebby, maybe we should forget it. I can just stay in a normal guest bedroom. After all, that room is…"

She didn't finish her sentence, but Sebastian still frowned slightly.

"Your body is still recovering, so the healer said it's important that you get enough rest. That room has the best natural lighting and is the quietest. Besides, it's now empty anyway. It's fine since you're just staying for a few days."

In an instant, all the color drained from my face. It would seem that, without my knowing, Sebastian had already come to accept Matt's death, even going so far as to erase any hint of his existence.

If this had been in the past, I would've definitely gotten into an argument with him and demanded an answer for how he could bring himself to do that.

Yet now, I simply slowly looked away before turning and leaving without another word.

Sebastian hadn't expected me to react like that and took two uneasy steps forward, as though he wanted to say something more to me.

However, Stella grabbed hold of his arm. "Sebby, I'm still feeling a little unwell. Could you help me to the room?"

In the end, Sebastian relented and helped her upstairs to Matt's room. He didn't come down again for the rest of the night.

The next day, I woke up, only to discover that the manor had undergone significant changes.

The dining table now had an extra set of breakfast tailored to Stella's tastes, while the living room couch now displayed her favorite throw pillows. Even the fresh flowers by the staircase had been switched to her favorite flowers—white daisies.

I halted in my tracks for a moment. Then, instead of continuing into the living room, I headed straight for my study.

Upon opening the door, I discovered that Stella was sitting right at my desk, where I usually handled the pack matters. When she saw me enter, she put on an anxious and panicked expression as she stood up.

"Rina, Sebby said that the natural lighting in here is good, so he told me to come here."

I didn't bother responding to her, merely gathering up the documents on my desk before turning to leave.

However, Sebastian blocked my way. Ruffling his hair in an irritated manner, he attempted to explain to me, "It's not good for Stella's recovery if she's always cooped up in her room. Besides, she's just sitting here for a bit. Don't be mad."

I took a step back before answering indifferently, "It's fine. She can sit there. I'm not mad."

A trace of surprise and confusion flickered across Sebastian's face, as though he hadn't expected me to be so generous. What he was unaware of was that after Matt's death, I no longer cared about anything here, and that included him.

That evening, I had only just finished packing the last of my belongings when a team of guards clad in silvery-white cloaks silently appeared before me.

"Ms. Irina Sharpe, the Temple sent us here," the captain of the guards said respectfully. "Tomorrow morning, your mate bond with Alpha Sebastian will thoroughly dissolve. At that time, we'll escort you to the Temple."

I was silent for a few seconds before nodding gently.

At last, it was time for me to leave.