Chapter 18
372words
The night before, he sat beside my hospital bed, methodically peeling an apple.
He finished, then remembered I couldn't eat before surgery. He just sat there, holding it.
I didn't remind him of the restriction.
When he finally set down the knife, I spoke.
"The staff here is excellent. They'll take good care of me."
"Your presence here will only make your parents anxious."
Luna Morgana had texted me that afternoon, warning me not to use the "unfortunate situation" to manipulate her son's guilt.
"So go home. And don't come back after it's done."
Alaric looked surprised at my calm tone.
His Adam's apple bobbed. Finally, he just nodded. "Okay."
"This winter's too harsh. I'm thinking of leaving London, heading south for a while."
"Might stay away for years."
It was indeed freezing. I pulled the blanket tighter around me.
"From now on, if there's nothing else between us, let's not see each other again."
Alaric remained silent.
He bit into the apple and chewed slowly.
"Okay."
The next day, when I woke from anesthesia, Alaric was gone. I never saw him again.
Unlike the other recovery rooms, mine was eerily quiet.
From admission to discharge, only Dorian came to visit.
Several times he seemed on the verge of saying something.
"If you're sad, just let it out. Bottling up emotions isn't healthy."
"You just went through surgery. Holding everything in like this isn't good for your recovery."
He seemed helpless.
"I really don't feel like crying."
In everyone else's eyes, a seven-year relationship ending, with a werewolf prince no less—I should be a hysterical mess.
But I was calmer than even Alaric had been.
I just offered a faint smile.
No one knew I'd spent years preparing for this inevitable goodbye.
Back then, young and reckless, Alaric had the courage to defy everything.
He truly believed we'd be together forever.
But I never did.
I grew up in the darkest corners of society. I'd witnessed too many abandoned promises, too much casual cruelty.
I knew exactly how cruel reality could be.
Knew from the start—humans and werewolves, no future.
So these ten years, I stayed clear-headed.
Just lately, sleepless nights.
Keep thinking of that brief little life.
