Quickly, I packed my clothes and the few personal items I had brought into Aldric’s villa. I was determined to leave tonight. It didn’t matter if I had nowhere to go—anywhere was better than here, in this hollow house that wasn’t truly mine.
It took hours to gather everything. When I finished, I called a taxi and left without looking back.
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It had been years since I’d last stepped foot in this apartment. My parents had given it to me after I secured my position as a researcher at the Silverclaw Institute. It was modest but enough for me. Back then, I chose to stay here rather than move into Aldric’s estate, wanting to keep my independence.
But as time passed, Aldric insisted it would be easier if we lived together. His home had the space, the amenities, and more importantly, it allowed us to be seen as the future of the Silverclaw Pack—Alpha and Luna. After all, who would question the mate bond between us if we were under one roof?
It seemed so logical at the time. How could I have known that moving in with him would be the beginning of our slow unraveling?