Chapter 5

Alpha Damien received the text message at the healing ward.

He had just picked up Clarissa's test results. Healer Gideon said it was nothing serious—just minor soft tissue bruising that would heal in a few days.

He was planning to call me to comfort me, to tell me to stop being unreasonable and not make such a big deal out of something so small.

But no matter how many times he called, I wouldn't answer.

He was getting annoyed when I sent him a bond severance message.

[Let's sever our bond.]

Just six short words, but they hit like a silver blade stabbing straight into Alpha Damien's heart, then slowly twisting in a full circle.

He stared at that message, his fingertips going numb.

Sever our bond?

I was asking him to sever our bond?

When did I get so bold?

How dare I threaten him with bond severance just because I was throwing a tantrum?!

He gritted his teeth and immediately dialed my number.

"Sorry, the user you are calling has enabled Do Not Disturb mode—"

He didn't believe it. He switched to messaging and sent message after message—

[Seraphina, what do you mean?]

[Haven't you caused enough trouble?]

[I don't have time for your games. Answer the phone now!]

[If you keep this up, I'm really going to get angry.]

Each message he sent turned into a red exclamation mark.

I had blocked him.

Alpha Damien felt his head explode with a loud buzz. His throat tightened, and a cold surge from his stomach shot straight to the top of his skull.

In all his memories, I had never blocked him before.

How dare I?!

"What's wrong?"

Clarissa sat up in the healing ward bed, looking at him carefully with cautious eyes, though her voice remained soft and gentle. "Did you have a fight with Seraphina?"

Alpha Damien frowned deeply, his face dark as storm clouds. His phone screen was right there for Clarissa to see. "She's never dared to block me before. This is the first time."

"Hmm... maybe she's copying what other she-wolves do—using this 'bond severance tantrum' method to get your attention?"

Clarissa's eyes flickered as she spoke softly. "A lot of young she-wolves use this trick to make their Alphas more obedient..."

"Isn't this just causing trouble? She did something wrong and now she thinks she's in the right?!"

Alpha Damien walked to the window, running one hand roughly through his hair. He paced back and forth like a caged wolf.

He wasn't blind to how I had changed lately.

I had become calm, quiet. I no longer argued, no longer fought, no longer cried.

Before, no matter how wronged I felt, I would always come to him. At least I would get angry, make a scene.

But this time, I didn't leave a single word. I just blocked him completely.

"She's really... getting more and more out of line." Alpha Damien cursed under his breath, but his chest felt hollow, like someone had carved out a hole.

A strange panic overwhelmed him.

He couldn't focus on whatever Clarissa said after that. Before he knew it, he had rushed out of the healing ward and was in his car heading to our den.

He floored the gas pedal the entire way back.

When he walked through the door, the living room was empty.

The small wolf figurine I loved most was gone from the entrance table. The two pots of moonlight herbs I had been growing on the balcony were missing too.

Half my closet was empty. My vanity table was spotless, as if no one had ever used it.

I had taken away every trace of myself.

Even the little journal where I recorded the pup's movements was gone.

Alpha Damien felt a panic he couldn't describe.

He went crazy searching the house from top to bottom, opening every drawer and cabinet door, even checking the washing machine for any clothes I might have left behind.

He found nothing.

Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from the pack house.

As soon as he answered, his mother Matriarch Isolde's furious voice exploded through the speaker:

"Alpha Damien, have you lost your mind?! Seraphina gave birth and you weren't even there?! She went into early labor and nearly died in the healing ward—do you know that?!"

His mind went completely blank.