Chapter 4
1175 Words
Louisa's POV:
On the way back, Alice was still sitting in the passenger seat. I sat in the back seat, finalizing the details with my Rothbury landlord.
Sebastian suddenly spoke. "Come sit in the front," he said.
I didn't look up. "No need," I replied.
"Alice already got out," he said.
"I know," I answered.
The car fell silent for a few seconds.
"Fine," Sebastian said, his voice tinged with displeasure.
I ignored him.
On my phone screen was an apartment with large floor‑to‑ceiling windows. It had plenty of sunlight and was only ten minutes away from the Rothbury liaison office. I immediately paid the deposit.
Back at the main residence, Sebastian took out a thick catalogue from his briefcase and walked up to me.
"Take a look," he said.
I took it and realized it was a catalogue of Luna coronation gowns.
"Pick one as soon as possible," he continued. "The ceremony is only six days away. The tailor needs to confirm the measurements one last time."
He flipped to one of the pages. The gown was embroidered all over with white pear blossoms.
"I think this one is nice," he said.
I looked at those flowers and suddenly thought of Alice. It turned out that some people didn't even need to be here. Her mark lingered in every corner between us. In the past, I would have definitely asked him why he chose pear blossoms of all things. But now, I simply nodded.
"Okay," I said. "Let's go with this one."
Anyway, the ceremony had already been canceled. This gown could go to whoever wanted it.
Sebastian seemed very satisfied with my obedience. He lowered his head and kissed my forehead as a reward.
"This is good," he said. "That defiant attitude you showed the Alpha today—don't let it happen again."
After saying that, he turned around and went into the bathroom.
I stood there for a long time. Then I took out a wet wipe and wiped my forehead over and over again. I didn't stop until my skin turned red.
At nine in the evening, as usual, Sebastian closed the mental channel between us.
He didn't notice the empty vanity. He didn't notice my things were gone from the bathroom. Nor did he notice the suitcase standing beside the wardrobe.
He lay beside me, yet channeled all his attention into Alice's mind.
In the middle of the night, I was suddenly jolted awake by a sharp mental scream. That cry wasn't directed at me. Alice's fear had simply been so strong that it briefly shook the entire pack network.
Sebastian sat up abruptly beside me. "Alice?" he asked, panic edging his voice for the first time.
On the other end of the link, Alice was still crying. "There's someone outside the window," she sobbed. "He carries the scent of a rogue wolf, and silver too. Sebastian, I'm scared..."
The man who never let his emotions show and always demanded that I remain calm—his face changed in an instant. He didn't even have time to put on his shoes before slamming open the balcony door. The sound of bones snapping and reknitting rang through the night. Seconds later, a massive black wolf leaped from the third floor and bolted toward the academy.
So much for the nine‑o'clock rule. So much for the mental realm needing its peace. Where Alice was concerned, any rule could be broken in an instant.
I didn't follow him. And I couldn't sleep anymore.
At one in the morning, the Werewolf Academy's social platform completely blew up.
A: [A rogue wolf broke into Miss Palmer's dormitory!]
B: [He had a silver knife, and the windows had been pried open.]
C: [The Silverfir Alpha arrived. He nearly mauled that rogue to death.]
D: [The patrol team has secured the scene. Miss Palmer is fine.]
Every post came with photos. Later, someone uploaded a video.
In the video, Sebastian, in his black wolf form, pinned the attacker to the ground, his fangs only inches from the man's throat. The patrol team shouted repeatedly before he finally regained his senses.
After shifting back to human form, the first thing he did was turn around and pull Alice into his arms. He pressed her face against his chest, shielding her from the blood on the ground.
"Don't be afraid," he whispered. "I'm here."
Alice clutched his clothes tightly, crying so hard her entire body shook.
The video quickly became the top‑trending content on the werewolf social platform. Everyone was praising the way the Silverfir Alpha protected his mate.
A: [Only a true fated mate could make a calm Alpha lose control like this.]
B: [Miss Palmer must be the future Luna.]
C: [Wishing them a swift marking and eternal happiness.]
I watched for a long time. Finally, I liked the comment wishing them eternal happiness. Then I turned off my phone.
That night, Sebastian didn't come back. I wasn't surprised at all.
At six o'clock the next morning, I dragged my packed suitcase out of the bedroom.
Before leaving, I took one last look at the coronation gown album on the desk. Then I removed the moonstone necklace that symbolized my status as a Luna candidate. Along with the main residence access badge, I left them in the entryway.
I didn't leave an explanation for Sebastian. Over five years, I had told him too many times that I was hurting and waited too many times for a response. Now, I had nothing left to say.
After arriving at the airport, I posted a statement on the Werewolf Council's public platform canceling the marking ceremony. Then, I opened the bond severance page.
The camera lit up. The system required me to recite the complete rejection oath. I looked at myself on the screen. My face was pale, but my eyes were perfectly calm.
"I, Louisa, voluntarily reject Sebastian as my fated mate. I renounce my position as Luna of the Silverfir Pack, forego completing the mark with him, and will no longer accept him into my spiritual realm as my mate."
The moment the words left my lips, a sharp pain exploded in my chest. It felt as if someone were slicing open my very soul with a silver knife. I bent over, cold sweat instantly breaking out across my forehead.
Deep in my consciousness, the white wolf let out a pained whimper. Instinctively, it wanted to return to Sebastian's side. But I gripped my phone tightly, telling it over and over: no turning back.
The pain lasted a long time. It wasn't until the boarding call that I finally managed to straighten up.
A staff member asked me with concern if I needed a doctor.
"No need," I said. "Just an old injury."
As the plane passed through the clouds, the Silverfir territory receded into the distance. I turned off my phone, extinguishing the last vestige of waiting.
From that moment on, Sebastian and I were nothing to each other.
- Writer
