NovelEnglishChapter 38
sking up. “I just wanted to say hi.”
Aunt Linda,” Alex replied without looking up.
Nora's chest tightened, but she said nothing. She didn’t stop him.
The car ride continued in silence, save for the fam tapping of Mex’s hugers on his phone,
Nora kept her eyes on the road, though her mind was elsewhere.
She told herself it didn’t matter, that Linda’s presence in Alex’s life didn’t diminish her role as his mother.
But the lingering ache told a different story.
The message from Linda arrived just as Alex was putting his books into his backpack
He glanced at his phone, his heart pounding in worry.
*#¥Just a minor illness, AlexTM Linda's text read. “No need to worry. Rest up, focus on school, and I'll be fine.””
Alex frowned, chewing his bottom lip.
He knew Linda hated being fussed over, but her vague assurances didn’t sit well with him.
His fingers flew over his phone screEIL
*#+Til cby right after school, Aunt Linda. Don’t try to talkout of it.”
He hit send before she could respond.
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As he slipped his phone into his pocket, he recalled asking his mom, Nora, to make dinner tonight.
The thought made him pause.
“She didn’t even react when | told her Id visit Linda, Alex murmured to himself.
“Does that mean she’s okay with it?
With his concerns momentarily appeased. Alex's mood lifted.
Whustling a jaunty tune, he hurried to school, his steps light with purpose.
Nora stood by the window, watching Alex's retreating figure with a small, distracted smile.
When he turned the corner and disappeared, she let out a soft sigh and turned to the calendar hanging on the
kitchen wall.
Her brows furrowed. Today was circled in red “Work Turnover Deadline.*
“This is it,” she muttered to herself, her voice tinged with relief and apprehension “After today. | can finally focus
entirely on my own projects.”
With a deep breath, Nora collected her things and headed out the door.
When Nora arrived at the office, the usual hum of activity buzzed around her, but something felt off
The as if
air was unusually subdued, at id anticipation had been deflated.
She glanced at Megan, who sat at her deck with a pouty expression, her clan resting in her land
“What's with the long face, Megan? Nora asked, setting her lay down.
“The Alpha canceled his meeting.” Megan replied with a tic sigh. “I was really looking forward to seeing
him today. You know, his presence just makes the day so much better.”
Chapter 38
Nora fought the urge to roll her eyes.
Megan's infatuation with Alpha Arnold was well known, and while most of their colleagues humored her, Nora
found it tiresome.
Im sure he had a good reason, Nora said briskly, logging into her computer
Deep down, though, she suspected why Arnold hadn't shown up. “Linda must have gotten worse,”
By the tthe afternoon rolled around, Nora felt a dull ache building in her temples.
She pushed her chair back and stretched before heading to the pantry for coffee.
The familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, soothing her frayed nerves.
Just as she reached for a mug, the sound of the front doors opening caught her attention.
Turning her head slightly, she saw him. Alpha Arnold, striding into the building with his usual commanding
presence.
Her breath hitched.
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Arnold's sharp gaze swept the room briefly before locking onto hers
For a moment, their eyes held. His expression was unreadable, and yet it carried a weight that made Nora’s
heart clench
Without a word, they looked away simultaneously, as if the moment had never happened.
As Arnold passed by her, the faintest hint of his scent wanted through the air familiar, warm, and undeniably
Linda's.
The bond in Nora's abdomen tightened painfully, a physical manifestation of emotions she had tried so hard to
suppress
n
*Why does it still hurt?” she thought bitterly, clutching the edge of the counter for support. “Why does it feel like
I'm still tethered to something that no longer exists?”
Her wolf Lena’s soothing voice echoed in Nora's mind, firm yet reassuring.
#This is it, Nora. The last day of the handover. The next tyou see him will likely be at the divorce ceremony
at the werewolf council You can handle this »
Nora exhaled deeply, nodding to herself as if solidifying Lena’s words.
The thought of finality gave her an odd mix of relief and emptiness, but she pushed it aside.
By late afternoon, BETA Cody approached her, his expression neutral but his tone unusually soft.
The handoff is complete, Miss Nora. You don’t need to return to the office tomorrow,” he informed her, handing
over a finalized document.
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