I was overwhelmed with anger and pain, but Landon's voice suddenly made me snap out of my senses. I turned and looked at him. The device was pressed to his ear. There was a tension in his posture, a tightness in his jaw that I recognized all too well.

"I'll look for her," Landon said. His words laced with a desperation that tugged at something deep inside me. He was worried about me. The realization brings a flicker of something close to hope, but it was quickly extinguished by the reality of everything that had happened.

I watched as he ended the call, shoving the phone into his pocket with a sharp exhale. Allison was looking at him in confusion, but Landon just barely glanced at her. Afterward, he hurried away, the door closing behind him with a slam. As I watched him leave, a strange mix of emotions swirled within me.

Suddenly, a low, venomous whisper that cut through the silence like a knife sounded.

“That little bitch,” Allison hissed, her voice dripping with malice. “Always getting in the way. Why couldn’t she just disappear?”

Her words sent a chill down my spine. I turned and looked at her, feeling a surge of anger. Allison’s face was twisted with hatred, her eyes dark and furious as she glared at the spot where Landon stood moments ago.

I knew she hated me—I could sense it in the way she looked at me, the way she always tried to insert herself between Landon and me. But hearing her speak like this, with such open hostility, was something else entirely. It was like a punch to the gut, a reminder of all the reasons I should have walked away from this mess long ago.

But I didn’t. I stayed. I fought for Landon, even when I knew it was a losing battle. And now, I was stuck in this strange situation, listening to the woman who ruined everything curse my name.

I wanted to scream at her, to tell her that her bond with Landon had long been broken and she shouldn't have returned, but I couldn't. My voice was trapped in the same void that kept me here, unable to reach the living world.

All I could do was watch as Allison paced the room, her anger simmering just below the surface. She muttered to herself, her words a jumbled mix of curses and accusations, all aimed at me. It was almost pathetic, how much power she thought she had over this situation.

And yet, despite everything, I felt a pang of pity for her. She was just as trapped as I am, stuck in a cycle of jealousy and resentment that she couldn't break free from. But unlike me, she was still alive. She still had a chance to change, to make things right.

But would she? I didn’t know, and I didn’t think she even knew. As I watched her, a strange sense of detachment washed over me. This wasn’t my fight anymore. I had done all I could, and it wasn’t enough. Landon was out there, searching for me, but it was too late. There was nothing left for him to find.

Sighing, I followed where Landon was and realized that he returned to our house. I saw how his frown deepened. He wasn’t greeted by the usual warmth—no sumptuous meals laid out on the table, no cozy lights filling the rooms. The house was eerily quiet.

Flicking on the hallway light, he called out my name, his voice echoing in the silence. There was no answer.

He hesitated for a moment, anxiety creeping in. Tossing his suit jacket onto a chair, he pulled out his phone and sent me a quick message.

[Emery, stop messing around and come back soon.]

But there was no reply.

His unease growing, Landon dialed my number, but only the automated voice responded, "I'm sorry, the number you dialed..."

He tried again, and again. Each time, the same lifeless response.

Frowning, he ran his fingers over his phone, the weight of realization settling in. It seemed he finally realized that something was wrong.

Landon stared blankly at the documents in front of him, trying to push thoughts of Emery to the back of his mind.

But normalcy was fleeting, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning at the message notification from Allison.

[Someone’s following me, harassing me. Please, Landon, I need you.]

A surge of protective instinct flared within him. Allison might have hurt him in ways he could barely comprehend, but the thought of her in danger sent adrenaline coursing through his veins. She was an omega, after all, and her scent had always been intoxicating to other werewolves, especially those who didn’t know how to control themselves around someone so vulnerable.

He didn’t think twice. He grabbed his keys and bolted out of the office. He had to get there before anything happened.

When he arrived at her apartment complex, he found her huddled near the entrance, her eyes wide with fear, her usually composed demeanor shattered. The sight made his chest tighten. He rushed to her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Allison, what happened? Are you okay?”

Before she could answer, a low growl echoed from behind him. Landon spun around, his senses sharpening as he caught sight of the man standing in the shadows. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and his eyes were wild with a predatory hunger that made Landon’s inner wolf howl in response, muscles tensing as a protective fury rose within him. “Stay behind me,” he ordered Allison, his voice hard.

The man took a step forward, his gaze fixed on Allison with a possessiveness that made Landon’s hackles rise. “She’s mine,” the stranger snarled, his voice thick with the undertones of a werewolf on the brink of losing control.

“She’s not yours,” Landon shot back, his voice dangerously low. “Back off.”

But the man didn’t back down. Instead, he lunged at Landon, claws outstretched, his eyes gleaming with madness.

Landon met him head-on, his wolf roaring to life as he threw himself into the fight. The impact sent them both crashing to the ground, a tangle of limbs and snarls as they wrestled for dominance.

Landon’s fists connected with the man’s jaw, and he heard the sickening crack of bone. But the man was relentless, clawing at Landon’s sides, his movements fueled by a desperation that bordered on madness.

Landon wasn’t sure how long they fought—seconds, minutes, it all blurred together in a haze of pain and adrenaline. But eventually, he managed to pin the man to the ground, his hand clamped around the stranger’s throat, his wolf’s snarls filling the air. “Leave. Now. Before I make you regret it,” Landon growled, his voice thick with the dominance of an alpha.

The man’s eyes flickered with fear, his bravado crumbling under the weight of Landon’s threat. With a choked gasp, he nodded, and Landon released him, watching with a mix of satisfaction and disgust as the man scrambled to his feet and fled into the night.

Breathing heavily, Landon straightened, wiping the blood from his mouth as he turned back to Allison. She was trembling, her eyes wide with shock, and he felt a pang of guilt for not getting there sooner.

