I walked into the office as usual and went straight to work. However, I didn’t realize that my poor attempt to cope made the others uncomfortable.
That afternoon, Beta Ryker told me Alpha Lycus wanted to see me. I quickly dropped everything and headed for the door, but Beta Ryker stopped me.
“Wait.”
I looked back and waited for an order but I got an apology from someone who hadn’t hurt me one bit.
“I’m sorry about what happened, Diana. Don’t hold back and tell me if you need anything, okay?” Beta Ryker said, and his sincerity made me hate Axel even more.
His uncle wasn’t even at fault but he still had the sense to apologize while Axel had the audacity to yell at me.
I felt my wall crumbling, so before I let myself be vulnerable, I swiftly brushed him off with a nod and marched to the Alpha’s office.
Just as I raised my hand to knock on Alpha Lycus’s door, his gravelly voice echoed in my mind. “Come in.”
Inside, the room was thick with the scent of smoke. He stood by the window, a cigarette in hand, the ember glowing faintly against the dusky light. His sharp gaze was fixed in the garden below, where pups darted about, their laughter carrying through the air.