chapter 9

Inside the werewolf hospital, Ryan stood over Liliana's bed, his voice sharp with accusation.

“You're pregnant, so stop running around!

"What if something happened to the baby?”

The woman on the bed acted like she hadn't heard him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, her lips curved in a pout.

“Okay, I won't run around anymore,” she whispered.

“It's just ... You were nowhere to be found just now, so I thought maybe you didn't want me anymore.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but Ryan didn't believe her act.

He shoved her back, gripped her chin, and gave her a hard warning.

“Behave yourself. I told you already. If you just stay put, carry the baby to term, and don't cause any trouble for Bella, then things between us will last.” His gaze dropped to her small but visible bump. For a moment, his eyes flickered with conflict. It was still his pup. The heir to the Nightshade Pack.

“Take care of yourself. I need to head back now.”

He released her and turned toward the door.

Liliana's eyes lit with frustration, and she caught his hand quickly, her voice trembling.

“Do you really have to leave right now? The baby needs his father more than ever.”

She bit her lip, refusing to let go. Then she suddenly threw her arms around his neck. Her breath was hot across his skin. “But I'm scared … scared that one day you'll just walk away from me.” She then deliberately changed her Omega scent. It was now heavy and sweet. It was a trap set for his instincts.

Ryan's throat worked hard. His Alpha side surged, and he bent down to kiss her.

The sound of her moans and his muffled groans slipped through the door. A young werewolf carrying medicine paused the moment he came in. His face flushed, and he turned back down the hall, too embarrassed to intrude.

Later that night, Ryan changed into clean clothes and finally left the hospital.

The closer he drove toward the villa, the heavier his guilt grew. When he had called Bella earlier, her voice had been calm. Too calm. Flat, lifeless, like a pond without ripples. The sound had unsettled him.

He couldn't imagine how much pain she had been holding in, especially when he'd made her wait for hours.

She had even mentioned she left him a surprise on the table.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. His eyes slid to the passenger seat where the apology gift lay.

A hairpin. He had ordered his Beta to buy it.

It was something Bella had once mentioned she liked. It was during a casual conversation.

It was meant as both a birthday gift and an apology for neglecting her.

Ryan stared at the box until the iron gates of Riverstone Villa creaked open. He forced himself out of his daze, drove in, and parked his car.

He got out and left the car's door open. With the hairpin in his hand, he ran to the house.

“Bella!”

The lights snapped on, and he froze.

There was no Bella rushing to greet him. No trace of her favorite incense. Even the fire in the hearth had died, leaving only cold ash.

The photo of them together still hanged on the stone wall, tilting slightly, almost mocking him.

The only sounds left were the steady ticking of the clock and the pounding of his heart.

Ryan's chest tightened, his instincts locking him in place. He strode forward and spotted the parchment on the stone table. His stomach dropped.

It was the most sacred document among werewolves. A contract to break a mate bond. The box in his hand slipped and hit the ground. The delicate hairpin shattered into two pieces.

With trembling fingers, Ryan picked up the parchment. His eyes swept over the words. “From this day forward, we are free of each other.”

The bone cup on the table split down the middle, shards scattering across his arm. He didn't even move.

“Alpha.”

The butler, Gary's cautious voice came from the doorway. Ryan looked up to see the man and several servants holding items in their arms.

“Alpha, the Luna gave us all these gifts today,” Gary said nervously.

“She said she wanted to share her happiness with us. We tried to refuse. The gifts were too valuable. But she insisted.”

...

Ryan barely heard the words. His eyes locked on the gifts.

Every one of them was something he had given Bella. They were things he had chosen carefully, and even things he had made himself.

She had once held them close.

Now she had given them all away.

His hands shook as he clutched the parchment.

It seared against his skin, but his voice came out cold and steady.

So steady that even he almost didn't recognize it.

“The Luna went out today?” His gaze pinned Gary.

“Do you know where she went?”

He needed to find her.

He needed to see her face and demand answers.

Everything between them was perfect, so he wondered why she would leave and break the mate bond between them out of a sudden

Why had she decided she no longer wanted him?

The servants shifted uneasily, exchanging glances.

“We … don't know,” one admitted.

“She seemed so happy when she left, so we didn't think to ask.”