“It’s okay,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “He’s gone now. You’re safe.”

Allison nodded, but the fear didn’t leave her eyes. She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around herself as if trying to ward off the lingering terror. “Thank you, Landon,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “I didn’t know what to do… I was so scared…”

He felt her lean into him, her small frame trembling against his, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, offering what comfort he could. But as he held her, the reality of what he’d done began to sink in. He had rushed to her side without a second thought, putting her safety above everything else, even when Emery’s absence still loomed over him like a dark shadow.

The guilt that had been gnawing at him since last night returned, heavier now, more suffocating. He had betrayed Emery once, and now, in his haste to protect Allison, he was betraying her again. The thought made his stomach churn.

“Landon…” Allison’s voice broke through his thoughts, her hand resting on his chest. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and something else, something that made his heart flutter in his chest. “I knew you’d come. You always do.”

The words should have reassured him, but instead, they only deepened the ache in his chest. He couldn’t keep doing this—teetering on the edge between two women, unable to fully commit to either. He needed to find Emery, to make things right, but as he stood there with Allison, her warmth seeped into him.

“I need to go,” he said abruptly, pulling away from Allison’s embrace. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t protest as he stepped back. “Just… be careful, okay? Stay inside tonight.”

She nodded, though he could see the confusion and hurt in her gaze. “Okay,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Thank you, Landon.”

He forced a smile, but it felt hollow, a poor attempt to mask the turmoil inside him. Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Outside, the night was cool, a breeze stirring the leaves and sending shivers down my spine. It wasn’t the cold that bothered me, though. It was the scent. Allison’s scent clung to me, sweet and familiar, but also a reminder of how deep I was getting into something I wasn’t sure I could handle.

I needed to clear my head. I needed to get rid of her scent.

The path to the riverside was well-worn, the ground soft under my boots as I made my way through the trees.

When I reached the water’s edge, I took a deep breath, the scent of the river filling my lungs, washing away the remnants of Allison that clung to me. I knelt and dipped my hands into the cool water, splashing it over my face and neck, scrubbing at my skin as if I could wash away the guilt that had settled there too.

My birthday was coming up soon. I hadn’t given it much thought—birthdays were just another day to me, nothing special. But this year, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that it would be different from before.

Emery...

She’d always been there for my birthday, every single year, without fail. No matter what was going on between us, she’d show up, sometimes with a small gift, with just a smile and a joke, but always there. It was something I’d come to expect, something I’d taken for granted.

However, she had been gone for days now, and I’d been telling myself that she was just angry, that she needed space, that she’d come back when she was ready. But as the days crept closer to my birthday, the certainty that she’d return grew stronger.

"She has to come back," I muttered, my hands clenching into fists in the water. She wouldn’t just disappear forever. Not Emery. She was too stubborn, too loyal to just walk away. And yet, a part of me wondered if this time was different if maybe I had pushed her too far. I had hurt her—I knew that much. But I didn’t want to believe that I had driven her away for good.

"She'll come back", I told myself, trying to ignore the uncertainty gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. "She always does."

That was right. Emery was deeply in love with me, and she wouldn't leave my side no matter what.

...

"You don’t have to do this anymore. I’m not at home to complain about the smell," I whispered bitterly even though he couldn't hear me.

As the evening wind mingled with the gentle rush of the water, Landon’s voice broke the silence, a murmur to the night. "Emery, tomorrow is my birthday. How long are you going to keep this up?"

His words jolted me. Tomorrow is his birthday. Then the gift I’d ordered for him would be arriving soon.

Sighing, I followed him as he went home.

The next day, Landon woke up and patted the side of the bed out of habit, but all he felt was a cold empty bed.

He buried his face in my pillow, breathing in the faint remnants of my scent, clinging to the last traces of me.

Today was the weekend—Landon's birthday.

He got out of bed, determined to make the day special. He bought my favorite foods, the ones we used to share, and headed into the kitchen.

He was sure I would come back today. After all, I never missed his birthday, no matter how angry I was. But Landon, today, you're going to be disappointed.

Later that morning, he received a call from the Jewelry Company.

"Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Hartwell ordered a birthday gift for you a month ago. Please come by to pick it up."

Curious, Landon made his way to the store. They handed him a pair of customized diamond rings and tie clips, each engraved with our initials—LB and EH.

Memories flooded back. When we were just starting our business, and building the pack, the first gift I ever gave him was a simple tie clip. It wasn’t expensive, but Landon cherished it like it was the most valuable thing he owned.

Now, years later, with our success, I had wanted to give him something more luxurious, something that reflected how far we’d come. But Landon betrayed me over again.

He held the gifts in his hands, sitting in silence for what felt like hours. I could almost see the tears welling up in his eyes.

That evening, he prepared a feast of my favorite dishes and uncorked a bottle of champagne he’d been saving. He sent another message to our now one-sided conversation. [Emery, I received your gift. I love it. Please come back. I'll explain everything, and I promise this won't happen again.]

Landon waited, his hope slowly giving way to anxiety, then impatience. The food on the table grew cold as the minutes ticked by. Frustrated, he slammed his hands on the table and went straight to the room.

The following day, he went to the office, and the first thing he did was glare at the photo frame on his desk and then turn it face down.

He was angry that I ignored him and didn't celebrate his birthday with him.

"Tsk. Don't make me lose my patience, Emery," he hissed. As his words fell, his secretary entered the office.

"Sir, there's a call from the police station. They need you to identify Ms. Hartwell's body."

Landon scoffed, not believing a word. "What kind of trick is this? Tell Emery to come home once she’s done playing her games. She’s embarrassing herself."

The secretary, visibly shaking, handed him the phone.