Chapter 1

Three years after our contract was formed, I inadvertently learned that Rowan, who doted on me, had a hideout in the east.

Luo Wen said that there were still enemy wolves in Donglin, and they never allowed me to get close.

But when I walked to the end of the old road he had blocked, I saw the woman in his arms—Clara Reed, an envoy sent by the neighboring tribe to discuss winter passage.

At that moment, she sat by the window of the hunting lodge, her fingers hooked around his collar, and tilted her head back to kiss him.

Rowan did not dodge.

He cradled the back of her neck, leaned down and responded passionately, his other hand skillfully unfastening the cloak from her shoulders.

I recognize that cloak; I put it on him myself last night before he left.

He kissed my forehead and said he was going to patrol the Eastern Border, told me to go to sleep early, and said that wearing the cloak I was wearing was like having me by his side.

I stopped behind the bushes, my fingertips sinking little by little into the damp bark.

The wind blew towards me from the hunting lodge, carrying his scent mixed with that of another woman.

The familiar pull of companionship in my chest still lingers. I can even feel myself instinctively wanting to be close to him.

But I can't move my feet.

Are you going back tonight?

Clara grabbed his hand as he was about to close the window.

"Nora's legs ache on rainy days, and she can't sleep well. She needs me by her side."

Luo Wen looked down at the sky, his voice a familiar gentleness.

"I'll come over after she falls asleep."

Clara gave a soft snort and loosened her grip on his collar.

"Don't make me wait until dawn like last time."

He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Won't."

The wooden window closed in front of me.

I stared at the two windows, a low growl barely contained in my throat.

Last time.

It turns out this has happened many times before.

On those nights when he massaged my stiff knees and watched me fall asleep, I thought he was just dealing with wolf pack matters again.

I would also worry that he was too tired, so I would tell the kitchen to leave a hot meal.

The bark pricked my finger.

I let go and slowly retreated back into the woods.

They didn't rush over, nor did they knock on the door.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

I don't need to stand in front of him and remind him that he has a partner.

When I reached the stream, I knelt down and washed the blood off my fingers. The water was bone-chillingly cold, but I washed for a long time until my hands stopped trembling so badly.

Afterward, I bypassed the road back to the castle and went to the caravan camp at the foot of the mountain.

Bren was inspecting the axle when he saw me and immediately put down his tools.

"Nora? Why did you come alone?"

Before becoming Luna, we used to hike the mountain trails in the north together.

I stopped in front of him.

"When will you next go to the White Pine Wolf Pack?"

"Six days from now. The last trip before winter." He glanced at my legs. "What are you going to deliver for the Alpha?"

"Take me away."

Bren was stunned.

I took off my money pouch and put a few gold coins into his hand.

"Travel expenses. Also, find a reliable person to deliver this letter to my sister."

"Does Rowan know?"

"have no idea."

My throat tightened, but I didn't avoid his gaze.

"Don't tell him either."

Bren looked at me for a moment, put away the gold coins, and led me into the tent.

He didn't ask any more questions.

I borrowed paper and pen and wrote down my sister's name.

The first line was crooked. I gripped my pen tightly and rewrote it.

"I am preparing to end my partnership with Rowan. In six days, I will be traveling with a caravan to White Pine. Please meet me at the border."

I folded the letter only after the ink had dried completely.

If I reject my partner now, Rowan will immediately notice a change in our relationship.

He even tried to stop me from going back to see my sister, so he would never easily accept me leaving forever.

I need to leave his territory first.

By the time I handed over the letter, my hand had become steady.

***

Back at the castle, it was just getting dark.

The maid took my soaking wet cloak from me and was startled when she saw the mud on my skirt.

"You've traveled very far? If only the Alpha knew—"

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to him."

I interrupted her and went into the bedroom alone.

The fireplace was burning brightly, and a pair of newly made leather boots sat beside the bed.

The shoe opening was wider than usual, and the inside was lined with soft wool so it wouldn't rub against the scar on my left leg.

I reached out and touched it, and suddenly my nose stung with tears.

Six months ago, a silver arrow pierced my leg.

When the therapist was cleaning my wounds, I was in so much pain that I could barely stand. It was Rowan who knelt down by the bed and hugged me, letting me bite his shoulder.

After that, he changed my dressings every day.

