Chapter 45
The cool night air bit at my cheeks, but the warmth of Astor’s hand in mine kept the chill away. We walked in comfortable silence, the path from the pack house back home.
“Tonight was great” Astor said, his voice soft, a genuine smile in his tone. He squeezed my hand gently.
I squeezed back. “It really was,” I agreed, meaning it more than he could ever know. Great was an understatement. It was probably the only Friday pack house dinner I’d truly enjoyed in the three years I’d been living here. For three long years, I’d sat at those tables, invisible.
I was a ghost, a shadow. All I ever got were quick glances, filled with pity or a silent understanding that I didn’t belong, that I wasn’t wanted. Every dinner was a reminder of my place: outside the circle, an outsider even among my own. But tonight felt like breathing again after holding my breath for so long.
Astor turned to me when we got home and he pulled me into a hug, a gentle,
had agreed to give him a chance, comforting embrace that I leaned into.
and if a hug was part of that, then there was no harm in it.
But then, as he pulled back slightly, his gaze dropped to my lips. My heart fluttered, but a warning bell went off in my head. He started to lean in, slowly,
expectantly.
My hand came up, a soft barrier between us. He stopped, confused. “Not yet, Astor,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, but firm.
He retreated fully, a flicker of hurt in his eyes. “Not yet?” he repeated, then looked around the hallway. “Are we ever going to get to a stage where we’ll share a room, Faith?”
His question stung, not because it was wrong, but he was rushing things” Astor,” I began, trying to keep my voice even. “I agreed to give you a chance a
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few days ago. Remember? You asked for a month.
And as far as I’m concerned,” I continued, my voice gaining a little more strength, “you’ve done the bare minimum. A few conversations, holding hands, a pack dinner where you finally acknowledged me. That doesn’t mean everything is okay between us. That doesn’t magically erase three years of feeling like nothing.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor. I waited for a moment, but he didn’t respond. With a weary sigh, I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there in the quiet hallway. My heart ached, a mix of disappointment and a strange sense of victory. I was holding my ground, protecting myself, even if it meant refusing the very thing I’d longed for for so long.
I went to my room, changed into my pjs and laid in bed, the silence of the night wrapping around me. Sleep eventually came.
The next morning I got up, showered, and then headed to the kitchen. Astor was still asleep, but I quietly started making breakfast – eggs, toast, and coffee. It was part of my routine, and despite everything, I still wanted to do it. It was a gesture, a small step in this new “chance” we were tiptoeing
around.
After eating a quick bite myself, I left a plate for Astor with a note, then headed out the door. My next stop was the pack house. After a big dinner, especially one that went late, I liked to make sure everything was cleaned perfectly. It was a habit, a way to contribute, even if it felt like my contributions often went unnoticed.
The pack house was usually bustling by now, but this morning it was quiet, the air still thick with the lingering scent of last night’s feast. Most of the pack was probably sleeping in. I walked through the main hall, checking the tables, then went to the kitchen. The cleaning crew had done a decent job, but I spotted a few missed spots, dried gravy on a counter, a sticky patch on
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Chapter 15
the floor. My hands instinctively reached for a cloth and detergent.
As I scrubbed at a particularly stubborn stain on the main kitchen island, a soft, melodic laugh echoed from the doorway. My heart sank. Alice.
She stood there, her hands cradling her gently swelling belly – Astor’s unborn child. Her blonde hair fell in perfect waves, her eyes sparkled, and her smile
was radiant.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Alice purred, not unkindly, but with a sweetness that always felt laced with poison. She wasn’t alone. Two other she–wolves, Lily and Clara, stood behind her, their expressions mirroring Alice’s subtle smirk. These two were always with Alice, always ready to back
her up.
kept scrubbing, pretending I didn’t hear her, pretending the familiar ache in my chest wasn’t growing.
“Still doing the dirty work, Faith?” Alice sneered, stepping forward a little. ” Some things never change, I guess.”
“You know,” she continued, her voice dropping, “it’s really quite sad. Astor’s just being kind, you know. He always had a soft spot for strays. But we both know where his heart truly lies. Especially now.” She gestured to her belly, a triumphant glint in her eyes. “He’s going to be a father. you know.”
My hands trembled, the cloth still in my grip. I usually have something to say to her but she is pregnant right now and I don’t want to stress her out or do something that might cause her to lose her baby.
“But don’t worry, Faith,” Clara chimed in, stepping closer, her voice sharp. “ We’ll always have a place for you. Someone has to clean up after us, right?”
I generally thought that everybody heard Astor when he said that people should start respecting me but for some reason Alice convinced them that it doesn’t apply to them.
Alice picked up a half–empty bottle of maple syrup from the counter,
leftovers from breakfast. She held it loosely, then, with a casual flick of her wrist, she let it tip. The sticky, amber liquid cascaded over my head, down my hair, my face, my clothes and it dripped into my eyes, stinging.
I gasped, my hands flying up to my face, trying to wipe it away, but only smearing it further. The syrupy sweetness turned into humiliation.
“Oops!” Alice exclaimed, a feigned shock on her face, but her eyes glittered with malicious glee. “How clumsy of me! Oh, Faith, you’re just covered in it, aren’t you? You always were a mess.”
Lily and Clara erupted in laughter, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed in the
vast kitchen.
Then, Alice’s hand, surprisingly strong, shoved me hard from behind. My feet, already slippery from the syrup that had dripped onto the floor, lost their grip. I stumbled, my arms flailing, and crashed to the ground, landing hard on my side. My head hit the tiled floor with a sickening thud, sending stars dancing before my eyes. Pain shot through my skull, and a warm trickle started from my temple. My hands instinctively went to my head.
“Why don’t you just stay down there, Faith?” Clara sneered. “It suits you. You’re good at being on the bottom.”
Then, a new voice, deep and commanding, ripped through the mocking laughter, silencing it instantly. “What in the Moon Goddess’s name is going
on here?!”
The kitchen fell silent. The laughter died in their throats. I heard gasps. I didn’t dare look up, convinced it was just another pack member who would join in the shaming or simply turn away.
But then, a shadow fell over me, not a menacing one, but one that offered cover. A strong hand, careful and gentle, touched my shoulder.
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“Are you alright?” the voice asked, concern facing every word, it was Alpha
Kyle.
I gathered my pride and i stood up.
I’m sorry you had to weakness that but my sister and I have a thing for games and this was just one of them.” said with my eyes burning straight to her and all of this took me back to when I first arrived at the eclipse pack.
she tormented me every single day and endured it but when I came here ! promised myself that I would be strong and I wouldn’t let her do what she did to me back there.
I could have said something and I could have done something if I wanted but I am back to that scared little girl again because of this baby on the way and I’m not sure I can handle it.
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