Now, he felt like a stranger.
The Alpha who once chased away my fears had become the one haunting them.
I packed slowly—clothes, books, small belongings. Then I reached the necklace he had given me during a full-moon ceremony. I paused, holding it in my palm.
“Do you remember this, Xavier?” I whispered quietly. “You told me this stone would keep me safe as long as you were alive.”
The gem no longer sparkled the way it once had.
When I finished, the sky outside had already darkened into evening. I carried my boxes toward the guest room, feeling like an outsider in my own home. As I walked down the corridor, Liam’s laughter echoed faintly from somewhere ahead, followed by Victoria’s soft, affectionate voice.
And Xavier’s voice answered them.
Brielle’s POV
My birthday was only a few days away, and despite everything that had fallen apart between Xavier and me, the mansion was already alive with activity before the sun had fully risen. Omegas hurried through the corridors carrying boxes, ribbons, and folded banners.
For one brief, foolish second, hope flickered inside me.
Maybe… just maybe… it was for me.