Chapter 2

　　"ID. Are you from the Pack?"

　　Alpha Brooks’s voice was calm, unreadable, as he took our identification cards.

　　Beta Julian handed them over, offering a stiff greeting. I barely heard him. My gaze was locked on Brooks—Liam, as they called him now. He moved toward the cabinet, and that’s when I saw it.

　　His left pinky finger.

　　A piece of it was missing.

　　And his right leg… he walked with a slight limp.

　　A sharp gasp escaped me before I could stop it. I lifted a hand to my mouth, my heart hammering. What happened to him?

　　Beta Julian must have noticed too. He grabbed the room keys quickly, his grip firm as he ushered me away.

　　I sat in my room for a long time, my mind spinning. Five years.

　　Five years, I had imagined seeing him again. Five years ago, I had dreamed of slapping him for forgetting me—for choosing another woman.

　　But now?

　　Now, all I wanted to do was hold him.

　　Beta Julian’s voice cut through my thoughts. "Ava, get some rest." His brows were furrowed, his concern evident.

　　I nodded numbly. He lingered for a second before leaving, and I knew—he had seen it too.

　　Brooks… Liam… whoever he was now… he wasn’t the same.

　　Doctor Reynolds came to check on me later, but my mind was elsewhere.

　　Laughter drifted from the backyard, the warm sounds of conversation mixing with the clinking of wine glasses. Carefree. Happy.

　　I stepped outside, my gaze immediately finding him.

　　Liam.

　　He stood at the grill, flipping skewers with practiced ease, laughing with Beta Julian like they were old friends.

　　The sight of them together unsettled me.

　　Before I could look away, a plate appeared in front of me. "You okay?"

　　Beta Julian.

　　I nodded stiffly.

　　He turned toward Liam. "Liam, let me introduce you to Ava."

　　I forced a smile, extending my hand. I could feel my fingers trembling. I shouldn’t be trembling.

　　"Nice to meet you," I said.

　　Liam’s warm hand briefly grasped mine. "Nice to meet you too."

　　Too formal. Too distant.

　　It felt like a punch to the gut.

　　My mind flashed back to the day he first proposed to me. He held me so tightly, whispering, "Luna, nice to meet you."

　　Now?

　　Now, I was just some woman at his table.

　　Swallowing the knot in my throat, I forced casual conversation. "This place is beautiful. Are you living well here?"

　　Liam expertly flipped a skewer. "Yeah, it's okay."

　　I studied him as he moved—his familiar gestures, his calm demeanor. How could he forget everything?

　　A piece of grilled chicken slipped off the grill, and Liam called out, "Tudou, come here!"

　　My breath caught.

　　Tudou?

　　I turned sharply as the golden retriever wagged its tail and trotted toward him.

　　My hands clenched at my sides. "You named him Tudou?"

　　Liam raised an eyebrow, his lips curving slightly. "Yeah. It's fat and round. What else would I call it?"

　　I turned away, blinking back tears. Only he would come up with such a ridiculous name.

　　I sat down, grabbing a glass of wine and downing it in one gulp. The bitterness coated my tongue, but it wasn’t enough to dull the ache in my chest.

　　My gaze drifted back to Liam.

　　The tear mole beneath his eye. The red string around his neck.

　　It’s him. It has to be him.

　　Just then, someone handed Liam a plate of food. I glanced at it absently—then froze.

　　Mushrooms.

　　No.

　　"He can’t eat that!" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

　　The table fell silent.

　　Eyes turned to me, some confused, some curious. My stomach twisted.

　　But before I could explain, a figure leapt onto Liam’s back, arms wrapping around his shoulders, face nuzzling against his neck.

　　"Liam! I missed you so much!"

　　Liam bent slightly, adjusting the person’s grip. "Get down," he muttered, his tone firm—but there was something else in his voice.

　　Affection.

　　The woman giggled, holding on tighter.

　　Beta Julian cleared his throat, "Ava, this is Lily."

　　I stared at her—his wife.

　　The world tilted.

　　And for the second time that day, I felt like the ground had disappeared beneath my feet.