After leaving the healer’s cabin, I saw Jake. He had matured a lot over the past three years.
At the very least, when he saw me, he no longer looked at me with disgust as he did before.
“You disappeared for three years without a word, Sienna. That’s pretty bold of you.”
His tone then softened slightly.
“Come home with me. Mom and Dad really miss you.”
I was planning to go home anyway, so I got in the car with him.
When we pulled up to the house, we saw Laura standing outside with Anne.
For some reason, they hadn’t gone inside.
The moment Jake’s car rolled into the driveway, Laura rushed over.
“Jake, let me explain, it wasn’t me! Please don’t make us leave.”
When she saw me stepping out of the car, a look of shock crossed her face.
“You? What are you doing back? You walked out without a second thought, now what? Crawling back like a leech?”
Her voice was filled with resentment. It sounded as if she might lunge at me any second and
tear me apart.
Jake stepped in front of me and blocked her path. His voice was cold as ice.
“Get lost! This is Sienna’s home. She can come back whenever she wants. What does that have
to do with you? You have nothing to do with this family anymore.”
He called for the maids to throw Laura and Anne out. He then personally opened the door for
me and ushered me inside.
As he nudged me in, he explained, “Not long after you left, Laura tried to get Drew to marry her. When he came over for dinner, her mother spiked his food with a pheromone enhancer, but it was mistakenly served to Eliza instead. She ended up in the healer’s cabin for a full week.
“When the truth came out, Eliza had the cook, Laura, and her daughter thrown out for good.”
With no blood ties to keep them connected, and now with added resentment, Laura was nothing more than a stranger to them now.
Inside the house, my parents were waiting in the living room to greet me.
This time, there wasn’t a single word of blame.
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Chapter 9
+25 Bonus
Instead, their eyes had a look of concern I had never seen before.
Dinner was already prepared and still warm.
Eliza even picked up some food and placed it on my plate for the first time. When I looked up at her, she blushed and quickly turned away, trying to act casual.
“I heard you went to see Drew. That young man’s been through a lot these past three years. It’s all because of you.”
Dad set his fork down and made a direct announcement.
“Now that you’re back, we should go ahead and hold the marking ceremony.”
“There’s no need. I’ve already found my mate,” I replied.
Everyone looked stunned. They all knew how deep my feelings for Drew had once run. It didn’t seem like something I’d let go of easily.
“I came back this time just to attend the marking ceremony with my mate. I’ll be leaving in a few days.”
Jake lost it. He snapped at me.
“Do you even know what Drew went through to find you? He’s lying in the healer’s cabin right now because of you! And now you’re just going to dump him and run off with someone else?”
I didn’t understand. Drew and I were over a long time ago.
His injury was the result of his own recklessness and pride.
Why should I be responsible for that?
I didn’t want to argue. I got up and headed upstairs.
After the marking ceremony, Peter and I would return to Northvale together.
By then, I would cut ties with all of them for good.
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