Chapter &
I froze for a moment, then looked up at him. “Just me? Aren’t you coming with me?”
Thorne sighed, regret in his voice. “The work in our pack is too busy. I can’t get away, but I’ll go with you next time, okay?”
But Thome, there won’t be a next time for us.
I lowered my head and continued applying the ointment. “What about the pack? Who’s going to take care of them if I go on a trip?”
“You don’t need to worry, I’ll handle it,” he said.
I insisted, “But I don’t want to go.”
His tone left no room for argument “Come on, honey, I’ve already arranged everything. It’s not something
I said nothing, but a cold feeling seeped into my chest.
I can cancel now.
I remembered half–drewning the night before, hearing Thome on the phone with someone saying: “I’m not going to tell her. I’ll keep it a secret for as long as possible”
“Just in case, I’ll send her on a trip during the wedding preparations, let her get away.”
The De
person on the other end sighed. “And then? You’re just going to turn her into
your mistress?”
Thome didn’t respond right away. He took a long drag from his cigarette before slowly exhaling.
After what felt like forever, he spoke, his voice soft. “We’ll just have to take things one step at a time.”
The pain in my chest was unbearable. I lay in bed, letting the tears blur my vision, feeling like a joke after these seven years.
knew un
you
Thorne, I realized, I never really k
If you didn’t love me anymore, why couldn’t you just say it? Why couldn’t you turn me down directly instead of choosing to deceive me?
My wold let out a heartbroken whimper.
Was he afraid I’d cling to him? Is that why he tried to send me away during his mating ceremony with someone else?
The whole thing could be easier.
Thome, I would disappear from your world as you wish.
I asked him, “When’s the flight?”
“Two days from now.
I smiled. “Alright, I’ll go.”
Thorne visibly relaxed at that, instinctively reaching to ruffle my hair, but I sidestepped the gesture without a word.
He paused, then offered with a strained smile, “Let’s have a meal before you leave.”
I thought it over and nodded
Tomorrow would be our seventh mating anniversary.
Then let’s make this a proper goodbye and lay everything bare, so this love can end where it began on this special day.
The next day, I arrived early at the restaurant we’d agreed on. He showed up as well. However, Liora was also with him.
“Ophelia, Alpha and I happened to be in the neighborhood, so we dropped by together. Hope I didn’t interrupt anything?”
I shook my head, but inside, I felt a sense of regret. This last farewell dinner would never be perfect.
Thorne ordered an entire table of vegetarian dishes.
Liora laughed, noticing the menu. “Alpha, you ordered all vegetarian. This probably isn’t Ophella’s taste, is it?”
Thome shrugged. “You’re vegan. No meat for you.
He called the water over and had her replace Liora’s meat sauce pasta with a plate of basil pasta.
Liora pouted, grumbling about Thorne being too controlling
