Chapter 4

It took Liam several more days to finish handling Pack matters before he returned to the manor again.

Nora waited until eight that night and had the kitchen prepare a full spread, everything she thought Liam would like.

When I saw the roasted venison and the wild-berry salad on the table, I instinctively licked my lips.

It wasn’t accurate to say Liam and I had nothing in common. Our tastes in food were eerily aligned. We both preferred what came from the hunt, real wild meat, not overly refined, artificially processed meals.

Nora ate a few bites of vegetables and a small piece of venison, then set down her utensils.

She’d always been strict about her figure. Her daily intake was barely equal to one of my meals.

In a werewolf Pack, that was abnormal. Wolves need energy to maintain strength and healing. Almost no one deliberately starves themselves.

Mable used to say, being able to eat is a blessing. Wolves should follow their nature. I never failed my appetite. Whenever I came back from a hunt, I could eat plenty.

Mary’s roasted venison chops were incredible. Just looking at them made my mouth water. Nora had no idea what she was missing.

Liam stopped eating, too. His gaze fell on Nora’s plate, barely touched.

“Does the food not suit your taste?” he asked. There was a faint edge to his voice, something watchful.

Nora smiled, calm and gentle. “My appetite hasn’t been great lately. Maybe I caught a bit of cold.”

Liam watched her for a long moment before he said, “Edward told me that while I was away, your appetite was far better than before. You were eating plenty of wild meat every meal. So why is it that the moment I come back, you suddenly can’t eat?”

Changes in a wolf’s appetite are hard to miss especially a shift this abrupt.

Nora’s face tightened for a split second. She shook her head quickly. “My appetite’s been bad these past few days. Maybe it’s the heat. It’s affected my stomach.”

Liam lowered his eyes. After a pause, he said, “Dizzy and no appetite… tomorrow I’ll take you to the Black Moon Pack infirmary. The herbal physicians there are good at conditioning the body.”

Nora’s first instinct was to refuse. She was afraid the physicians would realize she wasn’t his real mate.

But then she thought: as long as it wasn’t an identity check, a basic exam should be fine. After all, the only people who knew I’d disappeared were the three of them.

In the end, she forced a smile and agreed.