Nora's POV

I couldn't believe I slapped him.

My hand was still trembling, the sting of impact echoing through my palm. My heart pounded so hard it hurt, and for a second, I couldn't even look at him.

Calvin just stood there, tall, frozen, unreadable, the side of his face slightly red where I'd hit him. His eyes… those dark, stormy eyes… they weren't angry. They were wild. Pained. And that somehow made it worse.

What had I done?

My breath came out shaky, uneven. I wasn't supposed to react like that. I wasn't supposed to feel anything. But the moment his lips touched mine, that rough, burning kiss I never saw coming, everything inside me had twisted.

Anger. Fear. Want. All at once.

I hated it. I hated him. I hated that a single touch from him could tear down every wall I'd built.

I took a step back, desperate to breathe. "You—" My voice cracked. I swallowed and tried again. "You can't just do that. You can't keep crossing the line every time you feel like it."

He didn't answer. He just stood there, his chest rising and falling heavily, his fists clenched at his sides like he was fighting himself.

I turned, forcing myself toward the door. My legs felt heavy, my pulse loud in my ears.

Why did it feel like walking away was harder than it should be?

I reached the door, gripping the handle tightly, and whispered, "We should never see each other again."

Then I left before I could break down in front of him.

Out in the hallway, I stopped and pressed my shaking hand to my lips. I could still taste him, and that realization made a tear slip down my cheek.

I wiped it away quickly.

No. I wasn't going to cry over him. Not again. Not ever.

When I reached the room I shared with Lolita, she raised a brow at me. "What did he say…"

I sighed. "I don't care what he says or what he thinks. I'm leaving, and I'm marrying Daniel," I spat as I moved to the wardrobe to start packing.

"Are you sure he will let you leave?" Lolita sounded worried.

"Are you sure he'll let you leave?" Lolita asked again, worry written all over her face.

I didn't answer right away. My hands kept moving, folding clothes that didn't even need folding, just so I wouldn't have to meet her eyes.

"I don't care," I muttered finally. "He can't control me forever."

Lolita sat on the edge of the bed, watching me closely. "You didn't answer my question."

I stopped what I was doing and turned to her. "Yes. I'm sure."

Her brow furrowed, doubt heavy in her gaze. "And you're really going to marry Daniel?"

"Yes." The word came out sharper than I meant it to. I took a breath and tried again. "Yes, I am. He's kind. He listens. He treats me like I matter."

Lolita hesitated. "But he's not your mate."

The room went still. The air itself felt heavier.

I forced a small, tired smile. "Maybe that's the point. Maybe it's better this way. I don't need a bond to make someone love me."

She frowned. "Nora—"

"Calvin wants someone different," I cut her off, my voice soft but steady. "Someone powerful. Someone with a title. I'm not that. I never was."

I tried to sound strong, but the words came out cracked and uneven. My throat burned. "He wants someone who can walk beside him as an Alpha's equal. I can barely walk beside him without feeling like I don't belong."

Lolita stood and walked over, gently touching my arm. "Do you love Daniel?"

I froze. My throat felt tight. "I… care about him."

"That's not the same thing," she said quietly.

I looked away. "It's enough."

But it wasn't. And we both knew it.

Lolita didn't push further. She only sighed and helped me fold another dress, the silence between us louder than any argument. The rustle of fabric filled the air. Outside, I could hear birds, the faint sound of pack warriors training, life going on as if nothing inside me was breaking.

I packed the last of my things in silence, my hands trembling. The entire time, my heart thudded painfully in my chest, whispering a truth I refused to admit.

I wanted him to stop me.

I wanted him to say, Stay.

When we finally went downstairs, the house was quiet. Too quiet. No footsteps in the hallway. No lingering presence waiting to argue.

No Calvin.

The silence made my stomach twist. My palms grew cold as I gripped my bag tighter.

Lolita glanced around nervously. "Something doesn't feel right."

"It feels perfect," I said quickly, but my voice betrayed me.

At the door, a driver was already waiting beside the car. He bowed politely. "Miss Nora, Miss Lolita," he greeted. "Alpha Calvin instructed me to take you back to the Full Moon Pack."

My heart dropped straight to my stomach.

He'd agreed?

He really told them to drive us away?

"Oh," Lolita said, her voice unsure. "Alright then."

I nodded stiffly and forced a smile. "Thank you."

The driver opened the back door. The motion felt final, like a gate closing behind me, like a chapter sealing shut before I was ready.

I climbed into the car, my fingers clutching the small ring in my pocket, the one Daniel had given me weeks ago. I stared at it blankly. It wasn't on my finger yet, but somehow, it already felt like a promise I didn't know if I could keep.

As the door shut, I glanced back at the mansion, the tall windows glowing faintly under the morning sun. The same windows I had looked out of every evening, wondering if he ever thought about me as much as I thought about him.

But no one came out.

No one stopped me.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.

He let me go.

He actually let me go.

And for reasons I couldn't explain, that hurt more than anything else.

The car began to move, wheels crunching softly over the gravel path. My chest tightened with each turn, each meter that pulled me farther from him.

Lolita sat quietly beside me, sneaking a glance in my direction but saying nothing. Maybe she knew that if she spoke, I'd fall apart.

I pressed my forehead against the cool window, watching the packhouse grow smaller in the distance. My reflection in the glass looked calm, almost indifferent. But inside, I was unraveling.

I'd told myself I was ready to leave, that I wanted this.

But as the road stretched ahead and his scent faded from the air, the truth hit me like a knife.

I didn't want to go.

I wanted him to stop me.

To fight for me.

To tell me not to marry Daniel.

But he didn't.

And maybe that was my answer.