Chapter 2
It was Mom’s voice, screaming Kaelen's name over and over, that dragged me back from the brink of death time and time again.
Even though I ultimately lost the battle. Even though Kaelen had moved on, found a new life, a new fiancée, and was about to get married.
In my final days, just being near him—even if he hated me—was enough.
That was the whole reason. When I heard Kaelen was returning to Seattle, I forced the doctors to discharge me today.
Even when they warned me that leaving the hospital meant certain death, I still chose to come home.
The moment Kaelen’s mom left, my exhausted body finally gave out. I collapsed onto the bed and fell into a feverish, suffocating sleep.
But there was no peace in the dark. Only him.
“Why?”
Kaelen’s voice ripped through my nightmare, laced with an Alpha’s crushing command. In the dream, I was back in that damp hallway seven years ago.
He had stood outside my door for three days and three nights, eyes bloodshot, drenched in rain. When I finally came out, he pinned me against the wall, his fingers digging into my shoulders.
“Tell me why you betrayed me, Bella. Look me in the eye and say it!”
I forced the lie out. “I just don't love you anymore.”
The utter devastation in his eyes still haunted me. He had punched the stairwell window, shattering the glass. Blood dripped from his knuckles as he looked at me with pure, unadulterated hatred. “You disgust me, Bella. Don't ever let me see your face again.”
Then nightmare shifted. The airport terminal. Pouring rain outside the massive windows. I had dragged my failing body there just to catch one last glimpse of him before he left for med school.
He saw me. Without a word, he pulled out the silver Fated Mate rings we had picked out together and threw them onto the marble floor, crushing them under his boot. He smashed his phone—the one holding every photo of us—and walked through the security gates without looking back once.
A sharp, searing pain in my chest jolted me awake.
I gasped for air, clutching the fabric over my chest. My Wolf Core throbbed, a brutal reminder of my ticking clock. Cold sweat soaked my pajamas.
Then, I heard it.
A deep, familiar baritone filtering through the thin walls of my bedroom.
Kaelen.
My breath hitched. Why was he here? After what happened at the hospital, after seven years of absolute radio silence, why was he in my house? He hated me. He loathed the very sound of my name.
I dragged my aching body out of bed. Every step felt like walking on broken glass. I leaned against the doorframe, cracking the door open just an inch.
In the small living room, Kaelen stood tall and imposing. He wore a crisp black trench coat, looking every bit the ruthless, elite Alpha he had become. Clinging tightly to his arm was Sloane.
My mother stood opposite them, her face pale with suppressed rage.
"Mrs. Bennett, I know dropping by unannounced is a bit much," Sloane was saying, her voice sweet. "But Kaelen and I were just in the neighborhood, and I really wanted to talk to Bella."
"Bella is resting. She's not seeing anyone."
"Oh, please don't be like that," Sloane pouted, leaning closer to Kaelen. He didn't pull away. He just stood there, his face an unreadable mask. "I know things were... messy in the past. But Kaelen and Bella grew up together. They were childhood friends. I’m not the jealous type, seriously."
Sloane smiled, tossing her perfectly styled hair. "Actually, I came to ask for a favor. We're finalizing the wedding venues and the rings this week. I don't really know Seattle that well, and honestly? Kaelen’s mom means well, but her taste is so... old-fashioned. We have a massive generation gap. I'd love it if Bella could help me pick things out. We're the same age, after all."
"You want my daughter to plan your wedding?"
"Why not?" Sloane asked innocently. "I mean, I know all about the... cheating incident seven years ago. Kaelen told me everything. But I believe in letting bygones be bygones! It's all in the past. Kaelen is such an amazing, forgiving man. He doesn't hold grudges, and neither do I. We can totally just be friends."
Through the crack in the door, I stared at Kaelen.
He had told her. He had calmly handed over our shattered past to this woman, letting her use it as a weapon in my own home. The mate bond—no matter how faded and broken—screamed in agony. The pain in my Wolf Core spiked, spreading a cold numbness down my limbs.
"Although she clearly didn't know how to appreciate a good man when she had it, that doesn't mean she can't share in our happiness now, right? Honestly, I really should be thanking Bella. If she hadn't thrown Kaelen away, I never would've ended up with such an incredible guy."
"Shut up." My mother’s voice trembled.
Her eyes turned bloodshot. She pointed a shaking finger at Kaelen.
"You..." My mother’s voice cracked into a furious shout. "You and you mother are exactly the same! You're both shameless, cold-blooded monsters!"
The room froze.
Panic seized me. If she blurted out the truth about Kaelen’s mom's blackmail and my illness right now, everything I had suffered for the last seven years would be for nothing.
My heart dropped. "Mom!" I called out toward the living room. "Come in here!"
"Help me into my wheelchair. I'll talk to Kaelen myself."
