Chapter 5

Early the next morning, Kael had his suitcase packed.

Leaning against the entrance, he told me: "I'm going on a month-long business trip for the Council to teach some public classes and help with Lila's defense."

I understood perfectly.

In a month, it would be Rain and Rhea's Far North wedding.

To escape our wedding, he could even skip his best brother's ceremony with a clear conscience.

I didn't call him out. I just nodded calmly: "Alright."

I walked him downstairs to the neighborhood entrance. His black SUV was already parked by the road.

The passenger window rolled down to reveal Lila sitting inside, waving the plane tickets in her hand and smiling at us.

Seeing us approach, she immediately pushed open the door and ran down, smiling innocently at me:

"Don't worry, Elara. I'll take good care of Alpha Kael this month."

Kael opened the car door to get in. Before leaving, he turned back to me, his tone perfunctory:

"I'm leaving. Call me if anything comes up at home."

On impulse, I called out: "Kael."

He stopped pulling the door and turned to look at me from several steps away.

The morning sunlight fell on his face—still the face I'd loved for so many years as a teenager.

But my heart couldn't stir even the slightest ripple anymore.

I forced out a smile, my voice soft but crystal clear: "Goodbye forever."

The noise of passing traffic drowned out my words. He didn't hear clearly and frowned in confusion, asking loudly: "What did you say?"

I didn't answer again. I just smiled and waved at him.

He seemed to sense something, hesitation flashing in his eyes. He was about to walk toward me when Lila pulled at him urgently:

"Alpha Kael, hurry! We're going to miss our flight!"

He paused, but ultimately bent down and got into the driver's seat.

As the car started, he looked back at me one more time through the window.

I stood there watching that black SUV merge into traffic and gradually disappear at the end of the road.

Wind swept up fallen leaves from the roadside, brushing past my shoes.

Twenty years of entanglement ended here.

After seeing Kael off, I went alone to the hunting training grounds.

The snow wolf mounts were still running tirelessly.

On our first date, Kael had taken me riding on snow wolves.

It was one of the few activities that didn't require extra permission clearance, but we were thrilled anyway.

He'd chosen two snow wolves side by side.

"Elara, I love the feeling of two people racing forward together."

He reached out and, in the intervals of the snow wolves' movements, grasped my hand.

"On the road ahead, as long as I turn my head, I can see you. That's my greatest happiness."

Ding dong—

The training-end horn sounded.

The snow wolves gradually slowed.

I sat alone on the pure white snow wolf's back. The seat beside me was empty.

Turned out after going round and round seven or eight times, I'd returned to the starting point.

My phone vibrated. It was a message from Rhea:

"We're going to the Far North tomorrow to finalize the wedding venue. Are you really sure you want to come with us?"

My fingertips tapped out a reply: "Yes, I'm sure."

For twenty years, I'd been waiting for someone else to take me to see the snow.

This time, I was going to the Far North.

To find my own happiness.