Chapter 2
I had barely set the kettle on when my phone vibrated across the kitchen counter.
The screen lit up with a familiar name.
Tyler Hudson.
Kendrick's assistant.
For a second, I simply stared at it.
Over the years, Tyler had become the bridge between Kendrick and me. Whenever Kendrick missed dinner, forgot an anniversary, or canceled yet another promise, it was always Tyler who called.
Never Kendrick himself.
I answered anyway.
"Mrs. Quinn."
His respectful voice came through the receiver, carrying the same professional restraint it always had.
"Alpha Kendrick has left for the Northern Territory this morning to negotiate the acquisition of the Blackstone Pack's mining rights. The trip will likely take around a week."
I let out a quiet breath.
"I understand."
There was a brief pause before Tyler continued.
"Alpha Kendrick asked me to let you know he probably won't be able to contact you during this period."
I lowered my eyes to the cup in my hands.
"He doesn't have to."
"...Mrs. Quinn?"
"Thank you for telling me, Tyler."
Before he could say anything else, I ended the call.
The apartment fell silent once more.
For years, I had waited for Kendrick's calls.
When we were newly married, I kept my phone beside me day and night, terrified I would miss him if he happened to remember me.
Then I began waiting for messages.
Later...
Even a single sentence became enough.
Eventually, I realized something painfully simple.
People who truly wanted to come home never needed someone else to explain why they couldn't.
I scrolled through my contacts until my finger stopped on a number I hadn't touched in nearly a year.
Damian Vinci.
Our family's attorney.
The phone rang twice before he answered.
"Mrs. Quinn."
"It's Evelyn."
"My apologies, Mrs... Evelyn."
His correction made me smile faintly.
"Mr. Lawson," I said quietly, "you can proceed with the divorce."
Silence greeted me.
It lasted several seconds.
"As... instructed?"
"Yes."
"I'll prepare everything immediately."
"Thank you."
After ending the call, I opened my contacts one last time.
Kendrick Quinn.
For eight years, his name had remained at the very top.
One tap.
Delete.
Another.
Block.
His number disappeared from my phone as though it had never existed.
Then came his work account.
His private account.
Every messaging app.
Every way he could reach me.
I deleted them all.
Eleven years.
Eleven years that now felt like a dream stretched far beyond its ending.
No...
A nightmare.
One I had finally chosen to wake up from.
—
Three days later, I arrived in Willowfield.
The little town rested beside Silver Lake, surrounded by rolling hills where wildflowers bloomed beneath towering pine trees. The air carried the scent of earth, water, and distant forests instead of polished marble floors and endless paperwork.
For the first time in years...
I could breathe.
My wolf seemed to like it here too.
She stretched lazily inside me, drinking in the untouched scents of nature, far removed from the suffocating pressure of Quinn Corporation.
I was sitting on the porch of a lakeside cabin with a cup of coffee when my phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID made me smile.
Aurora Westwood.
The moment I answered, an explosion erupted through the speaker.
"Evelyn Moretti! Have you completely lost your mind?"
I laughed softly.
"Good morning to you too."
"Don't 'good morning' me!" Aurora practically shouted. "That little snake Avery actually fired you? After everything you did for Quinn Corporation? Is Kendrick even aware of this?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"He wasn't there."
Aurora fell silent for exactly one second before erupting again.
"I swear I'll rip that she-wolf's fur off with my own hands! She walks into the company for a few months and thinks she owns the place? And Kendrick actually let this happen?"
I looked out across the shimmering lake.
Sunlight danced over the water, peaceful enough to make even anger seem distant.
"I'm tired, Aurora."
My voice was calm.
Calmer than I ever imagined it could be.
"I'm tired of fighting."
The line went quiet.
After a while, Aurora spoke again, this time much more softly.
"But you can't just let those two get away with this. Divorce him. Today. Take everything you're entitled to. Make Kendrick understand you were never some obedient Luna waiting at home whenever he remembered you."
"It's already happening."
"...What?"
"The lawyer is drafting the divorce papers."
I leaned back in my chair, watching a pair of wolves disappear into the forest beyond the lake.
"When Kendrick comes back..."
"I'll tell him myself."
Aurora didn't speak for a long time.
When she finally did, her voice had grown noticeably hoarse.
"Evelyn..."
"I'm proud of you."
A warmth spread through my chest.
It had been a long time since anyone had said those words to me.
After ending the call, I sat there quietly, allowing memories I had buried for years to surface one by one.
Three years ago...
My mother had been dying.
I had stood outside the intensive care unit, crying so hard that my hands shook while dialing Kendrick's number again and again.
When he finally answered, voices echoed behind him. He was in the middle of another negotiation.
"Kendrick..." I had begged. "Please come. Mom keeps asking for you. She only wants to see us once more."
His response was impatient.
"I'm closing a deal worth hundreds of millions right now. I'll have Finance transfer a hundred thousand to the hospital. Hire the best medical team available."
Then he hung up.
As if money could replace someone's final wish.
As if my mother's last moments could be bought.
Last year, on our anniversary, I had prepared every dish he loved.
I lit candles.
Changed into the dress he once said suited me best. And waited.
The candles burned lower and lower until wax dripped across the tablecloth.
Midnight became one o'clock.
One became two.
At three in the morning, Kendrick finally stumbled through the front door.
His clothes carried the sharp scent of whiskey.
Mixed with it was the sweet perfume of another she-wolf.
Liora Parker.
I recognized it immediately.
He didn't even look at me. Didn't remember what day it was.
Without removing his shoes, he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
I stood in the dining room until dawn.
Then I quietly gathered every cold dish from the table and threw them into the trash.
Not long after, there was Helen Kim.
Then another woman.
And another.
Whether the rumors were true or not had stopped mattering.
The trust between us had already died long before our marriage did.
Looking at the tranquil lake before me, I slowly exhaled.
The mating bond still existed.
But love… Somewhere over the past eleven years...
It had quietly slipped away.