Chapter 2

I blinked back the hot tears stinging my eyes, threw the anniversary gift straight into the trash can, and walked back into the main bar area without looking back.

Five minutes later, Ethan and Summer walked back in, one after the other.

Ethan looked completely unfazed. He walked straight over to me, sat down, and handed me a glass of wine.

"When did you get here? Have a drink. You looked lost standing there by yourself."

I didn’t take the glass. My eyes were locked on a faint smudge of pink on his lip.

Noticing my gaze, he casually wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

"What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" He arched an eyebrow, his tone filled with that same old, patronizing fondness.

I felt a wave of nausea hit my stomach.

Before I could speak, a soft cry echoed from the other side of the lounge.

"Oh my gosh!"

Summer was sitting on the floor next to a sofa, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I think I sprained my ankle... It hurts so bad..."

She clutched her ankle, but her eyes slid right past the crowd, landing straight on Ethan.

A few guys nearby immediately swarmed her, offering to help.

Summer bit her lower lip, shaking her head tearfully. "No, thank you. I... I can just call an Uber."

Ethan set his glass down, his brow furrowing.

He stood up and turned to me.

"Mia, it's not safe for her to go alone. I'll drive her home."

I looked up, staring at the face of the man I had loved for five years.

"She only sprained her ankle; her legs aren't broken. Besides, Chris is right there."

Chris was a Beta from our pack, and one of the very few who knew about my relationship with Ethan.

An impatient flicker crossed Ethan's eyes, though he masked it quickly. He reached out to ruffle my hair.

"Be good, babe. Don't overthink this. Summer helped me out with a pack matter last time."

"You're always so sensitive. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. We'll get your favorite pastries, okay?"

I tilted my head, dodging his touch.

For the first time in five years, I refused his touch.

Ethan’s hand froze mid-air.

"Alpha Ethan, thank you for the offer, but if Mia is upset, please don't worry about me. I can manage..." Summer whimpered, tugging lightly at the hem of his jacket.

Ethan’s expression darkened.

Without another look at me, he grabbed Summer’s arm and helped her up.

"Let’s go. I’m taking you home."

Without a single word of explanation, he walked out of the bar, supporting Summer.

As the door swung shut, I heard people whispering nearby.

"Alpha Ethan is way too good to that Omega. And Mia didn't even care?"

The night grew colder. I walked the streets alone.

As I passed the coffee shop where Ethan and I always went, my feet froze.

Through the glass window, I saw a young couple laughing.

The boy wrapped his jacket around the girl's shoulders, whispering something in her ear.

I stood in the freezing wind, my nails digging deep into my palms.

The sharp pain kept me grounded, but my eyes burned.

I bit my lip hard, forcing myself not to cry.

I walked all the way back to the Stoneclaw Pack’s residential villa.

It was a small pack with only a dozen members, and everyone was already asleep.

I went back to my room, but sleep wouldn't come.

I pulled out my phone and opened a hidden album.

It was filled with screenshots of every text he had sent me over the last five years, every selfie we took after our dates, and photos of every love letter he had ever written me.

My finger hovered over the screen for thirty seconds.

Then, I selected all and hit delete.

"Are you sure you want to permanently delete these items?"

"Yes."

Right then, a notification popped up. It was a text from Ethan, saying he had bought me a gift.

Immediately after, a second message arrived.

"Wear it tomorrow. I had it custom-made for you. It’ll look perfect on you."

I stared at the photo of the necklace. It looked incredibly familiar.

Just last week, Summer had been bragging to the housekeepers about an early birthday gift she had received. It was the exact same design.

A cold, mocking chuckle escaped my lips.

"All this waiting... I'm done."