Alice POV

The laughter of Leander and Rosalyn came from outside the door.

I covered my head tightly with the quilt, trying to block out the sounds, but to no avail.

In my mind, the images of Leander and Rosalyn together, their intimate behavior and their ambiguous eyes kept flashing.

And so, I fell into a deep sleep in pain.

The early morning sun shone through the gaps in the curtains.

Leander was no longer in the room.

However, the moment I opened the cloakroom, I was stunned.

Rosalyn was standing in front of the mirror, wearing my favorite red dress, a gift from Leander.

He said that the color of the skirt was as passionate and dazzling as my hair.

I had never been willing to wear it and had kept it carefully.

But then, it was worn by Rosalyn.

"Rosalyn, these are my clothes, take them off!” My wolf and I almost roared.

Rosalyn was still looking at the mirror, not even turning back to look at me, "Oh, Alice, are you awake? This dress is so beautiful, Leander gave it to me. I love it so much."

"He said you rarely wear it and it would be a waste to keep it in the closet, so he gave it to me."

Had he forgotten what the dress meant to me?

"Besides, I look much better in this dress than you do. Alice, you only deserve to wear cheap clothes that match your inferior bloodline!"

She swayed her waist and walked towards me, no longer hiding her hypocrisy and purity. “Alice, you really have the nerve to live here. You have occupied Luna's place for three years. Isn't that enough? Go back to your stinking ditch."

"I am the partner chosen by the Moon Goddess for Leander, Rosalyn. You have no right to tell me what to do!"

"Do you think anyone in the pack really cares? Only my noble bloodline is worthy of being an alpha!" she roared. "Besides, Leander doesn't care about you at all. He takes me home today and tomorrow he can drive you away for me!"

In my eyes, Rosalyn was a poisonous snake and every word she said was filled with deep malice.

"Rosalyn, get out of here! I need to change my clothes."

Rosalyn passed by me and looked at me with deliberate contempt with her golden eyes.

She lowered her voice in my ear, "Alice, be smart and leave on your own. Don't wait until Leander asks you to do it. If you do, you won't even have the last bit of your dignity left."

After she left, I could not control my emotions anymore and my tears kept flowing.

"Alice, we should teach her a lesson!” My wolf was very angry.

"I can't be impulsive. I have to tolerate Rosalyn as usual before she leaves."

Finally, Leander had taken Rosalyn back home. 

However, I was aware that the place was no longer a place for me. Every second I spent there made me feel suffocated.

Suddenly, the phone rang, it was Beta Owen.

"Alice, the application form is due in one day. Has Alpha Leander agreed?"

"Owen, he has agreed. I will go to the office to talk to you later."

After hanging up the phone, my wolf gave me a good idea and asked me to get Leander's consent.

Alice POV

After putting on my training clothes, I went downstairs and saw Leander sitting on the sofa in the living room.

I walked up to him, my heart filled with disappointment, while deliberately stomping my shoes angrily, making loud noises.

He did not look up at me, still working on the Wolf Pack's paperwork as he asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"I am angry.”

“Rosalyn said she just wore your clothes for a moment, are you so stingy?" he asked in a calm tone.

“How can you give it to someone else?” I questioned him loudly.

Leander started to become annoyed by my temperament and said, "It's just a piece of clothing, what's the big deal? If you want, I can buy you another one."

It turned out that in his eyes, everything I cherish was just a piece of clothing.

I suddenly realized that there was an insurmountable gap between him and me.

"I recently heard that the benefits for applying for Border Warriors are very good. I know a lot of orphans who are werewolves with this intention. Do you have any inside information?"

Cautiously testing Leander, I observed his reaction.

Leander's face suddenly darkened. “Nonsense! Why are you, a warrior from Green Track Falls, joining in the fun? 

“Everything is just a gimmick, many of them didn’t come back alive. I advise you not to target them!"

