Chapter 4

Stuffing the death certificate into my coat, I turned to walk away.

Allen tried to speak, but something caught his peripheral vision, replacing his shock with tender concern.

"You're awake?"

Lily Dixon emerged from the master bedroom. Her silk robe hung loosely at her waist, prominently displaying the glaring, purplish hickeys scattered across her collarbones.

"Allen, were you and Lynn fighting?"

She spotted the pendant in my hand, her almond eyes wide with feigned panic.

"Lynn, you're rejecting Allen?!"

"Why? Is it because of me?"

I sneered at her. "Yeah. Because you're a shameless parasite who opened your legs for an already mated Alpha, and because he's a pathetic hypocrite who keeps a second bitch on the side."

Tears immediately welled in Lily's eyes as she casually tugged her collar to pretend to hide the marks.

"I'm sorry, Lynn... I didn't know opening the door that night would cause such a misunderstanding... I thought Allen just needed someone to confide in."

I wanted to laugh.

What kind of troubles required an Alpha to ditch his Luna on their mating anniversary just to pour his heart out to an outsider?

Allen grabbed a shawl, gently draping it over Lily's shoulders, murmuring soothingly, "Ignore her. She's lost her damn mind today."

I had no desire to waste another breath on them. Ignoring the smirk hiding behind Lily's faux-innocent eyes, I walked straight into Caden's bedroom to pack his clothes.

When I came back out, Lily was the only one in the living room. She had crumpled the death certificate into a ball and kicked it to my feet.

I recognized it instantly.

"Who gave you permission to touch my things?" I said, voice cold as ice.

She gasped with exaggerated shock, a glimmer of wicked delight dancing in her gaze.

"Lynn, did your pup really die from a tiny scratch? That's hilarious! Allen was right—raising such a fragile, useless runt must have been exhausting."

A violent rage tore through my veins. Without thinking, I crossed the room in three strides and slapped her across the face with everything I had.

She shrieked, tumbling backward onto the floor.

The very next second, two vicious strikes slammed against my face and temple.

Allen scooped Lily into his arms, glaring at me with raw, murderous fury.

"Lynn, you've crossed the line!"

Lily clung to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "I just asked about Caden, and she... I only told her not to spoil him so much and not to use him to lie. Allen, did I say something wrong?"

Allen shook his head.

"Lynn, what did Lily say that wasn't true? What the hell happened to you? This is the second time you've laid hands on her. Do it again, and we really will sever this bond!"

I looked at him, finding the entire scene utterly grotesque.

"I already rejected you. Didn't you hear me?"

Allen paused, his brow furrowing. "You said that out of spite. It doesn't count."

Scooping up the pale, trembling Lily, he stormed out the front door.

Refusing to cross paths with them again, I waited a few minutes before picking up my packed bags and leaving.

Allen had clearly forgotten who I was.

I had always been gentle. As long as someone didn't trample over my bottom line, I never made life difficult for anyone, let alone threw a punch.

The custom jewelry set from that auction had been commissioned six years ago. Allen had traveled all the way to the northern territories, hiring master craftsmen to forge my wedding gift.

Not just Allen, but everyone in the pack seemed to have forgotten that the Foster and Anderson families had once ruled side by side.

Tragically, after a rogue raid decimated our ranks, the Anderson bloodline withered away.

Back then, Allen had dropped to his knees before my parents' graves, swearing to love me just as they had, vowing to give me the very best of everything.

Yet, six years later, he completely forgot to pay the final balance on the heirloom set. When the deadline passed, the craftsmen had no choice but to put it on the auction block.

All I wanted was to reclaim what was rightfully mine, but Allen cut off my access to the vault. I had planned to use that money to bribe the border guards and sneak Caden out of the pack to find an external Healer... but in the end, it was too late.