Chapter 7

Elena

“Close your eyes,” I blurted. “Alaric, close your eyes right now!”

His jaw clenched and when I saw him slowly closed his eyes, I let out a soft sigh.

“Boring,” I heard him.

The moment he closed his eyes, I twisted free, lunged for the towel, and hurriedly wrapped it around myself with shaking hands. I backed away like a cornered animal, my chest were heaving.

“What are you doing here?” I said breathlessly.

“I live here, you forgot?” he said flatly.

Oh.

You live here? I almost forgot about that since you never spend your day or even hours staying at this house that almost made me forget that I have an Alpha.

But now, I don’t have an Alpha anymore.

It made me feel like there was no difference from before when I was still bonded with him.

Still the same feeling where he would make it feel to me that he’s not my Alpha.

“Oh, so you live here. I thought you live with your woman.”

Those words slipped out carelessly before I could stop them.

I paused.

Both of us froze as he slowly open his eyes.

His gaze fell on me—the look in them made my heart stutter.

I thought he would get angry like he usually do, instead, he let out a sigh.

“Get dressed first,” he said finally, pushing himself up. “We’ll talk.”

For what?

I hurriedly snapped back from the illusion that he still want me as his Luna.

Since when did he want me?

I let out a mocking chuckle. Right, it was all just my delusion—a delusion I believed he would value me as his Luna, but look at us now.

Did he value me? No.

Did he respect me as his Luna? No.

I know everything between us is just contractual, that’s why I won’t assume things anymore unless stated.

And he already stated that he rejects me as his Luna so why would I continue to stay in this house nor chitchat with him as if nothing happens?

I stopped my nausea while clenching the towel that wrapped around myself as I looked at him.

“I believe there’s nothing for us to discuss anymore,” I calmly answered, retreating into the bedroom. “Don’t worry, you can let anyone use this house.”

Although I said that, there was a pain clenched in my heart yet I didn’t dare to let those emotions show—especially to some like him who won’t care.

I turned my back from him and got dressed immediately before packing all my things in a luggage.

My skin where he had touched, still burned and my heart were racing uncontrollably along with the uncomfortable feeling it gave me—yet, I ignored it.

After packing my things, I was about to go downstairs, when I noticed his presence behind me.

“You’re really leaving?” he asked.

“Happy?”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“‘I didn’t think I needed permission, do I?”

I turned my back, facing him.

His eyes flicked to my luggage, then back to my face. “According to our contractual bond, since I was the one who initiate to severe and broke the agreement, this villa belongs to you.”

I blinked.

“What?”

He repeated it. “This villa. It’s in your name—it’s already been proceed by the councils.”

I stared at him, disbelief crashing into anger. “Right, this is mine. A compensation of our three year bond, so why did you even come back here?”

He humiliated me at his grandmother’s funeral, announced the severance of our bond like a board meeting, and now you’re telling me he handed me a hundred-and-fifty-million villa like a consolation prize?

For what? To ease the disrespect he gave me?

“I know, I’ll pack my things and stay elsewhere,” he said evenly and was about to go upstairs and probably gather his things, I changed my mind.

“No need. It’s better for me to leave instead.” I paused, and added with a calm tone. “This villa is yours and from the start, I had already told your grandma that I won’t accept any compensation since I was willing to take you as my Alpha.”

Before he could open his mouth, I already turned my back, bringing two lugages with me as I head out of the villa.

Once I was outside, I couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh. A bitter chuckle left from my mouth as I turned my back, watching the villa for the last time.

I never thought that I would leave this place. If I would say it to my past self who had just got bonded to the Alpha that we left this place, she would surely deny it.

After all, in her mind, she would remain as the Luna of the Alpha and would be with him until her hair turn white.

Ugh.

I hurriedly put my palm on my mouth and stopped myself from retching while my other hand was massaging my stomach.

Is this the price for being greedy? Wanting to achieve weight loss in a short period of time, forcing myself to not eat and would just consume a block of ice to ease hunger, forcing myself to vomit what I have eaten to achieve the figure I want…

Was all of this all worth it?

I have a body constitution where it easily gains weight even for drinking water. Back then, I never really cared about how I look nor about my weight. I eat what I want to eat and do what I want to do. Despite being mocked by my appearance, I wasn’t really hurt by it especially that my mother once back then said to me that my appearance will change and go back to normal once my wolf is awakened.

However, I was greedy.

The moment I met the Alpha and was bonded to him, I realized that I wasn’t good enough.

My appearance wasn’t good enough, my temperament wasn’t good enough—I was simply not suited to be his Luna.

He might forget me, but I would never forget someone like him.

Someone who had saved me and stayed with me when I encountered a bunch of rogues.

In those two days of staying in the den of rogues with him, I become closer to him and… I stayed to his words where he proposed to have me as his Luna once we will be an adult.

And hearing that his grandma wanted to have me as the Alpha’s Luna, I agreed immediately, thinking that it was him who suggest it and might have remembered the promise he uttered to me when we were kids.

Who would have thought…

I was really a fool.

A foolish of all.

I took a deep breath, calming myself. After my nausea was subsided, I dragged my two luggage and walked my way out of the Ashbourne Estate.

Yet, before I could fully leave through the gates, two gentlemen—a watchman who guards the gate, stopped me.

“Luna,” they called, politely bowing their head as their eyes fell on my luggage. “Were you planning to leave?”

I nodded my head, didn’t plan to hide it from them. “Yes.”

The two of them looked at each other, filled with hesitation before they looked at me, clearing their throats.

“We deeply apologize, Luna. The Elder had just give us a word that you are not allowed to leave.”

Hearing this, I frowned.

I was about to open my mouth to argue, but seeing the hesitation and guilt in their eyes, I stopped.

I rubbed my forehead, letting out a heavy sigh.

Forget it. They were just following orders, and it’s not like they can easily defy the order of the Elder.

I took out my phone from my underarm bag and was about to dial Grandpa’s number when he already beats me to it.

Without hesitation, I answered the call.

“Granpa—”

“Elena Ashbourne! Where do you think you’re going?!” His voice exploded through the line.

How did he know? Did Alpha told him I was going to leave?

I was about to answer when I saw the two guards who were giving me a guilty smiles, making me sigh helplessly.

So it was them.

“I—” I swallowed. “I’m leaving, Grandpa. Also, my surname is no longer Ashbourne but Frost. Alpha Alaric had already decided to end things with me—I’m no longer part of the Ashbourne.”

“Says who?” he snapped. “Turn around. Now!”

“Grandpa—”

“Elena,” he cut in sharply, his Alpga authority bleeding through despite his age. “If you step one foot out that door, don’t ever call me Grandpa again.”

My heart clenched.

“Come back to the mansion. You remain part of the Ashbourne pack. The bond severance submitted to the Pack Council has been dissolved.”

What?

How could…how could that happen?!