Chapter 8
865words
I had taken root in this war-torn land and found my worth.
That so-called home was nothing more than a cage I would never return to.
Seeing my resolve, Kaelen panicked completely.
He rushed forward and grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it made me frown.
"Elara, you're still angry, aren't you? I know I was a jerk, but I've changed!"
"Liana's body has collapsed. The healers say she has a few days left at most."
"As long as you come back with me, you will be the only Luna of the Silvermoon Pack. I'll send that child away!"
"Didn't you say you would be with me forever? Have you forgotten our vows?"
I shook off his hand with force, my eyes cold as ice.
"Vows? You were the one who broke them first, Kaelen."
"Since you chose betrayal, don't expect me to wait for you to look back."
"I don't eat leftovers, and I certainly won't go back to clean up your mess. Give up."
Kaelen opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.
"Please leave. Outsiders aren't welcome here."
I turned to walk back to the camp.
Just then, Kaelen's phone rang. It was an emergency call from the pack.
He answered it, his face turning pale.
"What? Liana is dead?"
"Okay... I know. I'll be right back."
Before he could hang up, a piercing whistle screamed across the sky.
It was the rogues' catapults and incendiary bombs.
Instinctively, I shoved Kaelen aside.
"Get down!"
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted nearby.
The ground shook violently, spraying us with dirt and sparks.
Kaelen had never seen such combat.
He sat paralyzed on the ground, his face white, trembling in fear.
"Elara... are we going to die?"
I was used to this.
I calmly brushed the dirt off my clothes and stood up.
"Stop talking. Get up and hide behind the bunker!"
I dragged the weak-kneed Kaelen and pushed him toward the safety zone.
Then I grabbed my medical kit and ran toward the wounded without hesitation.
Watching my back as I moved calmly through the fire, Kaelen's eyes were filled with shock and unfamiliarity.
After the attack, I arranged for a supply truck to take him away.
I paid the driver double and told him to drop this man at the nearest airport.
Kaelen sat in the truck bed, clutching the phone that held the news of Liana's death.
He looked at me, his lips moving as if he wanted to speak, but no sound came out.
I didn't look back.
I just waved my hand, as if shooing away a fly.
It was over.
There was no need for any more ties.
After sending Kaelen away, my life returned to peace.
My colleagues gossiped, asking who the man was and if he was a suitor.
I just smiled faintly as I sorted herbs.
"No. Just an insignificant ex-mate."
Two years later, I was invited to speak at the International Healers Association.
I returned to the continent with my children.
I was now the White Wolf Healer, famous across the Forgotten Lands.
Accompanying me was my new mate, Alpha Jaxon.
He was the leader of a Northern pack I had saved during a campaign.
He was powerful, gentle, and fiercely loyal.
We fell in love amidst the gunfire, and he treated my twins as his own blood.
At the airport exit, I unexpectedly saw Kaelen.
He was holding the hand of a little boy named Ana, standing in the crowd.
He looked exceptionally desolate and aged.
Two years was enough to completely destroy a once-proud Alpha.
His back was bent, his hair was half white, and his eyes were dull.
Seeing me walk out arm in arm with the tall, handsome Jaxon, Kaelen instinctively stepped forward.
But then, overcome by inferiority, he shrank back.
Jaxon sensed something.
His arm tightened around my waist, and he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"Honey, who is that homeless guy staring at you? Do I need to handle it?"
His tone was full of possessiveness and jealousy.
I looked up at Jaxon and gave him a reassuring smile.
"No need. Just a stranger."
"I have you and the pups. Others don't matter."
Kaelen clearly heard my words, or perhaps he read my eyes.
He froze in place.
Just as we were about to get into the car, my phone buzzed.
It was a text from Kaelen.
It was the last message from the only number he had left.
Just two simple words.
"I'm sorry."
I looked at the screen, my heart as calm as a dead lake.
I didn't reply.
I simply deleted the message and blocked the number, like throwing away a moldy memory.
Outside the window, the sun was shining, and the breeze was gentle.
I held Jaxon's hand tight and looked at my two lovely children next to me.
A bright smile bloomed on my face.
The Elara who used to cry in the dead of night was dead.
The current me possessed true freedom and happiness.
The darkness had scattered.
The rest of my life would be filled with light.
