But that hadn’t stopped him. He had changed out of his pajamas without hesitation, telling me, “Seraphine needs me, Selene. I have to go.”
I tried to argue with him that night, but he only sighed, his patience running thin. “I’ve told you before, there’s nothing between us,” he said. “You’re being unreasonable.”
I had pushed further, trying to make him see how much it hurt me, but his response had been cold. "If your mind is already made up," he had said, "then what’s the point of convincing you otherwise?"
He had left, every time. Taking his own car, dismissing the chauffeur, and driving straight to Seraphine.
And the next day, without fail, Aldric would pull some grand romantic gesture—an extravagant dinner, a surprise gift—and I would forgive him. We would fall back into the rhythm of our relationship, pretending everything was fine.
But the cycle never broke. And the more we repeated it, the more I realized that our bond was weakening, that Aldric was slipping away from me.
He thought I couldn’t see it, but I wasn’t blind. I wasn’t stupid.
The truth was, I had allowed myself to be swept along, to keep forgiving him because I loved him. But now, I finally understood why I needed to stop.
And that’s why this time, I wasn’t going to fall for him again.
—
### Chapter 3
The night air was cool as I left my apartment, heading toward the lounge where Eamon’s celebration was being held. I had made up my mind—if Aldric wanted to play his games, so be it, but I wasn’t going to let him control my every move anymore. He had sent me a message about the event, but I didn’t bother responding. If he expected me to grovel for his attention, he was mistaken.
I took a deep breath as I approached the venue, trying to calm the anxious flutter in my chest. The faint hum of the pack’s network buzzed around me, but I blocked it out. Tonight, I wanted to feel free, even if only for a moment.
Just as I was about to enter the lounge, a firm body collided with mine, knocking me off balance. I gasped, but before I could fall, a pair of strong hands caught me, steadying me effortlessly.