Chapter 2 No.2

KAELEN POV:

The ceremony was a blur of ancient rites and solemn vows. By dawn, it was done. I was no longer an Alpha. I was just Kaelen. A man with a shattered past and an empty future. The first thing I did was book a one-way ticket to Australia. An anthropology research position at a university in Melbourne-an offer I'd received three years ago but had turned down because Seraphina couldn't bear the thought of me being so far away. The memory was so bitter it almost made me laugh.

Returning to the Alpha's manor, the place I had once called home, felt like trespassing. The air was thick with her scent-wild roses and expensive perfume. Every surface held a memory of her.

I walked from room to room, my face a mask of stone. I gathered everything that was hers. The luxurious furs draped over chairs, the glittering jewelry left on the nightstand, the dozens of framed photos of us smiling, looking like the perfect Alpha and his future Luna. I piled it all into a large bin.

Outside, the storm had passed, leaving the world clean and cold. I strode to the large, stone-lined incinerator at the edge of the property, used for disposing of sensitive Pack documents. I dumped the contents of the bin inside and lit the flame.

As the fire roared to life, consuming seven years of memories, a sleek sports car pulled up the long driveway. Seraphina emerged from the passenger side, her arm linked with a young, pretty-faced man whose Omega scent was unmistakable. Lian.

Her laughter died when she saw the plume of black smoke. Her eyes, the color of warm whiskey, turned cold as she stared at me, then at the incinerator.

"Kaelen, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice laced with an authority she had no right to.

I turned to face her, my expression unreadable. "You don't remember me, remember? These are just the belongings of a stranger you found yourself living with. I'm clearing them out for you."

A flicker of panic crossed her face before it was replaced by a carefully constructed mask of confusion. "Oh. Right. I... thank you." She tightened her grip on the Omega's arm. "Kaelen, this is Lian. He... he saved me during the attack. He's been taking care of me."

Lian puffed out his chest, trying to look imposing. It was pathetic.

"We're together now," Seraphina said, the words meant to be a killing blow.

I looked from her defiant face to the Omega preening beside her. My Alpha senses, though I had renounced the title, were still sharp. I could smell the lie on her, the faint scent of arousal that clung to them both. He wasn't her savior. He was her favorite new toy.

I simply nodded. "I see. I wish you well."

I turned to walk away, the conversation over. I had nothing more to say to her.

"Hey, wait."

Lian stepped forward, blocking my path. He had a smug, arrogant look on his face. "You're the famous Alpha Kaelen, right? The one she can't stop talking about, even with no memory?"

He tried to push into my mind, a clumsy, amateur attempt to establish a Mind-Link. It was like a gnat flying into a hurricane. My natural mental shields, honed by years of Alpha-level training, slammed down automatically. The psychic backlash sent him stumbling backward, his face paling as he clutched his head.

"Don't do that again," I said, my voice low and dangerous.

He recovered quickly, his fear replaced by a spiteful glare. He shoved a small card into my hand. "Here's my number. You know, in case you want to see what a real man can do for your ex. Sera and I are about to go christen her bedroom. She says she wants to try it on the bearskin rug you two bought together."

The image he planted in my mind was crude and explicit. My inner wolf snarled, demanding blood, but I forced it down. He was baiting me. And I wouldn't bite.

I let the card drop from my fingers and walked away without a backward glance.