chapter 3

"If it weren't for Ethan, I wouldn't have made it back," Lucy said sweetly, her voice soft and playfully flirty. "Since everyone's here, why not stay for dinner? Think of it as my way of saying thanks!"

Her cheerful tone completely clashed with Audrey's quiet presence beside her.

Nobody asked if Audrey wanted to stay—they just assumed she would.

Audrey only realized all the dishes were spicy—just the way Lucy liked them—once everything was set and she stood at the table.

She wasn't shocked. She just took her seat without a word.

Before, Audrey had told her parents nicely that spicy food upset her stomach. But they just snapped back impatiently, "You're a werewolf with an awakened wolf soul—why are you acting so picky?"

Werewolves were tougher than humans, and even Omegas were expected to handle any type of food. She didn't understand back then that her white wolf blood was the reason—her body handled temperature differently, and spicy food caused a strange reaction.

After she started dating Ethan, he had always been thoughtful about what she liked. He would notice what she could eat, make her special soups, taste the food before serving it, and even learned how to cook meals that were gentle on the stomach.

But now, sitting right beside her, Ethan acted like he didn't notice her at all. His full attention was on Lucy. Every time Lucy made the slightest movement, he'd jump to help—passing her tissues, offering food, always attentive.

When Lucy gave a small cough, he immediately handed her a napkin. When she said the food was too spicy, he peeled shrimp for her and picked out other dishes—moving in sync with her like they'd been a couple for years.

Audrey stayed quiet. Her eyes landed on the venison she used to love. Now, it tasted like nothing.

Then her thoughts drifted back.

She remembered how Ethan used to visit her—but his eyes always seemed to drift toward Lucy.

On Lucy's birthday one year, he asked Audrey what colors Lucy liked and what kind of flowers she preferred. Back then, Audrey had thought he was just being nice to her sister.

Later, when Lucy went into heat and ended up in the hospital, he said he had a business trip and canceled the vacation he and Audrey had planned.

Now that she looked back, all those "coincidences" felt like a cruel joke.

Ethan had been focused on Lucy all along—how had she missed it?

He'd even helped Lucy and Jason get together, using Audrey as a pawn to make it happen.

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it felt.

Even if he did love Lucy, using Audrey to fake a lifelong bond was beyond cruel. It hurt worse than Jason walking away.

Dinner ended with Audrey barely touching her food. On the ride home, the car was silent. She thought about how to erase her scent for good, while Ethan was clearly lost in memories with Lucy.

Eventually, Audrey broke the silence. "I'm not going home. I need to go somewhere else."

Her voice finally brought Ethan back to the present. He turned to her, concerned. "Where are you going, Audrey? I'll come with you."

She shook her head gently. "That's not necessary."

Still, he reached out and held her hand firmly. "No way—I can't let you go alone. I'd be too worried."

She didn't want him to come but gave in and let him drive her. Instead of saying anything, she opened the map on her phone and showed him the destination.

The road was mostly clear, so they made it there pretty quickly.

Right as he was about to pull in, his communicator buzzed. He looked at it instinctively—it was a call from Lucy's mother.

He picked up, and her voice came through the line. "Ethan, Lucy's snakebite is infected, and she's burning up. Can you take her to the werewolf hospital?"

"I'm on my way!"

Panic hit him instantly. He was about to spin the car around, but then he paused and looked at Audrey, clearly torn.

"Audrey, I ... "

He tried to say something, but the words didn't come. Before he could explain, Audrey spoke first.

"Go ahead. It's just a short walk from here. I'll get there myself."

She opened the door and stepped out.

As she walked away, he stayed frozen for a second—then drove off toward Lucy, leaving Audrey standing alone as the car vanished down the road. She swallowed her feelings without saying anything.

"Ethan," she whispered softly, her voice barely louder than a breath.

"If you had driven just 200 yards farther ...

"You would've seen where I was heading."

Only a short distance ahead was the witch's place.

She was planning to erase her scent completely—to cut ties with him once and for all.

If he had waited just a little longer, he would've known the choice she'd already made.

But he didn't—because it didn't matter to him.