I couldn't walk, so he carried me to the window to bask in the sun; when my wound flared up at night, he would always wake up before I could even speak.

The entire wolf pack knows how much their Alphas cherish their mates.

I think so too.

Later, the wound healed, and the therapist allowed me to resume my activities, but he still refused to let me patrol the forest again.

"The attackers haven't all been caught yet, I can't risk losing you."

I believed it.

Having witnessed firsthand how he clung to me and begged for help, I couldn't bear to frighten him any further.

But today, the section of Donglin I walked through did not have the heavy guards he described.

There was only a hunting lodge with a heated stove and a woman waiting for him to come over.

The door was pushed open.

Rowan walked in, saw the boots in my hand, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

Have you tried it?

He took off his coat, squatted down in front of me, and reached out to untie the laces on my old boots.

My legs instinctively pulled back an inch.

His hand froze in mid-air.

Did I hurt you?

I looked at him.

Just a few hours ago, those hands were still cradling Clara's face.

"I'll do it myself."

Rowan didn't insist; he simply handed me the new boots and reached out to gather the blanket that had slipped onto my lap.

I bent down to change my shoes. He noticed the dried mud on the edges of my old boots and frowned slightly.

Where did you go today?

"We went to the foot of the mountain."

"one person?"

"Um."

He held my ankle, examined the area around the scar carefully, and only let go after confirming there was no redness or swelling.

"Next time you want to go out, wait for me to come back and keep you company."

His tone was very soft, like every night he worried about me.

But I remembered that when Bren heard I was going out, the first thing he asked was where I was going.

Luo Wen asked why he hadn't waited for him.

"I want to resume forest patrols."

His movements stopped.

"Nora, we've talked about this."

"The therapist said two months ago that I could slowly resume training."

"Your injury cannot be judged by its appearance alone."

"When can we do that?"

He looked up at me, seemingly finally realizing that I wasn't nodding in agreement with him as usual.

I didn't look away.

After a while, he took my hand.

“I’ve already turned down the patrol team for you. New personnel have been arranged, so you don’t need to worry about those dangerous things anymore.”

My fingertips froze.

A few days ago, the team leader came to visit me and asked if I would be willing to help the new team members find their way.

There's no need for long journeys or trips to dangerous borders.

I agreed and said I would reply to him as soon as possible.

It turns out that before I could even send my reply, Rowan had already made the decision for me.

Why didn't you ask me?

"You never take your injuries to recover properly."

He reached out and brushed the hair from the side of my face, his eyes even showing a hint of helplessness.

"I knew you would be upset, so I wanted to wait until you were fully recovered before telling you."

I looked at the pair of soft new boots by the bed.

He even remembered which part of my skin would rub against it, yet he could so easily take away what I had longed for for so long.

“I also want to go see my sister,” I said.

Luo Wen slowed down his movements as he rubbed my fingers.

"Now?"

“She’s in Baisong. I’ve walked that road many times before.”

"Things are different now than before."

"What's different?"

He was silent for a moment, then bent down and hugged me.

"You are my partner. I cannot risk your safety."

He gently patted my back with his palm.

In the past, whenever he hugged me like this, I would lean in and feel all my grievances slowly dissipate.

This time, my hands remained at my sides the whole time.

“I’ll go with you after this winter,” he said. “You can stay as long as you want.”

The leaves outside the window haven't all fallen yet.

He set a waiting period of several months for me.

"You've said that many times already."

"This time, definitely."

Rowan kissed my forehead, his tone as certain as if he had never lied to me.

I didn't argue anymore.

If I kept asking, he would only scrutinize me more closely, turn down more people on my behalf, and arrange more so-called protection.

What I'm about to do no longer requires his consent.

After dinner, I asked him to handle some tasks, citing my own fatigue.

Once the footsteps faded into the corridor, I opened the wooden box at the bottom of the wardrobe and took out my old forest ranger cloak.

The leather straps had stiffened somewhat, but the dagger remained sharp.

I divided the remaining gold coins into two parts, sewing one into the lining of my cloak and putting the other into a small pocket close to my body. Then I unfolded the old map and re-identified the road from the caravan camp to the border of White Pine.

When I saw the village where my sister lived, I paused for a moment and raised my hand to wipe away the tears that had fallen onto the paper.

I will go there in six days.

I didn't wait for the winter he promised.