Calvin's POV

Patricia frowned, her perfectly painted lips curving downward. "Tell me, Calvin… who is she?" she demanded. "There's a woman in your life, isn't there?"

I stared at her in silence.

Her tone sharpened. "That's it, isn't it? That's why you're ending things with me. Because of her."

I exhaled slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm. "This isn't about anyone else, Patricia. It's about us. Or rather, the fact that there is no us."

She scoffed, folding her arms tightly across her chest. "Don't lie to me. I'm not stupid. I see the way you've been acting, distracted, cold, distant."

I didn't answer. I didn't need to. My silence said enough.

Her jaw tightened. "So that's it? You throw me aside for some lowborn girl? Who is she? Is her family wealthier than mine?"

My wolf growled faintly in my head, irritated by her tone, but I kept my expression composed. "Watch your words, Patricia," I said quietly. "You're walking a thin line."

She blinked, startled by the shift in my voice, but I continued before she could recover.

"I'm not interested in playing games," I said firmly. "Whatever you thought was between us, it's over. There's no one for you to blame, and there's nothing more to say."

Patricia's face twisted with disbelief and fury. "You can't be serious. You think you can just end this and walk away like it's nothing?"

"Yes," I said simply. "Because that's exactly what it is—nothing."

Her eyes flared. "You'll regret this, Calvin. You think she'll make you happy? You think she's better than I?"

I took a slow breath, holding her gaze. "This isn't about who's better. It's about what's right. And this," I gestured between us, "isn't right."

She stared at me for a long moment, her face flushing red, lips trembling with rage. "You'll come crawling back," she hissed finally. "And when you do, don't expect me to be waiting."

I gave a faint, humorless smile. "You won't have to worry about that."

Then I turned and walked away, her angry voice echoing faintly behind me.

I kept walking—straight past the guards, past the office, past everything—until I found myself standing by the same balcony again, staring into the cold horizon.

Somewhere out there, Nora was preparing for her wedding.

And I was here, convincing myself that letting her go was the right thing.

But deep down, I already knew it wasn't.

I turned away sharply and made my way to my room. The moment I entered, I reached for the cabinet and grabbed the nearest bottle of whiskey.

If I couldn't stop thinking about her, maybe drinking would help me forget.

The first gulp burned down my throat.

The second one didn't hurt as much.

By the third, the pain in my chest started to blur—but it never really faded.

I sat by the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the wall as the sun began to set. My head was spinning, my thoughts messier than ever. The bottle was half-empty now, but still, I drank.

Maybe if I drowned myself in enough liquor, the ache in my chest would finally shut up.

The hours passed in a haze. I didn't know when night fully arrived, but the room had grown darker, the only light coming from the dim lamp by the corner.

A soft knock echoed on the door.

"Calvin?"

I didn't need to look to know it was Mother. Her scent drifted into my room.

"I'm busy," I muttered, taking another drink.

"You've been in here all day," she said, her tone gentle and full of worry. "Open the door."

"Go away," I said quietly.

The door creaked anyway. I hadn't locked it. She stepped inside, sighing softly before sitting across from me. "You look terrible," she said bluntly.

"Thanks," I mumbled, raising the bottle to my lips again.

She watched me for a long moment. "Talk to me, Calvin. What's really wrong?"

I laughed bitterly. "Everything."

Her eyes softened. "Start somewhere."

I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the bottle. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe I was just too tired to keep lying. "I'm mated, Mother."

She blinked, surprised. "Mated? To who?"

"Nora," I said flatly. "Olivia's friend. She's my second-chance mate."

Her eyes widened slightly, but then she smiled. "Well… that's wonderful. So what's the problem?"

I looked away. "The problem is I don't want to fall in love again."

"Calvin—"

"No, you don't understand," I cut in, my voice breaking slightly. "The last time I fell in love, it almost killed me. I barely made it out alive. I can't… I can't go through that again."

She reached over and took the bottle from my hand, setting it aside. "You're not the same man you were then," she said softly. "And she's not the same woman. Don't punish Nora for what someone else did to you."

"I'm not," I muttered. "I'm protecting myself."

"By running from your mate?"

"I'm not running," I said, though even I didn't believe it. "I'm choosing peace."

Mother sighed deeply, sadness filling her eyes. "Peace doesn't come from hiding, Calvin. It comes from healing."

I looked at her, and for the first time in a long time, I felt something crack inside me. "I don't know how to heal," I whispered.

She reached out, brushing my hair back from my face like she used to when I was a boy. "Then start by not pushing away the one person the Moon Goddess sent to help you do it."

I didn't respond. I couldn't. The lump in my throat was too heavy, my vision blurring with unshed tears.

She stood slowly. "You'll regret this one day," she said quietly. "Mark my words, son—you'll regret letting her go."

The door closed softly behind her, leaving me alone again.

I buried my face in my hands, the room spinning around me. My chest hurt so badly I could barely breathe.

Somewhere between exhaustion and alcohol, my body finally gave out, and I fell asleep right there on the bed.

In my dreams, I saw her—Nora—dressed in white, smiling at another man.

She looked beautiful. Happy.

And I was nowhere in sight.

I jolted awake, gasping, my heart pounding painfully in my chest. The morning light streamed weakly through the curtains.

The dream replayed in my head—over and over—until the pain became unbearable.

I stood abruptly, shaking my head in disapproval. "No…" I whispered. "No. I'm not letting that happen."