Chapter 4

On the day I left, the house was even livelier than usual.

Lily had been setting up her phone in the living room since early that morning. As soon as I walked past, she placed it facedown on the table.

“You can’t look. There’s a second round to tonight’s prank, and this time I’ve prepared an even bigger surprise.”

My mother came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fruit.

“Try not to go too far. You really did upset your sister the other day.”

Despite her words, she was the first to laugh.

Lily waved dismissively.

“Don’t worry. Claire never stays angry for more than two days.”

My father was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper, and he joined in.

“She’s been like that since she was a pup. She once packed a bag and threatened to leave the pack, but she only made it as far as the territory border. As soon as she got hungry, she came home on her own.”

Rowan leaned against the dining table with a cup of coffee and glanced at me.

“She’s no different now. Where else could she go?”

My mother soon noticed the suitcase beside the front door.

“Are you moving into Rowan’s house today?”

Lily let out an exaggerated gasp.

“Claire, when did you become so eager?”

Rowan froze for a moment before the corners of his mouth lifted.

“You could have said so earlier. I actually thought you’d been seriously angry these past two days.”

He set down his coffee and reached for my suitcase, but I moved it out of his reach.

“I can carry it myself.”

Rowan clicked his tongue.

“Still angry? Fine. Come find me when you’ve come to your senses.”

My mother tried to reason with him.

“Girls can be emotional before their bonding ceremonies. You’re her future mate, so be patient with her.”

It was the first time in years that my mother had asked someone else to accommodate me, but it was already too late.

Before leaving, I went into the kitchen for a glass of water. Laughter still filled the living room. No one asked why I was taking such a large suitcase, and no one noticed that I had packed all my identification documents and pack records.

Lily followed me to the door.

“Make sure you’re back before six. I’ve spent a long time preparing this.”

My father lowered his newspaper.

“Take it easy. Don’t make your sister cry again.”

“That’s what makes it fun.”

Lily closed the door with a laugh. Just before it shut completely, I heard Rowan speak with absolute certainty.

“Don’t worry. She could never bring herself not to come back.”

He had understood the old version of me perfectly. For seven years, no matter how far they went, I always found an excuse for each of them and remained exactly where I was. I had never truly left, so they all believed I never would.

The car waiting for me was parked outside. I put my suitcase in the trunk and told the driver to take me to the Northern Territory train station.

A colleague from the Icefield Wolf Core Research Center had already messaged me to say that my office and living quarters were ready. They would meet me at the station that evening.

As the car left the residential district of Blood Moon Pack, my mother sent me a voice message.

“Stop by the bakery on your way home and pick up the pumpkin pie your father ordered.”

Two minutes later, Lily sent me another message.

[Bring back an apple pie too. Rowan likes it.]

I did not reply.

We were almost at the station when Rowan finally called.

“Where did you run off to?”

It was noisy on his end of the call, and I could hear Lily asking him where she should hide the camera.

“I have something to do.”

Rowan gave a quiet laugh.

“Are you still putting on this act? That’s enough, Claire. Come home early tonight. Lily spent all day preparing this prank, and if you refuse to play along, she’ll be disappointed.”

He did not ask where I was or care why I had left with a suitcase. His only concern was that Lily would have no one to play her carefully planned game.

After several seconds of silence, I said his name.

“Rowan.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

I ended the call and blocked his number.

When the train began to move, messages were still appearing in the family group chat. My mother asked when I would bring back the pumpkin pie, while Lily started a poll.

[What time will Claire give in and come home tonight?]

Rowan chose seven. My father chose seven thirty, and my mother chose eight.

I was about to leave the group chat when a notification from the Pack Council appeared.

[Pack transfer approved. Former affiliation: Blood Moon Pack. New affiliation: Northwatch Pack. Your pack link to your former pack will be forcibly severed in ten seconds. This action cannot be reversed.]

I left the family group chat and turned off my phone.

The moment the countdown reached zero, agony tore through my wolf core. The mental signatures of my parents, Lily, and Rowan vanished from my consciousness at the same time. The pack link that had bound us together for years was completely severed.

At that same moment, a tearing pain ripped through my mother’s chest. She clutched herself as the plate in her hands crashed to the floor.

My father’s expression changed abruptly. He gasped for breath and tried to search for my presence through the pack link, but found only emptiness.

“Claire’s mental signature is gone.”

He stared at my mother in disbelief.

“She left Blood Moon Pack?”

Rowan immediately called out to me through the pack link, but only dead silence answered him. The next second, his phone lit up.

[Claire has transferred to Northwatch Pack.]

[Your mate registration with Claire has been withdrawn.]

Rowan stared at the screen as the color slowly drained from his face.

“She wasn’t moving into my house. She really doesn’t want me anymore.”