Chapter 3

In my previous life, shortly after Eve's death, he came home drunk. All I did was told him to stop drinking, yet he went wild and shoved me into the stone wall.

I couldn't keep my balance at all. My forehead slammed hard against the cold surface, and blood immediately streamed down my face.

But Ryan just stood there, his golden eyes cold. "It hurts, huh? So you do know what pain feels like. When Eve was buried under all that snow, she didn't even have a chance to fight back. Do you really think you can imagine how shattered she must have felt?"

I froze. There was nothing but hatred in his eyes.

He slowly walked toward me. The oppression radiating from him was so intense that it suffocated me.

"If it weren't for you, she never would've died on that mountain! Celine, don't pretend to be innocent—this was all your fault!"

My face was covered in blood, and my lips were pale. I stared in disbelief at the man who once swore to protect me.

I propped myself up with some difficulty and said through gritted teeth, "Ryan, it was you who told me to leave first—it was you who took me with you! And it was also your decision to leave Eve behind!"

"Shut up!" Ryan roared, slamming me onto the cold stone slab. His eyes had already gone bloodshot. "She grew up with me—she's the Omega I wanted to protect the most! Why couldn't it be you who died in the mountains?"

I screeched, "Instead of blaming the avalanche—or yourself for not staying in the pod and waiting for rescue—you're pinning it on me? You don't hate me—you're just a coward! You use your hatred against me to wash away your pitiful guilt and shame!"

"You clearly have a death wish!" Ryan suddenly grabbed my throat and squeezed it hard enough that I could hardly breathe.

But I laughed, using what remaining strength I had to mock him. "Ryan, you hate me, right? So go ahead and kill me to pay for her life! Do it if you have the guts!"

Emotions surged in his eyes. He loosened his grip, and I collapsed to the ground.

From that moment on, our relationship hit rock bottom. I never shed another tear, and he never showed me any tenderness again.

…

At this moment, Vincent was holding me gently and carefully wrapping the cloak around me, as if I were fragile.

I froze, my eyes suddenly stinging with warmth. A wave of hurt washed over me.

The humiliation, pain, and regret from my past life all weighed heavily on my heart. But this sudden, unexpected tenderness easily pried it all open.

"There, there. I'll take you home as soon as your treatment is done." His voice was low and hoarse, but with a restrained gentleness.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Alpha, you mentioned saving someone. Is that the one?"

A tall, lean man entered, wearing a thick cloak. It seemed that he was the pack's healer, specializing in emergency medical care for snow mountain rescues.

"Yes, she's severely frostbitten. You came just in time."

The healer knelt and immediately began checking my fingertips and the back of my knees. The moment he touched me, I flinched instantly, and my back muscles tightened instinctively.

"She's injured quite badly," the healer said, pulling out a vial of medicine and applying it to my frostbitten legs. He then quickly massaged it in.

The burning pain hit me all at once. I gritted my teeth, refusing to let out a sound. I didn't want to appear weak in front of strangers, after all.

The next thing I knew, Vincent took my hands. His palms were warm, just like a ball of fire. He didn't say anything—all he did was quietly hold my trembling hands in place.

I accidentally scratched his hands due to the pain. "Sorry."

Vincent didn't respond. Instead, he gently pulled me into his arms and wrapped the cloak around me again.

Once the healer finished treating my wounds, he nodded to indicate that I was no longer in immediate danger. Then, he left.

Silence settled over the room. The howling winds outside didn't sound as sharp anymore.

Vincent sat beside me and said in a low voice, "It has stopped snowing. I'll take you back to your pack."

It was probably selfish of me, but I suddenly didn't want to go back to my pack.

After all, my parents were rarely home. Even when they were, they wouldn't bother to ask where I was. Given their personalities, they probably wouldn't notice if I went missing for a month.

As for Ryan, he was probably with Eve. After so many years, his feelings for her remained deep and unwavering.

In my previous life, I’d been his mate for eight years. But he never once took me to any ceremonies.

He had leveraged my family's influence to rise to the position of the Alpha of the pack. And yet, he treated me with cold indifference, stripping me of my dignity behind my back.

When others inquired about my identity, he would just say, "She's not important."

This time, I was going to let them have their happily ever after. I didn't care anymore.

I turned to Vincent. "I don't have anywhere to go. Can you let me stay with you for a few days? I promise I won't be a burden."

He stared at me for a long time. Finally, he slowly said, "Sure."

Since I had been out in the snow for so long, I was nearly drained of all energy to the point I could barely walk. Having noticed my discomfort, Vincent immediately scooped me into his arms.

"I'll carry you." Vincent held me tightly, his steps steady.

Just as I began to feel drowsy, I suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Celine? Is that really you?"

It was Ryan, who was leading the pack's search and rescue team. They found this place while they were searching for me.

"Are you alright, Celine?"

I gently squirmed out of Vincent's embrace before looking up at Ryan.

"Do I look like there's something wrong with me? Or are you hoping that there is?" I retorted, my tone utterly calm.