Chapter 4

Not long after, my friends took me to a countryside ranch to clear my head. A lot of main hall nobles were there—David and Emma included.

Emma wore pale riding clothes, and David helped her up onto a horse.

He stood behind her, arms around her, guiding her hands on the reins.

With sunlight falling over them, they looked like a couple in love.

I turned my head away, pretending I hadn’t seen.

I stood in front of the stables in a daze when Emma walked over, stroking a white horse.

“David raised this one for me,” she said softly.

Then she asked as if it were casual, “If the two of us were in danger at the same time, who do you think he’d save?”

The next second, she yanked out a dagger and stabbed it into the horse’s belly.

The white horse shrieked and bolted through the fence. The whole herd went wild, the scene exploding into chaos.

I watched with my own eyes as David pulled Emma into his arms first, shielding her as they dodged.

A crazed horse charged straight at me a few yards away.

David just rushed toward me—until Emma grabbed him and fell.

“David… don’t go…”

Another horse barreled in. He had no choice but to hold her and dodge.

The wind screamed. Hooves thundered. The shadow of the horse filled my vision.

My heartbeat slowed, slowed, as if my body already knew I was about to be crushed.

“Get the hell away!” A roar shattered the air.

Nate—shifted into wolf form—ripped into the charging horse with razor claws, tearing through hide and flesh.

When I woke, I was still in a hospital room. The first thing I asked was, “Where’s Nate?”

The Omega explained, “Young Master Johnson went home.”

Then she added, “Young Master David is waiting outside.”

Emma’s fall had been bad. The blood bank was short. We all had a rare blood type, and he’d come to beg me to donate.

David pushed the door open. His white suit was a mess, blood at his temple, his usual composure gone.

“Please. Save Emma…”

I said calmly, “I’m injured too. If I donate to her, what about me?”

His voice went hoarse. “I’ll take care of you later. I’ll make it up to you.”

I laughed softly, icy and mocking.

“Like you ‘took care’ of me at the ranch? You said it yourself— ‘You’re more important than her.’”

David’s face went pale. He still tried to explain, “That was an accident… I can’t leave Emma alone.”

I cut him off.

“I’ll donate. But not for free. Three conditions.

First: kneel outside for a day and a night.

Second: on my engagement day, you show up—no excuse.

Third: I haven’t decided yet.”

I thought his pride would never let him kneel.

But outside the window, with a dull thud, he dropped straight into the rain.

The downpour never eased. He knelt for a full day and night.

I donated eight hundred milliliters of blood.

When David took the blood bag, his voice was heavy.

“Thank you… I’ll be there on your engagement day.”

He paused, then actually added lightly, “Marry you…”

I froze for a heartbeat, then almost laughed at the absurdity—did he think I wanted him there so I could get engaged to him?

If one day he learned he’d mistaken the person who made his heart race… how humiliating would that irony be?

The night before the engagement, I was trying on dresses in a bridal boutique when footsteps stopped behind me.

Nate appeared with a gift box.

“Engagement present.”

I glared at him. “The engagement is tomorrow. Why are you giving it to me now?”

He shrugged. “I might not show up tomorrow. I’m thinking of going out to have some fun.”

I raised my voice, warning him, “How dare you!”

He leaned in suddenly, emotion churning in his eyes.

“Rae… you really want me to watch you marry someone else?”

Then he stepped back with a wicked grin.

“As long as you’re not afraid I’ll turn your engagement banquet upside down, I’ll come.”

He turned and vanished.

On the day of the engagement, the hotel was overflowing with guests, and everyone was certain the groom would be David:

“The princess has been crazy about him for years—how could she pick anyone else?”

My father led me in, smiling as he asked, “Aren’t you going to find your fiancé?”

I scanned the crowd below the stage:

Joey looked oddly calm;

Emma had red eyes, staring at me like she could burn holes through my skin;

David stood with his gaze lowered, fingers clenched white;

And Nate leaned against the wall, still wearing that amused, careless smile.

I took a slow breath, walked toward the three of them, and stopped in front of Nate.

I smiled.

“My mate. Come up onstage with me.”

David snapped his head up, staring at me in disbelief.

Nate’s smile froze. The candy in his hand dropped with a slap to the floor.

Watching him stand there stunned, I couldn’t help laughing.

“Nate. Time to get engaged.”