Chapter 3
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When evening came, Julian had a car take them to the restaurant. The three of them rode together, Julian in the middle. He was extremely attentive to Grace, adjusting the air conditioning, getting her a blanket, and opening her water bottle. Shelly sat to his left, watching them talk. She turned her head and stared out the window.“All the things he’s doing for her,” she said to Phoebe in her mind.“Didn’t he use to do them for you, too?”
Phoebe was full of jealousy.“She’ll be abandoned one day as well! Julian doesn’t deserve a mate!”
Shelly couldn’t help but smile. Whatever happened between them had nothing to do with her.
Halfway there, a storm broke. It was raining hard. The road was dark, and a car in front had its high beams on. Going downhill, the driver was blinded and crashed into the guardrail.
Bang!
The moment danger struck, Julian wrapped his arms around Grace, shielding her. The car window shattered. Shelly was even closer to the window. She was hit by flying glass and covered in blood before she could even react.
A sharp, searing pain spread through her body.
Through a haze of pain, she saw the right car door open. Julian, anxious and frantic, carried Grace out, calling the hospital and comforting her.
He seemed to have forgotten Shelly was even in the car.
When the ambulance arrived, the doctor suggested treating the most injured patient first. Julian barely hesitated.
Shelly was lying in a pool of blood, while Grace was shaking in his arms.
He chose Grace.
Shelly watched the car disappear into the rain. Her vision blurred. The tears she’d been holding back finally fell, warm against the cold rain.
Julian, oh Julian. Two decades of my feelings meant nothing compared to a single glance from her.
Unable to hold her human form, she shifted. Phoebe pushed open the twisted car door and stumbled onto the ground. Glass was embedded in her body.
A shard had almost severed her front leg. Her fur was matted with blood.
She looked so frail. Shelly’s eyelids grew heavy. The pain began to fade. She didn’t manage to wait for the next ambulance.
Everything went black.
She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she woke up to voices.
Her mother was patting her chest, her voice full of worry and relief.“Thank the Moon Goddess, Shelly, you’re finally awake! It’s a good thing the ambulance got here in time. You lost so much blood. We were so worried the hospital wouldn’t have enough. You were all in one car. How did the Miller girl only get a scratch, but you’re so badly injured?”
Her father sighed with relief, taking a sip of water.“That’s because Julian was protecting her. True love is revealed in times of adversity. The girl was incredibly moved. I just went to visit him next door, and Julian was feeding her porridge. Just by the way they look at each other, I bet they are already together.”
Shelly listened quietly. When they finished, she spoke. Her voice was hoarse.“How long have I been out? Have the papers for moving been completed?”
“You’ve been asleep for two days! You scared us to death!”
“Don’t worry about the paperwork. It’ll be done in about twenty days. Just focus on your recovery.”
Less than a month left. A sense of relief and liberation washed over her.
Over the next few days, Shelly heard snippets from nurses about Julian’s devotion to Grace.
He stayed by her side, not leaving for a second. He worried when she coughed, fetching hot water from the nurse. He tested the temperature of all her medicine and brought her candies to get rid of the bitter taste.
To keep her from being bored in the hospital, he found all kinds of things to cheer her up.
Shelly listened silently, not saying a word. A nurse came to take her for a follow–up.
As she walked past the room next door, she saw Julian holding a huge bouquet of roses, confessing his love to Grace.
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“Grace, I fell in love with you eight years ago. Those encounters were never a coincidence. I remember all your preferences, and I know your dreams. I didn’t get a chance to tell you then, but now, would you give me a chance?”
His voice was filled with anticipation and nervousness. Shelly remembered Julian had been preparing this confession a month before Grace moved away. They had just missed each other then. But now, after a few years, he had gotten his wish.
Grace said, “I do.” Shelly smiled softly and walked into the exam room. She felt lucky he had rejected her. She wouldn’t have to feel the pain of his betrayal.
As she turned, a round of applause erupted. Julian turned his head and saw Shelly’s lonely figure. The smile on his face froze. His wolf felt a strange jolt of discomfort. But it only lasted a moment, quickly drowned out by happiness. He reached out and embraced Grace.
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Chapter 4
