Chapter 11

Tears blurred my vision again.

"Kaelen..."

I called out to him softly, just like countless nights when I was little and couldn't sleep.

He sat by the bed, looking at me with gentle yet complicated eyes.

I finally understood that my feelings for him were never pure family love. They had quietly sprouted once, only to be cut down by my own hands.

But now, it seemed like they were slowly blooming again.

"Kaelen..." I choked out, my fingers gripping his hand tightly. "Wait for me to get better, okay?"

I wasn't ready to jump into another relationship so quickly. I couldn't give Kaelen an answer right away.

If Kaelen didn't like me, we could still have an arranged mating and treat each other with respect.

But he did like me.

He liked me so much that I couldn't ignore his feelings or blindly drag him into a mate bond with me.

He smiled gently. "Silly girl, I'll wait for you."

The curtains in the healing sanctuary fluttered slightly. A ray of sunlight finally broke through the clouds and fell on the back of my hand, warm and comforting.

I looked at him, my eyes trembling slightly. Suddenly, I felt like maybe I could live again.

As long as he was here.

The days of recovery were still and quiet. Every morning when I woke up, Kaelen would sit by my bed to check my wolf's strength, make moonlight herb tea, and remind me not to look at my phone too long.

The healer said my wolf spirit was weak and I needed proper rest. Kaelen simply cut off the internet at home for a few days, saying reading books was better than scrolling through videos.

I felt helpless but didn't argue.

Not long after lunch, the doorbell rang.

It was my parents.

As soon as I heard the familiar sound of the door opening at the entrance, my heart clenched with emotion. I quickly got out of bed and put on my shoes.

Kaelen helped me put on my jacket and supported me as I walked to the living room.

Former Luna Maeve's eyes turned red the moment she walked in.

"My precious daughter..."

Her voice was choked with tears as she rushed over to hug me.

I couldn't hold back my tears either and hugged her tightly.

Former Alpha Ronan's brow was deeply furrowed. He looked at Kaelen with complicated eyes, but quickly suppressed whatever he was thinking.

He didn't say anything, just let out a heavy sigh.

"How did you get so thin?"

Mother held my hands, gently stroking them. "Your complexion is so poor... Are you not sleeping well at night? Are you still throwing up?"

"I'm much better now," I replied quietly.

Father walked over and set down the thermos he'd brought. "I made venison stew. Kaelen said you haven't been eating well lately, so your mother made the most nourishing kind. Come on, have some."

Kaelen quietly took it and went to serve me soup, saying softly, "I'll go to the kitchen and prepare your moonlight herb medicine later."

I watched his figure disappear around the corner of the hallway, tears falling drop by drop.

"Mother," I choked out. "I'm really... so tired."

Mother immediately squeezed my hands tighter. "Take your time, sweetheart. We're both listening."

I sniffled, unable to stop the tears.

"I really thought Alpha Damien and I would make it to the end. Even though he was cold, even though I suffered in that relationship, I gritted my teeth and endured it all."

"I thought that as long as I didn't complain, as long as I was understanding, as long as I didn't fight back, he would slowly come around... But in the end, what I got was him misunderstanding me for another she-wolf, accusing me, abandoning me, and believing Clarissa's lies."

"Mother, he really believed that I pushed someone and hurt the pup... In that moment, I knew that I was never first in his heart."

Mother's eyes reddened. "Then why didn't you tell us earlier? How could you bear this all alone?"

"Because I didn't want you to worry..." My voice was hoarse. "I thought I could get through it."