"Thank you, have a good day," I said to the pharmacy's checkout clerk as I received the paper bag. She wore a mask, but I could see the smile in her eyes as she nodded.
"Have a good day, too, Miss. Get well soon," she replied.
I guess I have to get used to being without Blake from now on. There's no one by my side, and asking for help from my brother would only bring so many questions—questions my weakened body couldn't handle right now. It wouldn’t be funny if I fainted at a public hospital. Unable to find Blake's car in the parking lot, I hailed a taxi nearby and went home without him.
I didn't know a broken heart could affect me physically while draining my energy at the same time.
Once at his house, I cooked a simple soup, deciding to keep myself alive, and forced the liquid food down my throat. Still, no word from him. To avoid misunderstandings, I decided to call him first. It took a while before he finally picked up.
"I'm sorry, Ella. I planned to come back after dropping Cindy home, but her stomach started acting up—"
"Sir, all of your dishes are served. Enjoy your meal," a waitress's voice in the background cut him off. I heard him attempt to cover the receiver, but it was too late. I had already heard.
"Just head home. I'll explain later," he said before abruptly ending the call—before I could say anything.
Explain what? Another lie? Did he expect me to still be waiting for him at the hospital?
I dozed off as soon as my head hit the pillow and woke up at noon. The house was dark—no sign of him. Reaching for my phone, I checked the time. It was already late at night; he probably wasn't coming home. I never thought the man who once meant the world to me would end up like this.
I wasn’t sleepy anymore, and my body felt better. Too lazy to turn on the lights, I lay down and scrolled through social media. Blake’s account had been logged into my phone for a long time, and I used it whenever I was bored. I never cared whose account I used.
A message popped up, and I reflexively opened it. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed when I saw it was from Cindy. It was a selfie of the two of them at an amusement park with fireworks lighting up the dark night sky in the background.
"Thank you for the wonderful night, our first date after years apart. I hope this is just the beginning of many beautiful nights for the rest of our lives.” The message appeared below when I was still busy watching the beautiful picture of them.
I laughed dryly and shook my head. I may not be the smartest person, but I can still think rationally. The heaviness in my heart to let Blake go for Cindy had vanished. If they were truly fated mates, they deserved each other. All I had to do was move on and prepare myself for my wedding. I just needed to get used to letting go of the pain.
I didn’t do anything else and decided to leave as the orange light of dawn broke through the dark sky. Morning had arrived.
I packed a few of my belongings from Blake’s house into a small bag, including the dress I was wearing. Stepping outside, I shifted into my wolf form, leaving my clothes behind. Standing on all fours, I shook out my jet-black fur before grabbing the bag in my mouth and sprinting toward my pack lands. I nodded at the patrol warriors along the border as they bowed their heads in greeting.
I leapt over the small river that marked the edge of our pack territory. Nodding to a warrior who greeted me via mindlink, I ran faster toward the settlement. My home was next to my brother's, a little farther from the pack house.
Elliot was sitting on his porch, laughing as he saw me push open my front door with my paws. Inside, I shifted back to my human form and dressed quickly, knowing my only sibling would come to me soon.
"Where have you been?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe just as I zipped up my simple dress.
"Around," I replied nonchalantly before heading to my room to prepare for a shower.
Elliot wasn’t like our father, who would have pressed me for details about where I’d been. I felt a little guilty that he trusted me so much, especially since my heart had been played with by his friend. I should have listened to my family’s advice.
"Have you talked to Mom and Dad?" he asked again, his voice coming from the living room.
"Not yet, maybe later. I’ll go to the care center to submit my resignation to Julia and might take the staff out for a meal in town as a farewell. I’ll call Mom after I’m home," I replied while choosing clothes from my wardrobe.
Since I wasn’t allowed to do many outdoor activities, I’d spent my time helping at the pack’s orphanage. I loved the kids, and the other staff had become like family to me. I hoped they would find someone to replace me after I left.
Julia, the head of the orphanage, congratulated me when I told her I was resigning to prepare for my wedding at the next full moon, though I noticed a tinge of sadness in her wrinkled face.
I squeezed her hand. "You know what? Let’s take all the staff out for dinner at your favorite Italian restaurant. It’s on me, as a farewell gift," I said, seeing her eyes light up.
She quickly called some pack teenagers to watch the kids and babies while we went out for a few hours, then informed the other staff. Meanwhile, I ordered a taxi. The five of us arrived at Eataly a few minutes later.
Once everyone had ordered, I excused myself to use the restroom. After finishing, I washed my hands at the sink.
"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" A voice made me look up, and I saw Cindy smiling at me warmly.
