"Ayla’s throwing another tantrum. She can’t stand not being the center of attention."
Laughter echoed through the link, and then my mother’s voice joined in, cold and cruel.
"Ayla, stop embarrassing yourself. Apologize to Lukas. He’s been patient enough."
I severed the link, my chest tight with fury. My mother. She had never been on my side—not when my father left, not when Lukas started abusing me. She only cared about appearances, about keeping her status in the pack.
The Blood Moon hung high, casting eerie shadows over the forest. As I walked back to my den, I made a decision. I wouldn’t be anyone’s pawn anymore.
But fate wasn’t done with me.
When I opened my den’s door, the familiar scent hit me first. Celeste’s perfume. Inside, the sight made me freeze. The bed I’d shared with Lukas was in disarray, sheets tangled and stained with betrayal. On the nightstand sat a single black envelope, sealed with the Alpha’s crest.
I ripped it open, my heart racing. The letter was brief, written in Lukas’s cold, commanding hand:
"Ayla,