Chapter 6

"So you came back. Why bother?"

"Thought you were leaving?"

"Liar. I knew you'd be back."

While I was gone, Gerald had tracked down my apartment and somehow convinced the landlord not to renew my lease.

So I had no choice but to bring my bag back in.

Cain watched me drag my suitcase through the door and said flatly: "Forsythe Pack doesn't want you. You've got nowhere to go. That's why you're back."

I said nothing and carried my things to my room.

The moment my back was turned, something very close to a smile crossed Cain's face.

He was quietly pleased.

He didn't know the real reason I'd come back.

The apartment was gone, yes. But I could find another one.

I could even leave this territory entirely and start over somewhere new.

On the phone with Gerald, I'd talked through everything.

I told him I'd read through the Pack Law statutes on Bond dissolution.

I could file for separation first. If that didn't succeed, I'd wait out the required 30-day cooling period in a separate residence, after which a dissolution could be granted.

According to Pack Law, I'd be entitled to a clean break either way.

Gerald asked why I was so determined to go through with this. I'd barely walk away with anything financially.

He was right. He was very sharp.

Before the bonding, he'd had me sign a Mate Property Agreement. Every asset Cain held was classified as pre-Bond. The studio. The Manor. All of it.

If the Bond dissolved, I'd leave with essentially nothing.

"I know," I said. "I still want out."

"The Arranged Bond protected me for five years. I gave five years of care back. That's even. I'm done."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Just when I thought he was going to hang up, he said:

"I've brought in Nora, but she doesn't know how to manage Cain yet."

"Stay one more month. Help her learn the handover. As payment, I won't stand in the way of the Bond dissolution, and I'll give you one million."

The offer was too good to refuse.

So Cain didn't know this was his last month with me.

The house manager had told me Cain barely ate while I was gone.

But that evening, Cain ate two full bowls of food.

He looked at me with a little grunt. "Say something."

I smiled and said what I always said, quietly: "Well done."

The corner of his mouth curved up.

After he went to the study, I immediately turned to Nora. "He likes being praised."

"Praise him when you can. If he does something wrong, don't point it out in the moment — wait and mention it gently later when he's calm."

Nora pulled out a small notebook and wrote down everything I said.

I took her to the medicine cabinet next. I told her every medication, how many times a day, how many pills each time.

"He needs water with his medication. Not too hot. Around 40 degrees is ideal."

"His ties and cufflinks are in the second compartment of the wardrobe stand."

"He has warm milk before bed every night."

I walked Nora through all of it, and she listened carefully and wrote it all down.

With me back, Cain settled into his routine again. No more episodes.

But that evening, Nora went to bring him his medication, and suddenly the sound of a cup shattering came from his room.

When I got there, the room was a wreck.

Glass and pills scattered everywhere.

Cain was standing barefoot in the middle of it. He'd stepped on a shard — there was blood on the floor. He didn't seem to notice.

He pointed at Nora, and spoke to me one word at a time.

"Why is it her?"

"Why isn't it you?"

"This is your job."

"Why did you switch it to someone else?"

Then he grabbed my sleeve. "I don't want anyone else. I want you."

So I went back to pouring the water and handing him the pills.

His episodes came fast and left fast. I waited until he'd swallowed everything, then I asked: "Why do you want me to do this?"

"Because if it's not you, I get scared."

I asked quietly: "Scared of what?"

"Scared you're going to hand me over to someone else."

"And leave. Stop wanting me."

I had to admit his instincts were right.

I'd been running the handover with Nora — letting her take over more and more of Cain's daily routine piece by piece.

Cain still had my sleeve. "From now on, you do it. Don't switch."

"Promise me you won't leave."

If I told him the truth, he'd fall apart completely. I didn't want to spend what energy I had left managing another episode.

So I looked him in the eyes and lied: "Okay. I promise. I won't leave."

"And I won't switch anyone out."

Half a month left. I could hand him his pills for half a month.

Cain relaxed. He even smiled a little.

He didn't notice his leg was still bleeding.

And this time, I didn't go to get antiseptic and bandages the way I always had.

He didn't notice Nora watching him with something that looked like pity.

Everyone in the house knew I was leaving. Only he lived in his own world, unaware.