Page 54 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

"Done! Mom, look!" She held up a drawing. "I made the garden!"

The paper showed wobbly green lines dotted with little red and yellow flowers. I took it and studied it seriously.

"Beautiful." I sat beside her, ruffling her hair. "After breakfast, want to help open the shop?" It was Saturday. No school.

"Yes!"

When I pushed open the shop door, sunlight flooded in with that fresh morning clarity. I flipped the "Open" sign. Anya was already behind the counter, standing on her little stool, reaching for bottles.

"Mom, will lots of people come today?"

"They will." I smiled.

Sure enough, customers trickled in before noon even hit. Locals, plus merchants from elsewhere passing through. I worked the counter while keeping an eye on Anya—she stood there seriously wrapping products for customers, small fingers clumsy but determined. Some customers actually preferred her ribbon bows, said they had "innocence."

"Elena."

I looked up. Gareth stood in the doorway.

Light shirt, long pants, reddish-brown hair catching warm light from the sun. He carried a basket of fresh bread and fruit.

"Morning." He smiled, stepping in. "Brought you something."

"Thanks." I took the basket. "You always do this."

"Because I know you forget to eat when you're busy." He shrugged, eyes landing on Anya. "Anya, helping out today?"

"Uncle Gareth!" Anya poked her head out from behind the counter, waving. Other customers nodded respectfully to him.

Gareth was the town Alpha's son, heir to the Rosell family. Two years younger than me, easygoing, kind to everyone. A regular at my shop, one of the first friends I'd made here.

Over these years, I'd met so many people here. Healers, merchants, ordinary townspeople. They'd accepted me, helped me, let me find my worth. I wasn't that woman who only knew how to run, how to endure. I had my own business, my own life. I had Anya.

I'd found where I belonged.

But deep inside, where my wolf lay curled, something was always missing. An empty space where the most important piece used to be. I refused to acknowledge it, because that meant remembering the pain from five years ago. Strange—I'd met him again after five years, been hurt by him after five years.

Maybe that was fate?

"Elena," Gareth's voice pulled me back. He looked awkward, couldn't meet my eyes, but pushed the words out anyway. "There's a gathering this weekend. Everyone in town's going. Want to come? You can bring Anya."

He looked at me expectantly.

I knew what he really wanted to say. This wasn't the first time.

"Gareth," I set down my bottle, met his eyes, "I'm grateful for everything you've done for me and Anya these years. But—"

"I know." He cut me off, smile turning bitter. "There's someone else."

I went quiet. His words forced me to face what I didn't want to face.

He was right. There was someone. That person had thrown me out five years ago, denied I was his mate in front of everyone, and shattered my bond. But my wolf still whimpered at night, curled in that hollow place in my chest.

I hated it. But he was my mate. Losing your mate—for a werewolf, that damage went deep.

"I'm sorry." That's all I could say.

Gareth looked at me for a long time. Then he nodded.