Leander's voice rose a few notches and it was clear that he had misunderstood me.

"Isn't it good to stay in the wolf pack and live a stable life?"

Leander’s misunderstanding and accusations completely chilled me to the bone.

His so-called “stability” was such a cage to me. I was bullied by Rosalyn, looked down upon by the wolf pack and even could not get Leander’s love.

“That's not what I meant." I tried to explain, “I just thought this might be a way out for those orphans who have no parents. They can rely on their own strength to fight for a better life.”

“You don’t need to depend on anyone.”

Leander stood up, walked in front of me and looked down at me.

Such quarrels and misunderstandings happened between us again and again.

Last time on my birthday, I just stopped him from going to see Rosalyn, but Rosalyn sprained her ankle for unknown reasons.

When Leander came back, he slapped me in the face without asking any questions.

He roared and asked me why I could not be as gentle and sensible as Rosalyn.

That was the first time he hit me. His blue eyes were as cold as the water in the Green Track Falls’ lake in winter.

In the cold war of the next few days, it was Leander who bowed his head first. He signed a pledge not to hit me again.

It seemed that as long as the signature was given, all the harm could be treated as if it never happened.

“Alice, you can't rely on him anymore. Let him sign a letter of commitment.” My wolf gave me a good way to leave.

"Leander, I want you to sign a letter of commitment.”

I took out a piece of paper from my bag and handed it to him.

“Letter of commitment?”

“Write that I, Leander Adams, promise to no longer interfere with Alice Santoro's decisions from now on and that she will take full responsibility for everything she does.”

"Alice, do you think you are capable of living on your own? Don't be silly, you can't survive without me.”

Leander laughed; his expression full of sarcasm.

“This is my business. You don't need to worry about it.”

I would never stay living in his and Rosalyn’s shadow for the rest of my life anymore.

I did not want to live like that anymore!

"Leander, will you write?”

"Alice, you really have to play it this way, don't you?”

He seemed to think that I was playing hard to get and looked at me teasingly, not noticing my true thoughts.

“Of course,” I answered firmly.

“Okay, I'll write it.”

He finally compromised.

I took the letter of commitment, held it tightly in my hand, held my breath and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

That was my amulet and also my freedom contract.

"Alice, don't end up asking me to clean up your mess for you.”

"I will take responsibility for the decisions I make,” I directly said.

Finally, I was free.

Finally, I could leave that mutually tortuous relationship that had happened for three years.

After eating the sandwich I made for breakfast, I went downstairs to get ready for work.

The sunshine shone on my face and my mood became brighter.

I walked toward Leander’s car

In the past, he would always send me to training camp first.

When I approached, Rosalyn was sitting in the passenger seat, touching up her makeup in front of the vanity mirror.

She looked up in surprise. “Oh, Alice, you're here. I feel carsick. Let me sit in the front.”

Rosalyn was lying. She did not get carsick at all. It was me who got carsick, so Leander always told me to sit in the passenger seat.

Rosalyn was just trying to take up her place next to Leander and embarrass me.

Leander walked out of the mansion, frowning impatiently, “Why are you still here? Get in the car!”

He glanced at Rosalyn in the passenger seat and chided me, as if I were still being unreasonable.

I suppressed the sadness in my heart and said, “No, I'll go by myself.”

Alice POV

I got on my motorcycle and maybe because the wind blowing into my helmet was too cold, I suddenly cried.

Only after arriving at the training camp did my tears stop.

Owen saw me and asked with concern, "Alice, why are your eyes red?”

“I'm really sorry for not being able to keep your date last night.”

I avoided the subject, not wanting him to know what had happened to me.

“It's okay.” Owen smiled and shook his head. “I understand.”

I directly took out the letter of commitment signed by Leander from my bag and handed it to Owen.

“This is Leander’s letter of commitment. He agrees to let me do whatever I want to do. From now on, he will not interfere with my decisions.”

