The news was met with great celebration, even if it was slightly dampened by the oppressive air of the war. I wasn’t sure how Ifelt about it, but Micah had stopped bothering me, so I decided it was a win.
Dylan had also stayed away from me since then, although I often caught him staring at me.
With the war assembly over, the majority of the pack members drifted toward the stands, where the letters sent from the front lines were delivered.
I stood stiffly, refusing to approach the stands, refusing to accept the fact that I was waiting.
Waiting for a letter from Alexander.
Waiting for the officials to finally call my name for the first time in two months.
I hated the way my heart raced and my fingers trembled as the names were called out.
I hated the way I knew the exact amount of days it had been since I woke up in Alexander’s empty bed, holding nothing but the fragments of memories from my heat.
Seventy-two days.
It had been exactly seventy-two days since I’d fallen asleep in the warmth of Alexander’s embrace, only to wake up cold and alone.
Maybe my fixation was just a result of my many unanswered questions.
For example, how was it possible for me to go into heat when we weren’t true mates?
I would’ve known if he was my true mate from our very first meeting, and so would Alexander. If he had, he wouldn’t have tried to drown me.
Right?
But more importantly, I wanted to ask him why he’d stayed. Why had he taken care of me throughout my heat, and why had he adamantly refused to consummate our bond?
I still harbored a passionate dislike for Alexander, yet I couldn’t get him out of my head.
Especially my memories of those moments during my heat when he’d looked at me with softness in his eyes and acted like he cared.
That was why I was waiting like a fool.
Waiting on a letter from a wolf who probably wasn’t even thinking of the mate he’d never wanted when he had hisbest friendAnastasia fighting at his side.
I didn’t realize my palm was bleeding from my claws digging into it until Seraphina placed her hand over mine, an empathetic look in her eyes.
“Hey,” she said, her voice pitched low. “He’ll write to you soon. I know it.”
No, he wouldn’t.
The official had finished calling out the names and once again, there was no letter for me.
“It doesn’t matter.” I shrugged.
It wasn’t like I cared if he wrote to me or not.
“Of course it does.” Seraphina shook her head. “You’re mates, Eleanor. I know my brother has many flaws, but he’d never hurt his mate like this.”
But Seraphina didn’t know that Alexander had never seen me as his mate.
I pulled my hand out of Seraphina’s grasp, annoyed at the riot of emotions swirling inside me just because I hadn’t gotten a silly letter from a sillier wolf.
“I’m going for a run,” I said curtly. “I’ll see both of you later.”
I didn’t wait for Seraphina or West to respond before I headed out, eager to put Alexander out of my mind.