Chapter 2
1296 Words
Alice's POV
I refused the doctor's suggestion to remain in the hospital.
The sterile white walls made me feel suffocated. Lying there any longer would only give me more time to think about Kelvin, about the bond between them, about the fragile life growing inside me.
I signed the discharge form and stepped out of the building, wrapping my coat tighter around my body.
Before I had taken more than a few steps, my phone rang.
The number on the screen made me heart sink.
The hospital where my mother had been staying.
I answered immediately. "Hello?"
"Madam," the receptionist said politely. "This is a reminder that the next medical payment is due today. If the bill isn't settled soon, the treatment may have to be suspended."
My fingers tightened around the phone. "Yes… I understand," I whispered.
The call ended.
For a long moment, I stood there in silence, staring at the street in front of me.
Since my mother suffered from a cancer two years ago, the medical bills had been enormous. Every month, Kelvin transferred money into my account to cover the costs. If I severed the bond with Kelvin, I would lose my position as Luna. The allowance that came with it would disappear.
And now I was carrying a pup. Raising a child alone, paying for treatment alone—I could already imagine how difficult the future would become.
My wolf stirred quietly in my mind, sensing my hesitation.
I closed my eyes.
After a long moment, I turned and walked toward the bus station. I needed to see my mother.
The small apartment building looked even older than I remembered.
The hallway smelled faintly of damp walls and cheap alcohol. The lights flickered weakly above my head as I walked toward the bedroom at the end of the corridor.
Inside, my mother lay motionless on the narrow hospital bed they had moved into the apartment months ago. Machines hummed quietly beside her, measuring a heartbeat that barely seemed to belong to the world of the living.
I stepped closer.
"Mom…" my voice trembled.
My mother didn't respond.
The thin blanket rose and fell slowly with each assisted breath. Tubes ran across her arms and face.
My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes.
"I'm here," I whispered, gently touching her hand.
A voice suddenly came from behind me.
"Since you're here, we should talk." My father stood by the doorway, leaning against the frame with an impatient expression.
"In a few days the rent is due again," he added bluntly. "You should prepare the money soon. The landlord keeps asking."
I blinked in confusion. "Rent? I just gave it to you two weeks ago."
My father waved his hand dismissively before I could finish.
"I had to use it."
"For what?"
"Some… debts." The answer came too quickly.
I felt my chest tighten. "You gambled again?"
My father frowned, clearly annoyed by my tone. "Lower your voice."
The words snapped something inside me. "I don't have any money left!" I burst out, my voice shaking. "I can't keep paying your gambling debts!"
My father stared at me in disbelief.
"What are you talking about?" he scoffed. "Isn't Alpha Kelvin giving you plenty every month?"
I looked down. "After paying mom's medical bills, there isn't much left."
My father shrugged as if it were the most trivial problem in the world. "So ask him for more."
" Forget it." I cut him off immediately.
My father's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I won't ask him anymore," I said quietly.
At that moment, a slow clap sounded from the living room.
"Well, that's interesting."
It was my younger sister.
When I turned to look at her, she was standing by the wall, one hand bracing against it and the other on her hip, grinning derisively.
"Did something happen?" she asked. "I thought Kelvin adored you. Don't tell me you the great Luna is suddenly having trouble with your mate."
I cut her off before she could continue. "I'm not talking about Kelvin. For five years I've done everything for this family. I paid the bills, I covered the rent, I kept mom's treatment going… but none of you have ever cared about what that cost me."
My father rolled his eyes. "You're the Luna of the pack," he said dismissively. "You're bonded to an Alpha. Why are you arguing over money with your own family?"
The indifference in his voice made my stomach twist.
The words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. "I'm ending the bond with Kelvin."
The room fell silent.
My father's expression changed instantly. "What did you say?"
"I'm leaving him."
He stepped forward quickly, his face turning pale. "No. Absolutely not." "If you lose your Luna title," he continued urgently, "our family will go right back to the bottom of the Omega class. Do you understand that?"
I stared at him in disbelief. "So that's all you care about?"
My sister laughed coldly. "I knew it," she said, folding her arms. "You're useless."
My lips trembled slightly, but in the end, I said nothing.
My sister continued mercilessly. "You got lucky when Kelvin claimed you as his mate. Five whole years and you still couldn't keep him interested."
The words were sharp as knives.
"If I were Alpha," she added casually, "I would've rejected you long ago and found someone better."
I lowered my head slowly, my hand resting on my stomach. Then, I looked at them directly, "Don't expect another coin from me. And don't expect Kelvin's money either."
My father exploded. "Are you out of your mind?"
"Apologize to him immediately," he shouted. "I will never agree to this ridiculous idea!"
My sister smirked. "Maybe Kelvin is already tired of you," she said lightly. "Five years and you haven't even given him a pup."
It felt like needles piercing my heart when I heard it. Tears gathered in my eyes.
"If I were him," she continued cruelly, "If I were him, I would've already started a family with another woman."
I said nothing, simply turned and walked out of the apartment.
--
When I opened the door to the house I shared with Kelvin, the living room was dark and silent.
Kelvin wasn't home, I thought.
Having decided to move out, I was going to pack a few things first.
Just as I reached the door of the bedroom, a sound came from inside. A soft laugh.
I looked through the narrow gap quietly.
Kelvin was inside the room. Emily stood close to him—far too close. One of his hands rested on her waist while she leaned against his chest, her fingers lightly touching his collar. Their voices were low, intimate.
I felt the temperature in my chest drop to ice. My wolf let out a wounded cry. And the image of Kelvin standing beside Emily in the hospital hallway returned like a blade through my chest.
The faint movement of my foot brushed against the door. The sound was small—but Kelvin heard it immediately.
He turned sharply. "Alice?"
The door swung open.
His eyes hardened the moment he saw me. "So you're here," he said coldly. "Spying again?"
Something lodged in my throat, leaving me unable to speak.
"Do you enjoy sneaking around like this?" Kelvin continued, irritation clear in his voice. "What are you trying to do this time?"
I met his gaze. My heart trembled, but I kept my voice steady, as if the person before me were a stranger. "I want to severe our bond."Kelvin froze. For a moment he simply stared at me, as if he had misheard.
His eyes darkened. Then he repeated slowly, "You want to end the bond? Say it again!"
- Writer