Owen looked at the letter of commitment carefully, then looked at me with a complicated look in his eyes.

“With this, your application will be fine.”

"Alice, congratulations, you can finally realize your dream. Help those who are in need, just like those orphans without parents and strive for a better life with your own strength.”

He took out the ink pad and stamped my application form.

“Thank you, Owen.”

As soon as I left the office, I took action.

I contacted the affairs officer of the Without Borders Organization and he booked a flight for me for the day after tomorrow.

Then I went back to where I was living with Leander and started packing.

Actually, I did not have much to bring, just a few training clothes and some necessities.

In the past three years, I felt as if I had never truly owned anything, but it turned out my relationship with Leander was like this empty suitcase.

I zipped up my suitcase and looked around at that home that I had once longed to be.

The door suddenly opened and Rosalyn came in with bags of shopping in her hands and a smug smile on her face.

The shopping bags were emblazoned with the Addams Family logo.

Leander followed closely behind, also carrying a few bags.

"Alice, you...you are at home.”

Rosalyn’s smile froze on her face, breaking the silence and Leander’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Um,” I responded calmly, watching them calmly.

“These... are the clothes Leander bought for me," Rosalyn said loudly, still showing off.

"Alice, I'll take you clothes shopping tomorrow. You can buy whatever you want.”

As if to hide his guilt, Leander’s expression began to become strange.

“No need,” I replied coldly and turned to go upstairs.

I was leaving the day after tomorrow, but I should not be discovered by Leander.

“Look at her, Leander. She dared to disobey you."

“This family is not something that a woman like Alice who doesn't know the rules can run!"

Rosalyn jumped up and down to defend him, like the hostess of the place.

Leander seemed angry and did not ask me why I was carrying the suitcase, which was exactly the effect I wanted.

So, I went back to the room and closed the door.

Leander never returned to his room.

He probably thought that I would cry and make a fuss like I did before and then apologize to him obediently.

He was wrong.

That time, I would never compromise.

I would never give up my life for a man who did not love me.

At bedtime, Leander finally entered the room and took away his pillow.

“Are you giving me the cold shoulder? Or is it because of Rosalyn?”

I did not want to answer any of his questions and pretended that I was still angry with him.

“You are becoming more and more unreasonable!”

The cold attitude seemed to irritate him and he slammed the door and walked out.

I had been busy dealing with procedures and work handover these two days.

Even when I returned home at night, I still did not make any eye contact or communicate with Leander.

Fortunately, Leander really seemed to be unaware that I was leaving, or even if he knew he had no intention of trying to keep me.

At that moment, I was sitting on the grass in the orphanage, playing with the children. I’d bought the children their favorite snacks. 

Looking at their happy smiling faces, I also smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Luna Alice, when will you come to see us next time?” The little girl named Lisa pulled the corner of my clothes and asked, blinking her big amber eyes.

“I...” I hesitated, “Maybe it will be a long, long time later.”

Leander's indifferent face and Rosalyn's smug smile appeared in my mind.

Once I left that time, I might never come back.

I touched the little girl's head, took one last look at the children, then turned and left the orphanage.

I called a car and headed straight to the airport.

In the waiting room, when I took out my mobile phone, there were more than 20 missed calls and more than a dozen text messages, all from Leander.

[Alice, where are you? I'm going to take you home now.]

Even though I knew that Leander wanted to pursue me, it was too late.

I had made up my mind and just wanted to leave that Pack.

I also placed the divorce agreement and wedding ring on the table in the living room.

I imagined Leander’s look after seeing the divorce agreement. He must be happy and relieved, after all, I made him and Rosalyn together.

That way, he would not have to choose between his destined partner and his childhood sweetheart.

The boarding reminder sounded over the radio.

“Goodbye, Leander, my love,” I said silently in my heart.

——

On the afternoon of the day I left, Beta Owen came to the Leander’s office and asked, "Alpha, did not you go see Alice off?"