Chapter 2

The next day, I limped my way to the patrol headquarters to submit my application form. On the way back, my phone buzzed twice with a message from Kael.

"Lenore, where did you go? Riven was badly shaken up by what happened, so she needs to go back to the pack's estate to recover. Come back quickly. We're about to leave."

My tears fell at once.

Riven was the apple of our parents' eye, while I was nothing but a miserable outcast left to fend for myself.

Only Kael had ever truly been good to me, and our wolves had accepted each other.

I was just about to reply when I spotted the Dark Wolf pack's vehicle parked by the roadside not far ahead. The guards were clearing the last of the evacuation route in front of it.

Kael stood by the vehicle, glancing at his phone screen again and again.

Mom was helping Riven into the car as though she was made of glass, while Dad carefully tucked a cushion behind Riven's back.

The driver, Viktor Craven, started the engine. Then, he said to Kael, who was still standing by the roadside. "Alpha Kael, we're ready to go."

But Kael kept his eyes glued to his phone and waved impatiently. "Wait. Lenore isn't here yet."

Only then did Mom and Dad seem to remember I existed, a flicker of awkwardness crossing their faces.

At that moment, Viktor spoke up hesitantly. "Is there someone else? But all the seats are already taken."

The air went still for a moment.

By then, Kael had already spotted me in the distance. His gaze fell on my injured leg, and his eyes flew wide open.

I stood there quietly. I must've looked like a wreck. Not only were my clothes torn from hacking through the forest undergrowth, but black blood was still seeping from my knees. The once-white bandages had long since become filthy and stained.

Kael strode over quickly and gathered me into his arms. "Lenore, how did you end up in such a mess when I'm not by your side?"

I felt a long-lost warmth wash over me, and suddenly tears streamed down my face.

Riven suddenly got out of the car, stumbling over to me. With a tearful voice, she said, "Lenore, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. I'll stay here and give up my seat so you can go back first."

Mom had been looking at me with a pained expression. But the moment she heard what Riven said, she immediately panicked.

"Absolutely not. Riven, you're shaken up and fragile. If you don't go back for treatment right away, you'll definitely fall seriously ill again. I'll stay, and Lenore can go back with you all first."

Dad interrupted coldly, "Whenever Riven's not feeling well, she always needs your cooking. So, you can't stay here. I'll stay. I'm old, so it doesn't matter if I live a few years less."

As he watched the group huddled together, Kael hesitated for a moment before steeling himself with some kind of resolve.

He hugged me tightly, then looked down and said to me earnestly, "Lenore, you can see that there isn't enough room in the car. Your parents need to take care of Riven, so let them go back first.

"As for me, I need to return to the estate to deal with the Rogue situation. But don't worry. Once I've sent your family home, I'll have someone come pick you up right away, okay?"

I stared at him blankly, unable to believe that he was going to leave me alone in a place where a rogue attack had just occurred.

He turned his head away, avoiding my eyes.

"There's no time to find another car," he insisted. "You're highly gifted and recover fast. Even if you get hurt, you'll heal quickly on your own."

I must have looked completely crushed, because Mom actually spoke up out of pity. "Why don't we let Lenore—"

Riven burst into tears again. "No! If Lenore stays, then I'm staying too! I can't leave her here all alone!"

Mom immediately turned to comfort her.

I fixed my gaze on Kael's eyes and noticed that all his attention was on Riven, as if he deeply disapproved of what she was doing.

I lowered my head to conceal my despair and took a step back.

"You all go back first," I said. "I'll be fine."

I pushed Riven and my parents into the car, then silently retreated to the side of the road.

Before they left, Riven looked at me through the car window. Her face was completely dry, with not a single tear in sight. It was as if her earlier crying had been nothing but an act.

Noticing my gaze, she flashed me a smug and triumphant smile.

After the car drove away, I stood silently and motionlessly by the roadside.

The blistering sun scorched my skin, and the pain from my wound grew worse and worse. I could clearly feel the wolfsbane beginning to spread from my knee.

Yet, I did nothing about it. Instead, I just waited there quietly, because I wanted to see whether Kael would keep his promise and come back for me.