His Serum, My Soul's Escape

As Caspian carried me to bed, murmuring for me to sleep, my mind drifted. How had we ended up here? When did we start to fracture and fall apart?

This wasn't the first time Jocelyn had poisoned me. On the day of my bonding ceremony with Caspian, she sprinkled silver dust in my champagne. A massive allergic reaction broke out across my skin, so itchy I wanted to claw it off.

Caspian pulled me into his arms, shock and anger blazing through him. After healing me, he publicly announced he was cutting ties with Jocelyn. But as soon as she heard this, she threatened to jump from a skyscraper.

By the time Caspian reached the rooftop, she was already on the ledge, her tear-filled eyes pleading for him to save her. He rushed over without hesitation, dragged her back, and held her as if she were something fragile and irreplaceable.

Afterward, he said, "Jocelyn is just immature. She can't accept that the man she grew up with now loves someone else more. You have me. Can't you just humor her a little?"

And so, every time it involved Jocelyn, I was always the one who had to back down.

Caspian must have sensed my distance. He pulled me closer, dipping his head to press a gentle kiss to the nape of my neck. "Still angry? I'll have her come apologize to you tomorrow, okay?"

I refused almost instinctively. "That's not necessary."

An apology wouldn't erase what she had done, and seeing her would only bring more trouble.

He intertwined his fingers with mine, his gaze deep and sincere. "How can she not apologize? You're my mate. I won't let you be wronged."

Once, these words would have moved me to tears. Now, they just left me exhausted.

Everyone said that Alpha-to-be Caspian was too kind. His heart was too soft; he couldn't bear to see anyone suffer. This was true even for those closest to him. He didn't want me to be wronged, but he also couldn't stand for Jocelyn to be unhappy.

He wanted to be fair, never favoring one over the other, but he had unknowingly tilted the scales in Jocelyn's favor long ago.

The next day, just as he'd promised, Jocelyn came to apologize. She brought a silver-edged photo frame containing a childhood picture of her and Caspian. The scene was warm and heartwarming, clearly a cherished memory. But I didn't accept it.

Because the delicate silver frame was made of the exact same material as the silver dust she'd sprinkled in my champagne.

Caspian gently gripped my wrist, his voice a low, coaxing murmur. "Take it. This is her way of making peace. Don't worry, I've had security check it. There are no curses. And even if she added something, you'll be fine."

Under his relieved gaze, I took the photo frame and then calmly tossed it into the roaring fireplace. Caspian shot to his feet, the warmth on his face instantly vanishing. Jocelyn's eyes immediately reddened as she stared at me with a hurt, incredulous expression.

Perhaps because I was about to leave this world, I found I no longer had the patience to swallow my grievances and pretend everything was fine.

I covered my mouth with a handkerchief, hiding the black blood I coughed up, and said flatly, "I don't want an apology, and I don't want a photo. If that's not clear enough, I can say it again."

A shadow of disappointment crossed Caspian's eyes. He pulled Jocelyn out and slammed the door with a resounding crack. This time, he was truly angry. He didn't come back for days.

That night, his Beta brought my gene serum as usual.

He hesitated before speaking. "Alpha Caspian hasn't returned, but he wanted me to make sure you took your serum. He said you can't miss a single day and that I should keep a close eye on you."

A faint smile curved my lips.

So, he was really afraid I would die. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he realized the serum he personally concocted was the very thing sending me to my grave.

I almost laughed at the thought. Instead, my vision went black, and I passed out. After all, Caspian had forgotten the key stabilizer in that formula. As the toxins continued to accumulate in my body, my inner wolf was slowly decaying.

When I woke up, Caspian was leaning over me, his face etched with panic as he reached out to check on me with his bloodline gift. Our eyes met, and he froze.

A moment later, he withdrew his hand, his expression turning grim. "Rowan, since when did you start faking illness for attention? I told you, my serum cannot fail. If you wanted me back, you could have just said so. There's no need to pretend to be sick."

"Then leave," I snapped, turning my head away.

That was close. Any closer and he might have discovered the truth.

Caspian paused, then his expression softened. He wrapped his arm around my waist, his voice dropping back to that familiar, gentle tone.

"Alright. Are you still angry? If you don't like Jocelyn, I won't invite her over anymore. Didn't you say you wanted to see the Northern Lights? The Arctic Circle is beautiful. I'll take you there on my private jet in a few days, okay?"

A flicker of longing went through me, and I nodded. A final look at this world's beauty seemed like a fitting farewell.