They Sent Me Away. I Never Came Back. novel Chapter 2

Before I left Blood Moon Pack, I decided to return everything that belonged to them.

When Rowan was twelve, he won his first junior-wolf combat tournament.

He shoved the medal into my hands afterward and told me a future Beta couldn't afford to lose the first honor he'd ever earned, so I had to keep it safe for him.

When I arrived at the training hall with the medal, Rowan was assembling a dorm bed frame for Lyra.

A new mattress, a desk lamp, blankets, and more than a dozen unopened boxes were piled beside him.

The moment he saw me, he smiled as if he'd been expecting me.

“I knew we weren't actually going to fall apart over something this small.”

I held out the medal.

“Take it back.”

Rowan froze.

“Why? Just keep it like you always have.”

“I'm leaving Blood Moon tomorrow. I may not get another chance to return it.”

He casually tossed the medal into a box of spare hardware.

“You're just going to Frostland early. It's not like you're disappearing forever. Stop making it sound like some final goodbye.”

Then he pointed toward the luggage near the door.

“Perfect timing. Help Lyra carry those boxes upstairs.”

“No.”

His expression stiffened.

For a second, he looked genuinely surprised that I had refused him outright.

Lyra immediately stepped in.

“It's fine. I'll do it myself. Aria's still angry with us.”

“This has nothing to do with me being angry.”

I looked at Rowan.

“You prepared her things. You carry them.”

I turned and walked away.

Behind me, Rowan's irritated voice followed.

“Since when won't she even help with something this small?”

That afternoon, I found Julian in Blood Moon's pack archives and placed the tactical competition manuscripts he'd stored at my house on the desk in front of him.

He didn't pick them up.

“Rowan said you gave his medal back too.”

“Yes.”

“And now you're returning these.”

His eyes studied me carefully.

“Aria, what exactly are you doing?”

“Getting rid of things that don't belong with me anymore.”

Julian's brows slowly drew together.

For the first time, he seemed to sense that something was wrong.

Before he could say anything else, Lyra walked over carrying her Moonvale enrollment forms.

“Julian, can you check my course schedule for me? I'm scared I'll choose the wrong classes.”

His attention shifted to her immediately.

“Let me see.”

Lyra sat down beside him.

Before Julian opened the forms, he glanced at me one more time.

“Stop using pointless gestures like this to make your displeasure known. We can talk after you've calmed down.”

He had already noticed that I was saying goodbye.