<b>Chapter </b>215


    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    Julian swallowed, then, keeping his face nk, he told Alice, <b>“</b>I’m <b>sorry</b>, honey. But I have <b>to </b><b>go </b>back to my pack for a few days. My mom is very sick and she needs me.”


    As Alice blinked, all the good mood drained from her face, right alongside the color. She looked at Julian withrge doe eyes, quickly filling with tears.


    “You’re leaving?”


    “I’m sorry,<b>” </b>Julian said. “I wouldn’t go if I didn’t have to. But my mom needs me.”


    “B–but I need you,” Alice said. “What about me?”


    Instinctively, I inched closer to her. Yet when I tried to touch her back, she slunk away from me, not


    wanting to be touched. It hurt, but I kept my hand on the back of her chair instead.


    “You have your mom here,” Julian said. His face was still nk. “And your uncle Rafael is nearby<b>…</b>”


    Tears fell from Alice’s eyes. “You don’t even care!”


    “I do,” Julian insisted, but I could see Alice’s confusion. With how very emotionless Julian was acting, it


    truly did seem like he was indifferent to leaving us. I knew it wasn’t true and that this was both shock


    and the medicine’s interference, but Alice didn’t know that.


    She was far too young and innocent to understand.


    <b>“</b>You don’t care at all!!!” Alice shouted. She jumped from her chair. “You hate me!”


    “Alice<b>,</b>” I said, trying to calm her.


    “I love you<b>,</b><b>” </b>Julian said.


    “You don’t act like it! And now you are leaving!” Tears in her eyes, she reached for her drawing and tore it straight down the middle. Immediately after, she looked at both halves in horror, as if realizing what she’d done. Dropping the paper<b>, </b>she clutched her ne with both hands, turned, and fled into her


    bedroom.


    I hurried after her, only to find that she locked the door.


    “Alice, please. It’s Mom. Open the door.”


    “Go away!” Alice sobbed through the door.


    Behind me<b>, </b>Julian picked up the two halves <b>of </b>paper that once made up a full drawing and gently held them together.


    “Julian…” I had no <b>idea </b>how tofort him either<b>. </b>


    “It’s fine,” he said, but I didn’t think that was true.


    Holding the drawing, he walked into his bedroom.


    The table was set. The dinner was warming on top of the stove. But no one was going to eat it.


    Not tonight.


    Moving toward it, I did the only thing I felt like I could do at this moment.


    Put away leftovers.


    Julian’s POV


    In my hotel bedroom, I carefullyid the two halves of Alice’s drawing in my suitcase. When I made it


    back to my pack, I’d tape it andminate it to preserve it forever.


    Then, I walked into the bathroom, grabbed my pills off the counter by the sink, and unceremoniously


    upended the entire bottle into the toilet.


    Flushing, I watched the tiny cylinders circle the drain before disappearing out of sight.


    The next morning, Amber and Alice went with me to the airport, but Alice must have been coaxed by her


    mother. She wouldn’t look at me at all, not even as I told her, “I love you, Alice. I will be back soon.”


    I would have said the same to Amber, but words failed me when I stood before her.


    I wanted to hug her, but she held out her hand for a handshake at the same moment. It was an awkward moment, I would have rather had a hug, but I epted the handshake and the soft, “Goodbye.”


    On the ne, without the pills, I felt as the bond between my mate, child, and me stretched farther and farther. Yet it didn’t break. I would never let it.


    But the distance still weighed on me heavily.


    Even so, I wouldn’t change it. I was never going to take that medicine ever again.