Dad glanced up and noticed me still standing, watching their reunion. He cleared his throat and straightened slightly.
‘Mary, he called toward the kitchen. ‘Please prepare dinner. Seafood pasta, lamb chops, and roasted vegetables.”
I was surprised. He remembered my favorite meal.
‘I’m not hungry,” I finally said. “I’m sure your family will enjoy it.”
The emphasis on your was deliberate.
Dad’s face hardened. ‘Sable, you are part of this family. Whether you accept it or not.”
‘Right. One big happy family.” I turned toward the stairs. “Well, enjoy your dinner together. I’m sure it’ll be very cozy.”
“Where are you going?”
To my room. If I still have one.”
I climbed the stairs without looking back.
The second floor hallway stretched before me, exactly as I remembered. Same cream-colored walls. Same family photos lining the corridor.
But when I passed Mom’s study, I stopped dead.
The door was covered in colorful stickers. Cartoon princesses and rainbow unicorns. A crayon drawing of a house taped at child height. Through the gap beneath the door, I could see bright primary-colored furniture where Mom’s mahogany desk used to sit.
They really did it. They erased her completely.
My bedroom door stood open at the end of the hall. I walked toward it on unsteady legs.
Mary appeared with my luggage, setting the bags just inside the doorway.
I’ve been keeping your room exactly as you left it,” she said softly. “Fresh sheets every week. Dusted every few days.”
I looked around the space. Soft yellow walls. Built-in bookshelves lined with medical textbooks. And a framed photo on my nightstand.
Mom and me from my fourteenth birthday. Her arm around my shoulders, both of us laughing at something Dad had said behind the camera.
She looked so alive in the picture.
Mary squeezed my shoulder gently. “I’ll let you rest. Dinner will be ready in an hour if you change your mind.”
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
I sank onto the bed and picked up the photo, tracing Mom’s face with my fingertip.
“Mom, I’m home,” I whispered to the empty room.
An hour later, I got up from the bed, determined to pull myself out of my gloom by unpacking my suitcase. One by one, I took out my things and put them in order-until I came across the shopping bag tucked inside.
Right. Caelan’s watch. I pulled out the small velvet box.
My chest loosened slightly. Suddenly, I didn’t want to do anything else. I just wanted to leave this house and be with the people who truly cared about me.
I grabbed my phone and typed: “Where are you?”
Caelan’s response came back immediately: “Just got home. Miss me already?”
“In your dreams, Your Majesty. I have something for you.”
A gift? Now I’m definitely curious.”
‘Don’t get too excited. It might just be a restraining order.”
“Ouch. My feelings are wounded. Come over anyway?”
“On my way.”
“Wait, I’ll come pick you up.”
“No thanks. I can drive myself. I’m a big girl now, not some spoiled princess who needs a chauffeur.”
“Sabi, what’s wrong? That doesn’t sound like a joke.”
I stared at the message. How does he do that? Read me through text messages?
“Everything’s fine. Just excited to see if you cry tears of joy over your gift.”
“…Alright. Drive safe.”
I tucked the watch box into my purse and grabbed the car key on my nightstand where I’d dropped it earlier. Caelan had arranged the car to be transported back to Blackwood.
My phone buzzed as I headed downstairs. An old message I’d somehow missed.
“This is Darrell. Stop playing games and come home RIGHT NOW. Apologize to Camila and me for what you did, or I swear I’ll lock you in the pack dungeons until you learn some respect. You have 24 hours.”
The timestamp showed two days ago. Right after Caelan had kicked him across that hospital lobby.
I almost laughed out loud. How many burner phones does this idiot have? This had to be the sixth or seventh unknown number he’d tried. Each one blocked as soon as I realized it was him.
Delete. Block number.
Darrell’s POV
I gripped my phone so hard the case cracked.
7.22 pm
Blocked. Every fucking number I tried, blocked.
“How dare she?’ I slammed my fist against the mahogany desk. Im her Alpha! Her boyfriend!
The coffee mug went flying. Dark liquid splattered across the reports. Hot coffee dripped onto the rug.
My mind kept replaying that moment in the hospital lobby.
That bastard humiliated me in front of half the pack.
“Why would the Lycan King defend some nobody orphan?” I ran my hands through my hair. “Unless…”
No. Impossible.
‘Caelan Blackwood could have any woman he wanted. Pure-blood Alphas, wealthy heiresses, political alliances.”
“Why would he waste time on Sable?”
But the doubt gnawed at me anyway.
I grabbed my keys and headed for the door. She’d be at the hospital.
I scanned the crowd for Sable’s familiar figure.
Nothing.
The nurse at the information desk looked up nervously as I approached. Good. At least someone still showed proper respect.
“Crawford,” I barked. ‘Dr. Sable Crawford. Which floor?”
The woman shrank back against her chair. “Alpha, I… Dr. Crawford is no longer employed here.”
The words hit like ice water. “What?”
‘She resigned several days ago. Alpha.”
I was stunned.
“Where did she go?”
‘I… I don’t know, sir. She just said she was going home.”
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