He had received reassurance. That was enough. He could leave without guilt.
He reached the door and grasped the handle.
Then he paused and glanced back.
“Adriana,” he said, his tone shifting slightly, “Olivia is sensitive. Try not to behave so coldly around her next time. She might misunderstand.”
She blinked.
So that was it.
Her quiet retreat upstairs had been impolite.
Should she have stayed and shared their leftovers instead?
Her fingers tightened around the liniment bottle until her knuckles paled.
Still, she forced her lips into a polite curve.
“I understand,” she replied softly. “Please apologize to her for me.”
That seemed to satisfy him.
He gave a small nod and left.
The door closed with a soft click.
The moment the sound echoed through the room, her composure shattered.
Tears spilled down her cheeks before she could stop them.
This was the wolf she had loved for three years.
Her chosen mate.
And yet, not once had she truly occupied the center of his heart.
The throbbing in her ankle was nothing compared to the ache spreading through her chest. It felt as if her ribs were caving inward, crushing something fragile beneath them.
When the time came to apply the liniment again, she did it herself.
She didn’t expect him to return.
Downstairs, faint laughter drifted up the staircase—light, easy, intimate.
She lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling in the dim room, feeling colder than the night air outside.
Eventually, thirst forced her to move.
She pushed herself upright and made her way downstairs, gripping the railing as she descended.
Each step sent a dull wave of pain up her leg.
When she reached the kitchen and approached the water dispenser, she automatically reached for her usual cup.
It wasn’t there.
In its place sat a new porcelain mug—delicate, unfamiliar.
She didn’t need to ask whose it was.
The porcelain cup sitting on the counter wasn’t random.
It was part of a matching pair.
One identical to the one Nathanie used every morning.
“Adriana… I’m really sorry,” Olivia said softly, lifting the new cup with both hands. “I dropped yours earlier by accident. It shattered. If you don’t mind, you can use mine for now.”
She smiled in that sweet, harmless way she had perfected over the years.
Adriana looked at the cup without expression.
She didn’t answer.
Nathanie, however, spoke up before she could.