Chapter 20
159words
The first year after I left, he got engaged.
The bride, surprisingly, wasn't Vivienne but Dorian's cousin Evelyn Hartley.
A few years younger than us, used to sweetly call out to us.
Year by year, Alaric transformed from rebellious heir to Thornfield Pack's formidable Alpha.
I returned to Brighton, bought a small place, and lived quietly off my artwork.
Second year, Dorian came too.
He'd started a company, expanding into southern markets.
We met for dinner.
"How are you settling in here?"
I smiled. "Can't you tell? I've put on a few pounds."
Dorian smiled back.
Eventually he mentioned he'd bought a flat in my building, just downstairs.
"Business expansion—need to be based here for a few years. Hope you'll look after me."
I wondered if it was truly coincidence.
In his car that day, I'd made it perfectly clear—
I would never step back into werewolf circles again.
