Chapter 3

Rose glanced at the barren chamber one last time, then let out a quiet, deliberate sigh. "I simply believe people shouldn't remain trapped in what's already gone. It's time to move forward."

Zack hesitated, his jaw working as if wrestling with unspoken words. Finally, he nodded slowly. "You're right. We should be building something new, not clinging to fragments of the old."

Shawn shifted his weight, brushing ash from his sleeve. "It's been too long since the three of us traveled together. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow to attend the Council of Marks ceremony in the northern territories. Rose, will you come with me? Sally will be there as well. I think there's been some misunderstanding between you two. Better to clear the air sooner rather than later."

Rose's brow furrowed slightly at his words.

She hadn't even known about the ceremony. If not for the spectacle at the feast, Shawn likely would never have mentioned it to her at all.

When Rose said nothing, Zack and Shawn exchanged a glance, apparently mistaking her silence for agreement. A flicker of relief passed between them.

"By the way, Rose," Zack began, his tone cautious, "why didn't you attend the pack council meeting today?" His brow creased with genuine confusion.

In his memory, Rose had always been fiercely devoted to her duties, placing her responsibilities above all else. It was a working day. Why would she remain at the villa?

Shawn's eyes sharpened with concern as well, his gaze settling on her.

Rose's expression remained steady, unreadable. "I wasn't feeling well. I decided not to go."

A look of concern flashed across Shawn's face. He opened his mouth to reply, but both he and Zack received a Mindlink from Sally—excluding Rose.

"Zack, Shawn, my stomach hurts terribly. Can you come stay with me?"

Zack's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. Tension radiated from him. "What happened? Did you shift too soon after eating? Or consume something tainted? Wait for me. I'm coming now."

He severed the connection and grabbed his cloak from the hook by the door, already halfway out. Shawn followed without a word, casting one last uncertain glance at Rose before disappearing into the corridor.

Rose stood alone in the hollow chamber, surrounded by ash and emptiness.

She'd been left behind by Zack and Shawn once again. But this time, no bitterness stirred in her chest. She'd grown accustomed to it long ago.

After hauling the final sack of discarded remnants to the manor's waste pit, Rose mounted her horse and rode toward the city's commercial district, where the Rollins clan's trade operations were housed.

When she arrived, Raphael, her beta who'd been managing affairs in her absence, immediately rose from his seat at the stone desk, his expression taut with apprehension.

Raphael felt unsettled, as though something monumental had shifted, but he dared not ask.

As if reading his thoughts, Rose spoke with calm finality. "I'm returning to Golden Oak City to fulfill my family's marriage arrangement."

"I have no intention of relocating the Rollins operations in Blackstone City to Golden Oak. From this point forward, everything here is yours to manage."

Raphael's eyes widened in shock. He nodded slowly, then asked with careful hesitation, "Do Zack and Shawn know of this? If they come asking, I—"

Rose paused, her gaze drifting toward the narrow window where moonlight still clung faintly to the horizon.

"They don't know yet. When I depart, tell them the truth. But until then, keep it hidden. Simply say I'm unwell and that you're handling affairs temporarily."

Raphael blinked, then smiled faintly, though regret flickered in his eyes. "I understand, Alpha Rose."

He hesitated, then added with genuine sorrow, "Shawn and Zack are both exceptional wolves. They've always treated you with such devotion, considering you in everything. I'd always thought you might bind yourself to one of them and remain in Blackstone City."

Rose's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "There's nothing to regret. When something isn't meant to be, it's better to see it clearly before it's too late."

After instructing Raphael on several final matters, Rose gathered her personal belongings from the stone shelves and prepared to leave.

The silence of the corridor was suddenly shattered by a commotion below.

The sharp clack of heeled boots against stone echoed upward, accompanied by raised voices.

"Miss Sally, you cannot go up! Alpha Rose has ordered that no one disturb her this morning!"

Sally shoved the attendant aside, whirling on her with a snarl. "Get out of my way! I need to see Rose today!"

The moment she turned, Sally's eyes locked with Rose's calm, unyielding gaze.

In the narrow, shadow-filled corridor, their gazes collided. The ferocity on Sally's face froze instantly, replaced by an expression that looked as though she might weep.