Chapter 4

The pain was more intense than expected, and my wolf was dispirited. It felt like my soul had been cut, a piece of my puzzle missing, an endless sense of loss haunting me.

By the end, I had become numb to the pain.

My mate, I could no longer call him that. Robert used the cruelest way to end our relationship with someone else.

It was a blatant betrayal.

In the werewolf world, it was a huge humiliation. Especially the abandoned she-wolf, who would be laughed at by all the werewolves, would have a hard time staying in her pack.

And even more tragically, Robert didn’t reject me formally, which meant that there was still a mate connection between us, and I would still feel the pain of being betrayed by my mate, and it was hard to stop wanting him. It was torture for me, who had no feelings for Robert.

I didn’t tell my parents about Robert and me, and I didn’t want them to worry. But they knew I wasn’t in the right mood, and they didn’t ask me anything. They were really the best parents in the world.

When I got better, I told my parents that I wanted to go on a vacation.

My parents had been worried about my previous illness, and when they heard my suggestion, they were both relieved and very supportive.

The vacation from high school to college was long, and I traveled a lot.

Initially, it was to forget about Robert, but I immersed myself in the journey soon after.

In the process, I grew up a lot.

I figured out many things that I hadn’t thought through before. Robert had felt my presence when he was an adult, but he hadn’t been willing to accept me, so he didn’t tell me. It was likely that Alison knew about this, too. So she would target me later. Alison might even have ordered that rugged boy on me. Robert might or might not have known about it, or he didn’t care.

And I didn’t think it mattered now.

I still hate them, but I shouldn’t let them interfere with my life.

I’d gained a bit, from eighty-five pounds to nearly a hundred pounds, and I was still skinny, but I looked stronger than before. I got a lot of sun exposure. My skin had gone from an unhealthy pallor to a healthy wheat color. My body was stronger than before.

I was happy with what I’d become. I was stronger, more confident, and more energetic.

My hair had grown longer. I’d trimmed it back. I’d gotten rid of my bangs, which I grew up with. They were neatly parted to the sides, revealing my smooth, full forehead. It made me look a lot better. My black hair hung over my shoulders, with a playful curve at the ends. I fixed up my makeup. My face wasn’t so thin anymore, my eyes were brighter, my nose was higher, and I had a sweeter smile.

I might not be a regular beauty, but I was a different person than a few months ago.

Nobody called me weird anymore.

I started college and was walking around the campus. One day, out of the blue, I met Robert.

It was a stupid decision I had made. When I applied to college, I was still crazy about Robert, so I didn’t hesitate to go to the same college, hoping to see more of him.

But now, it seemed like I was asking for trouble.

I didn’t want to see Robert because of the damned mate effect between us, and I couldn’t help but feel a sexual urge when I saw him, which made me sick.

I tried to walk past him as calmly as I could, noticing his gaze resting on my honey-colored thighs. I was wearing a jean skirt seven inches above my knee today, wrapped tightly around my hips.

I noticed Robert’s shocked expression from the corner of my eye. I knew I must look sexy.

But f*ck it. He wouldn’t get a chance to touch me.

“Cecily…”

I heard Robert’s voice. He was calling my name. In fact, this was the first time I had ever heard my name in his mouth. I stopped because I saw Alison next to him. She had the same look of extreme surprise. For some reason, I wanted to know what Robert would say to me in front of his marked girlfriend.

“You look beautiful.”

He still looked tall and handsome with those flirtatious words, but I had long since lost any sense of attraction. I gave him a disgusted look and said, “Thank you.”

I turned to leave. I wasn’t interested in seeing Robert’s lustful eyes on me. He was interested in me now. He wanted to change his mind because he thought I was beautiful and attractive enough to be his mate. He didn’t care about people’s innate qualities or talents. He gave me marks, but he was still shallow and flirtatious.

I couldn’t figure out why I used to like someone like that. Was it just because of the mate effect?