---- 9 The car raced onward, pulling the city farther and farther away until it disappeared completely. After crossing the pack border, I switched vehicles with Winters Pack's Alpha and Luna, finally beginning the journey back to Winters Pack. At Scarlett's apartment, sensual photographs and scattered clothing littered the floor. Kieran's phone rang incessantly, but Scarlett grabbed the device and blocked the caller. As night fell, Kieran cleaned away the intimate marks from his skin and dressed in crisp, pressed clothes, preparing to leave. He drove two hours to reach the pack's famous pastry shop to collect custom-made cakes and sweets for me. He'd placed this order when Scarlett first came to the pack house-he'd always appreciated her thoughtfulness in arranging such gestures. The shop clerk recognized him. After he paid, she said, ''Wishing Alpha Kieran's mate eternal ---- happiness." Those words made Kieran's lips curve upward. " Thank you. I'll remember this shop." After he left, the clerk whispered to her coworker, "It's so touching how Alpha Kieran treasures his mate. He even comes personally to buy her sweets. " "Exactly! Most people choose delivery for convenience these days. If an Alpha can personally shop for his mate's treats, who else has the right to claim they don't have time? It's just a matter of not caring enough." Driving home, Kieran rehearsed his prepared excuses. He absolutely couldn't let Aria detect anything suspicious. From a distance, seeing the house completely dark, Kieran felt inexplicable panic rise within him. Still, he reassured himself that Aria's body hadn't fully recovered-she must have turned off the lights early to rest. He floored the accelerator and flew through the ---- front door, then tiptoed to the master bedroom, afraid of waking her. Opening the bedroom door to find no sign of me, Kieran's hand froze mid-air, his heart stopping for an instant. Instinctively, he scanned the room. My favorite book lay open on the nightstand. The roses he'd given me still bloomed vibrantly on the bedside table. The clothes he'd personally selected for me remained at the foot of the bed. In the drawer, my identification and passport were still there... Kieran exhaled deeply, feeling grateful to the heavens in that moment. He swore that from now on, he would love Aria even more. They would have beautiful children and a wonderful future. He called out softly, "Aria... Aria..."" No one answered. Even Mrs. Jones, the housekeeper, wasn't home. Kieran assumed I must have taken Mrs. Jones out