Letting My Mate Have a Taste of His Own Medicine

Harper's POV

The next day, after getting ready, I decided to head to the market to buy some groceries. But as I opened the door, I froze. A neatly wrapped breakfast sat on the ground, an unwelcome reminder of the person who refused to leave me alone.

It wasn’t hard to guess who had placed it there. Otis. Again.

I picked up the breakfast with a sigh, heading downstairs. As I passed by the trash can, I didn’t hesitate to toss it in. I wasn’t hungry for his empty gestures.

But as I looked up, I saw him—Otis, standing right in front of me, his expression dark and brooding. His presence was like a storm cloud hanging over my day.

He was here again. How I wished the guards would stop letting him through. But as long as our bond remained, it was impossible to keep him away.

"You threw away the breakfast I bought for you," he said, his voice tinged with displeasure and a flicker of anger. His deep orange eyes bore into me, searching for a reaction.

"I told you," I replied coolly, "I don’t like what you say or what you give."

I tried to walk past him, but his hand shot out, gripping my arm. “Harper, are you still in a mood?”

"Am I in a mood?" I echoed, meeting his gaze with icy calm. "Didn’t you always dismiss me like this before? Always thought I was just being temperamental?"

Otis had a serious stomach condition, something the pack healer constantly warned him about. To help, I’d spent hours learning to prepare the perfect nutritious meals for him. I’d hoped to ease his discomfort, to show him how much I cared. But none of those meals ever touched his lips.

If I hadn’t accidentally seen him giving those meals to Novaria, I would’ve been none the wiser, still blindly making them for him, thinking I was helping.

Otis hesitated, his silence betraying him. Finally, he said, “She’s physically weak. She needs the nutritious meals more than I do.”

"Really?" I scoffed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "One with a stomach problem, the other physically weak—you two are quite a match."

I had no more time to waste on him. Shaking off his hand, I walked away, my heart hardening with each step.

I focused on the more important things in my life, ignoring the barrage of messages he sent. Every gift, every meal he tried to send my way—I returned them unopened, untouched.

When my old friends found out I had returned, they invited me out, and I didn’t hesitate. I laughed, I danced, I did whatever I wanted. Without Otis and Novaria hanging over me like a dark cloud, my troubles were reduced to a fraction of what they were before. What remained was the pure, simple joy of being alone, of being free.

But just as I was beginning to forget they even existed, my phone buzzed. It was Jovan.

“Harper, when are you coming? We’re all waiting here, just missing you.”

I frowned, confused. “Waiting for me? Why?”

“Isn’t it you and Otis who are treating us to dinner? Hurry up and get here. We’re waiting for you.”

He hung up before I could respond, sending me an address immediately after.

For a moment, I stood there, torn between the desire to move on and the need to confront this lingering pain. Maybe it was time to clarify things once and for all, to take a clean break.

I shifted into my wolf form, sprinting towards the Gravetooth Canines Pack. The wind rushed past me, the world blurring as I ran. The guards at the border recognized my scent and let me through without a word. Following the address Jovan sent, I found myself standing in front of a shop I’d once mentioned to Otis.

I’d wanted to try this place for ages, curious if the food was as good as the rumors. But Otis always claimed he was too busy, so I never got the chance to come.

Pushing open the door, I spotted Jovan’s seat, but before I could step inside, his voice reached my ears.

"Harper has quite the temper, doesn’t she? We had to call her again and again before she finally agreed to come. Otis has humbled himself, yet she still won’t give him the time of day. She’s really spoiled."

They hadn’t caught my scent yet. Novaria’s soft chuckle followed, laced with that infuriating sweetness she always used. "Girls are like that—a bit of a temper is normal. Harper’s just too insecure and doesn’t quite trust Otis. She’ll come around eventually."

"In my opinion, you and Otis are a better match," Jovan continued. "If only he didn't encounter Harper, you’d be the one by Otis’s side now."

Something inside me snapped. The pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place. So Otis had feelings for Novaria all along. My suspicions were right.

No wonder he was so unconditionally tolerant of her. She wasn’t just a friend—she was the one he truly wanted, the one he adored.

Jus then, Otis’s voice came from behind me. “Go on in. Don’t just stand there.”

I turned to face him, clutching my bag tightly, my heart pounding in my chest. “What do you want me to go in for? To hear you announce your new romance?”