Chapter 3

"Ayla, you have a death wish!"

Alpha Isaac's reaction was violent. His Alpha pressure erupted, and a wave of force sent me flying.

My back slammed hard against the weapon rack on the wall. A decorative dagger rattled loose, its blade slicing across my arm. A starburst of pain erupted behind my eyes, and my vision blurred.

I heard Isaac's furious roar, a distinct Alpha snarl.

"Ayla, are you addicted to bullying people?"

"Being with a vicious Omega like you makes the whole pack house stink. You disgust me!"

I hauled myself to my feet, bracing against the wall as I tried to cut through his vicious tirade.

"I'll move out. Immediately. Don't worry."

"You'd better mean it."

Alpha Isaac's anger caught in his throat, as if he hadn't expected me to agree so readily.

He glared at me, then swept Fallon into his arms and strode away, cradling her like a priceless treasure.

I touched the sticky warmth on my arm. It was blood. Fresh, red blood. Not the acrid, tell-tale scent of wolfsbane.

Back when Alpha Isaac and I weren't on such terrible terms, when we first learned we were fated mates, I was always clinging to him.

He was rebellious and would sneak into bars to drink. I'd follow.

Later, he got into a territory dispute with a wolf from a rival pack.

I tried to break up the fight and got hurt accidentally. A small cut on my finger.

In that instant, Alpha Isaac had turned into a ferocious beast.

He beat a man twice his size into begging for mercy, all because someone had made me bleed.

But the man who once panicked over a tiny paper cut on my finger had now hurt me for someone else. Called me worthless. Told me to die.

It didn't matter anymore.

Once the former Alpha couple returned and my transfer request was approved, I could finally end this mistaken bond.

I glanced at the Omega servant nearby, forcing a semblance of a smile.

"Could you call the pack's Healer for me? I can pay you."

The new, young maid took a hesitant step forward, only to be yanked back by an older servant.

Their hushed conversation, despite their efforts to be quiet, reached my wolf ears clearly.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Don't you know Alpha Isaac hates this woman?"

"If he sees you helping her, you'll lose your job and be kicked out of the pack!"

The young maid froze, glanced at me again, then lowered her head and scurried away.

I shook my head, a bitter smile on my lips. I crawled to the corner and picked up my shattered phone.

The former Alpha couple traveled year-round, seeking ways to strengthen the pack.

They were only home maybe three or four days a month.

Alpha Isaac was the sole authority here. He had said it more than once.

I wasn't of true Vance blood. My problems were my own.

So no one dared to come near me.

Every time I came home, the leftovers were thrown out, even if I hadn't eaten.

The plates on the table were empty. Not even a mouthful of hot soup was left for me.

But I was used to it.

I dragged myself to the pack's healing center.

There, the Healer examined my wound, shaking his head with a sigh. The injury wasn't life-threatening, he said, but it was deep. He cleaned it, applied a poultice of herbs, and told me I'd need to be observed for two days.

After being discharged, I went back to the pack house to pack. This time, no one stopped me.

The servants watched me struggle alone with cold eyes, as if I were invisible.

That afternoon, I packed everything and loaded it into a secondhand pickup truck I had modified myself.

I had bought it with the pocket money I'd saved up over many years.

I was going to the border workshop. It was near rogue territory, but it was a step toward freedom.

Three days after leaving the pack house, Alpha Isaac forced his way into our mind-link. His voice was slurred with alcohol, and the background noise was chaotic.

"Where are you?"

"The Moonlight Club. Top-floor VIP room. Come get me."

I was busy patching the roof of the border workshop, and the summons shattered my focus. A wave of irritation washed over me.

"Alpha Isaac, what do you want?"

There was silence on the other end. It was as if he hadn't expected me to use his full title.

Even the sounds of revelry around him seemed to quiet down.

I asked again. No answer. I was about to sever the link.

Alpha Isaac suddenly spoke, his voice laced with anger.

"Ayla, where are you?"

I put down my hammer, wiped the sweat from my brow, and answered nonchalantly.

"I thought you said living under the same roof as me made the very air disgusting? So I moved out."

"Don't worry. I'm not going back. I've already submitted my transfer request."

The man's breathing grew heavy. He let out a cold laugh.

"Ayla, when did you become so obedient?"

"Weren't you the one who used to be so damn clingy?"

"If you're so obedient now, why don't you just disappear from my life completely?!"

"Ayla, I don't care what game you're playing. If you lay a hand on Fallon again, I won't spare you!"

The wind on the roof was strong, and it made me shiver. I gazed at the forest in the distance.

It took me a moment to process the sheer absurdity of his words.

His mocking voice continued.

"What, nothing to say?"

"Aren't you tired of playing these pathetic little sympathy-seeking tricks every day?"

"Brew a Calming Potion for Fallon as an apology. Then I'll allow you to come back."

I spoke slowly, my voice so calm that even my wolf, Fen, seemed surprised.

"Fine. I promise, Alpha Isaac. I will disappear completely."

Before he could utter another word, I slammed a wall up in my mind, severing the link. The world fell blissfully silent.