Chapter 2

"Luna Lynn must be exhausting to live with, always nitpicking and keeping score. No wonder Alpha Allen looked elsewhere."

"Put that aside for a second—don't they have a pup together? If they really break the bond, what happens to the boy? If Alpha Allen and Lily keep going strong, she'll be the next Luna. Being a Luna in a major pack isn't easy."

My heart felt like it was being dropped into boiling oil, searing over and over again.

I couldn't tell whether grief or rage burned hotter in my chest.

The clinic was freezing. Icy drafts clawed their way into my skin. Shivering violently, I couldn't help but plead with the wolf tending to the pup in the next bed.

"Could you please stoke the fire? My boy's wound is inflamed and festering. He can't catch a chill."

I don't know how much time passed, but the bone-deep chill never left. When I finally looked up in exhaustion, I was met with the horrified gaze of a Healer apprentice.

"Luna Lynn... protocol says family members can't stay in the morgue for more than fifteen minutes. You've been sitting here half the afternoon. You need to leave. The head Healer is asking for you to sign the death certificate. And Alpha Allen... he hasn't shown his face once. Now that the pup is gone, he should at least be here. Please, try contacting him."

My head detonated with a deafening buzz. Snapping back to harsh reality, I stumbled to my feet and staggered outside.

Confirming my pup's death record took only minutes.

Less than two hours later, standing in the bitter wind, I opened the mind link to reach the pack's mortician.

Afterward, I buzzed Allen through the mind link more than thirty times. Predictably, there was dead silence on the other end.

Leaning against the freezing stone wall, I let out a hollow, self-mocking laugh.

The mortician arrived just before dusk to collect Caden's body. On the way to the funeral hall, I lost count of how many times I blacked out from weeping.

Upon arrival, the mortician immediately moved Caden into the cold chamber, gently reminding me that I could go home and pick out his favorite clothes.

He deserved to leave this world clean and dignified.

Of course.

Just like Allen, my boy had always been obsessed with staying neat and spotless.

"Once the body arrives, the Rite of Returning to the Earth is usually held within three days. However, if the family requests, we can extend it to five or seven days. Do you need extra time?"

I reached out, stroking my boy's ice-cold cheek. "Three days is enough."

...

It was late into the night when I stumbled back to the packhouse.

Seeing me walk through the door, the smile in Allen's eyes instantly vanished.

"Why are you back so late? Is Caden feeling better? Lily heard he got scratched by silver and was worried sick. She specifically told me to bring this healing salve back for him."

I dodged the tin of ointment he offered. As the lid slipped off, a rancid, sour stench hit my nose. A cold, bitter sneer pulled at my lips, and tears spilled down my face once more.

"It's completely spoiled. Who is she trying to poison this time?"

Allen's face hardened, quickly replaced by pure irritation.

"Lily just didn't notice, that's all. Can you stop talking with so much venom? You know pregnant she-wolves shouldn't be stressed. She's barely in her twenties—how is she supposed to keep track of everything?"

"And why didn't you show up to her exhibition today? I told you days ago how important this event was. Did you really have to pull your dramatic crap today of all days?"

He instinctively tore into me just to defend Lily Dixon. I couldn't even remember when he had started ignoring my bloodshot, swollen eyes.

"Do you even remember why you took Lily Dixon in back then?"

Allen froze, the rest of his scolding dying in his throat.