Alpha,Our Marriage Died Long Ago.

chapter 4

 When I came to, I found myself in the treatment hut of Plus Doctor.

 Before I passed out, I truly believed I was going to die, and my wolf thought we were going to meet the moon goddess.

 "Vera, you're awake," the pack doctor said.

 I turned my head and saw Alpha River's face, a mix of relief and tension, his eyes flickering with guilt.

 He continued, "I'm just glad you're alright. You gave Lucas and me quite a fright."

 Only then did I recall fainting.

 "Oh really?" I retorted, a mocking snort escaping my lips. "Didn't you think I was faking it?"

 He paused, lowered his head, then said, "Vera, don't say that. I genuinely didn't know that pastry you ate contained jasmine powder? I thought..."

 Never?

 He simply hadn't noticed.

 On the night of our union, when his kin played tricks on me and I accidentally ingested jasmine powder, my wolf howled in agony immediately.

 Yet he was too preoccupied celebrating with his kin to notice my distress.

 Fortunately, my mother brought me herbal remedies to alleviate the allergic reaction, allowing me to continue the ceremony.

 So it's not that it never happened—he simply didn't care.

 Such incidents have become so frequent that both I and my wolf have grown numb to them.

 I must finally admit that Alpha River does not love me.

 "As long as you're alright, what's done is done. I'll be more careful in future, alright?"

 His voice softened, and he appeared subdued, leaving me momentarily at a loss.

 He'd never been this gentle with me before.

 I ignored him, so he asked, "Are you hungry? I'll fetch you some food. Wait for me."

 With that, he rose and departed.

 The urgency in his footsteps left me momentarily dazed.

 The Alpha River I remembered had never shown me such concern.

 A knock sounded abruptly at the door.

 Scarlett appeared at the cabin door.

 She held a bouquet of flowers in her hands. "I heard you'd woken, so I came to see you."

 She placed the flowers beside my bed before sitting down, her tail flicking haughtily. "Vera, there's no need for pretence between us."

 I watched her, ears pricked with caution. "And?"

 She gave a careless smile. "If I had no purpose, I wouldn't have returned."

 "Alpha River and I have never lost touch since our days as tribal warriors in training. I won't lie to you about that either."

 "His wolf has always loved me—you know that, don't you?"

 "Therefore, you ought to realise it's best to withdraw voluntarily."

 I understood her intentions perfectly well, so I'd long since resolved to withdraw.

 I nodded in agreement. "I told you long ago: if you wish to retrieve the refuse you discarded, go ahead. I want none of it."

 She snarled furiously, a cold laugh escaping her lips. "You dare speak to me like this?"

 "Then why did you cling to Alpha River back then?"

 "Vera, stop deceiving yourself with pretty words. Aren't you still lying in that treatment bed, begging for sympathy?"

 "If you had any backbone, you'd have left long ago. Even your own cub doesn't care for you. That should tell you how utterly you've failed."

 I nodded. My wolf no longer cared. "If you think you can take my cub too, I have no objection."

 "You've got your answer. Can you leave now?"

 She gritted her teeth slightly, glaring at me viciously, seemingly oblivious to my own unease at her distress.

 She rose abruptly, kicked the stool, then swept her hand to smash the nearby vase to the floor. Instantly, the entire figure collapsed.

 Startled, I sat up to see what had happened.

 Suddenly, I heard her wailing at me, feigning injury. "Vera, you injured your leg yourself. It had nothing to do with me. Why are you suddenly taking it out on me?"

 Outside the cave, Alpha River's anxious voice pierced the air, his frantic howl echoing, "Scarlett, what's wrong?"

 He rushed in and helped her up. "Scarlett, are you alright? What happened?"

 Scarlett, tears streaming down her face, feigned agony. "Vera, not only did you throw flowers at me, why did you use a stool? Did you realise that one blow from that could have seriously injured me?"

 Hearing her words, Alpha River turned to me, his face twisted with fury. He growled threateningly, "Vera, I thought you'd changed. I never imagined you'd become even more vicious!"

 "Have you lost your mind? Fine! I thought you might change, so I gave you a chance. Clearly, I should never have shown you mercy!"

 He bent down, scooped Scarlett up, and carried her towards the door. His voice softened instantly, and his wolf immediately soothed her white wolf. "Don't be afraid. I'll take you to the pack doctor right now."

 He hurried away without a second glance at me.