Chapter 2
Anais Pierce woke up once more the next day, lying in the guest room bed. Her wounds had been treated and were now wrapped with fresh, white bandages. She touched the family photo she kept close, remembering the promise she had made to her parents to hang on for five years.
Only six more days. She needed to follow their advice and find a reason to keep going.
Seeing the special day marked on the calendar, she remembered it was Alpha Jeremiah’s birthday. This would be her last attempt. Despite the pain in her hands, she spent the entire day in the kitchen. Each time she burned her fingers, she quickly wrapped them up and continued. Twice, her cake was overbaked, yet she patiently started again.
By evening, she had finally finished a beautifully crafted chocolate cake. Anais then retrieved an old, cherished photo album, selecting a few snapshots from their younger days to create a handmade collection.
With new determination, she sent Alpha Jeremiah a message through the pack’s mind link:
*Alpha, I’m at our old meeting place. There’s something I need to tell you.*
After sending the message, Anais went to a café they used to visit together. Arriving half an hour early, she set the cake and gift on the table, nervously awaiting his arrival. Alpha Jeremiah turned up an hour late, cutting a sharp figure in his tailored suit, his Alpha aura commanding the room. His expression darkened when he saw the cake.
"You forgot that I haven’t celebrated my birthday since my parents passed?" he said coldly, knocking the cake off the table with a flick of his wrist.
Frosting splattered onto Anais’s dress, but she stood her ground, her Omega scent faint against the overwhelming presence of her Alpha. "I know... but it’s been years. My parents paid the ultimate price, and I’ve gone through so much pain..."
Her voice quivered, "Can’t we let each other go and start fresh?"
"No!" Alpha Jeremiah shot back, his Alpha tone sharp and unyielding. "The suffering you’ve endured doesn’t even compare to what I went through."
He leaned in, his towering frame casting a shadow over her, eyes blazing with anger. "Anais, because of your parents’ reckless driving, I watched my mom, dad, and sister die in front of me. My grandfather, devastated by their loss, had a stroke and passed away. In one night, I lost everything."
He gripped Anais’s chin tightly, his fingers like steel. "You expect me to move on? How can I possibly do that?"
Tears streamed down Anais’s face, her Omega scent tinged with sorrow. "I’m sorry... I truly am..."
"Alpha Jeremiah!" A cheerful voice suddenly interrupted her.
Marley Castillo, a Delta in the pack, rushed in holding a jar filled with colorful paper stars. "Happy Birthday!" she exclaimed, her smile bright as she handed the jar to Alpha Jeremiah. "I folded a thousand stars for you. Each time you pick one, make a wish."
Alpha Jeremiah was momentarily taken aback. Anais’s heart clenched as if squeezed by an invisible hand.
The scene was all too familiar. At eighteen, she had given Alpha Jeremiah a jar of paper stars, saying the exact same words.
"Marley..." Alpha Jeremiah’s voice was husky, his Alpha tone softening.
He accepted the jar, his fingers lightly brushing the glass, eyes distant, as if he saw someone else through Marley.
In the next moment, he pulled Marley into an embrace, his Alpha scent wrapping around her. "I really love this gift."
Marley shot a victorious glance at Anais and hugged Alpha Jeremiah back. "I’m glad you do."
Anais sat silently, her fingers nervously tracing the forgotten album, her heart aching as if sliced by a dull blade, bleeding relentlessly.
She hadn’t expected her greatest rival would not be someone else but her past self.
Alpha Jeremiah would always despise the current Anais, yet cherish the girl named "Lily" from his memories.
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