Chapter 5

Standing in front of Callum now, I felt nothing warm.

Just a dull revulsion.

I didn't bother talking to him. I slapped him twice as well.

It was almost funny. When Vivienne had accused me, he'd chosen her side. He'd stood against me. Now with the Marking less than a week away, he was putting on a face full of concern.

I rubbed my sore hand. "I hope the two of you last forever. Don't separate. I'd never let you live it down."

The painting wasn't sold. The venue job was done. I gave myself a break.

The weather that day was fine. I bought a bunch of lilies still wet with dew and brought them to the Pack Infirmary.

These past years I had worked without stopping. While others were in academies, I had worked through every night, saving everything I could. Eventually I had enough to move my mother to a better facility, a better room.

She still hadn't woken up.

The healer said it wasn't likely. I believed she wasn't done with me yet. She would come back.

I was walking toward her room when I saw someone already inside.

Callum was sitting beside her, talking quietly.

"I know I got it wrong. Is it too late?"

"I've thought about Hazel every day. I haven't been able to forget her."

"I know what you both did for me. You and Daniel raised me. You'd give me another chance, wouldn't you?"

"I've already called off the Marking with Vivienne. Give me more time. I'll finish handling things. Hazel won't have to deal with her again."

As he spoke, a cloud passed over the window. The light in the room went dim.

I took a breath.

I'd been wrong. Today's weather wasn't good at all.

I walked in and pulled Callum out of the room without a word.

My mother wouldn't want to see him. She definitely wouldn't want to hear any of that.

When he saw me, something like relief and hope crossed his face.

"Hazel—"

Before he could finish, I slapped him again.

"Callum, I just realized you really love feeling sorry for yourself."

"My mother has been in that bed for five years. You never came. Not once when we needed you."

"You went to the capital with Vivienne. Did you remember the two people who raised you like their son?"

"When my mother first came in here, we could barely cover the bills. I still called you. One last hope. Maybe you'd remember there had been something real between our families. Maybe you'd help."

"But you didn't come. Five years. Nothing."

"And now — because Vivienne turned out to be less than you expected, because you've decided you're just an innocent victim — now you think of the family that never stopped caring about you?"

"I want you to hear this: Vivienne is not a good person. And neither are you."

He held the side of his face where my hand had landed.

"Hazel, that's not — I never stopped thinking about you. I've been too ashamed to face your parents. That's why I've been sending money to your account all these years. I just wanted you not to hate me."

"You sent that money hoping I wouldn't hate you," I said. "Or hoping you'd feel less guilty?"

"Also — I never received anything."

"You said you want to start over. Then bring my mother back. Give me the academy years that should have been mine. Give me the family I had before all of this. Give me the future that was supposed to be mine. If you can do all that, then we'll talk about starting over."

He stood there. His expression went blank.

I knew. He couldn't give me any of it.

I left him in the corridor and went inside.

If I could go back, I would go back to a summer full of cicadas, to a time before I had ever met him.

I would say no when my parents suggested going next door to introduce themselves. I would avoid every place he appeared.

I would never know him. I would have a girlhood without shame. I would get into the academy I chose. I would make my parents proud.

Instead I had none of that.

I was at the infirmary with my mother when my phone rang. Unknown number.

The caller said they'd learned about my situation. They had seen my work. They thought I had real talent, and they wanted to offer me a place at a professional arts program, with full support.

I thought it was a scam. I didn't call back.

A few days later I found out it was real.

Someone had posted about what had happened to me online. My paintings had gotten attention — and caught the eye of an arts foundation from another Territory.

I don't follow the news. I had no idea any of this had happened.

When a friend brought it up and asked about Callum, that's when I understood how much had spread.

The confrontation with Vivienne had been livestreamed. It went wide fast.

Online it doesn't take long to find out who someone is. Callum, as a rising Alpha Heir, had always drawn attention. People quickly connected Vivienne to the anonymous commenter who had bragged about breaking us up.

With the pressure on, Vivienne took down everything she'd posted online. She stopped leaving her home. She was getting threatening messages. Her address had been found and shared.

What surprised me was that Callum — who used to do anything she asked — didn't step in to help her this time.