Her smile widened, satisfied.
I turned away and walked toward the small pond near the clinic. Snow dusted the stone path, and the winter air cut through my wet clothes from earlier. The water beneath the bridge looked dark, frozen at the edges.
Behind me, I could hear her laugh.
I stepped onto the bridge. My fingers curled around the railing for a second—just one second—before I let go.
Then I jumped.
The cold hit like a weapon.
It stole the air from my lungs, dragged me under in an instant. My body went rigid, every nerve screaming as icy water swallowed me whole. I kicked hard, gasping, teeth clattering violently as I forced myself back up.
When I crawled out, I was shaking so badly I could barely stand.
Water dripped from my hair, my clothes clinging to me like ice. My entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Behind me, Mira laughed.
The maids with her snickered too.
“There she goes again,” one whispered. “So pathetic.”
“Honestly, no wonder Alpha Adrian doesn’t care about her.”
I didn’t respond.
I just walked past them.
Soaked. Freezing. Silent.
I grabbed the medicine with trembling hands, ran back through the wind, and didn’t stop until I reached my son.
When I held him again, he stirred weakly, pressing his face into my chest.
“Mommy…”
That one word broke me.
“I’m here,” I whispered, holding him tighter. “I’m right here.”
I gave him the medicine, wiped his fevered skin, and wrapped him in layers of blankets. His breathing slowly steadied—but mine didn’t.
Something was wrong with this place. Deeply wrong.
And I finally felt it in my bones.
We needed to leave.
By evening, I changed out of my wet clothes, though my body was still freezing and my head spun with nausea. I didn’t rest. I couldn’t.
A knock came at the door.
“Luna Elira, Alpha Adrian requests your presence for dinner.”
I kissed Ezra’s forehead before leaving.
The dining hall was warm when I entered, filled with the smell of roasted meat—but all I felt was disgust.
Mira was already there.
Of course she was.
Seated right beside Adrian like she belonged there more than I did. She poured soup into his bowl, smiled softly, adjusted his sleeve like she had every right.
And he let her.
Like I wasn’t even part of the room.
I sat in my usual seat—far away, forgotten. They always assumed I couldn’t hear anyway.
Tonight… I heard everything.