Begging me to Come Back? No Way!

Leila's timid gaze pierced through the tense atmosphere, casting me as the villain. Her innocent act never failed to sway the room. But I wasn’t about to let that narrative take hold tonight.

“How could I be angry?” I forced a calm smile, my voice was soft yet firm. “Please, enjoy your meal. I just remembered some unfinished work for the full moon ceremony next month. I’ll take my leave.”

As I stood, preparing to go, Beta Ark’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “Come on, Luna Aeliana, are you still upset about Alpha Haynes setting off a grand banquet for Leila?”

His words were drenched in provocation, and I could feel the eyes of the room bearing down on me, waiting for my reaction. It was a trap—one I’d walked into too many times before. Before I could respond, Leila spoke up, her voice dripping with feigned sincerity.

“I’m sorry, Luna. I was just so sad back then, and Alpha Haynes only wanted to cheer me up.” She turned to him with a look of false remorse. “Alpha Haynes, you should apologize to Luna Aeliana.”

Haynes frowned, his confusion palpable. “I just set up a banquet. Why should I apologize?”

His words froze the room, the tension hanging heavy in the air. Leila smiled subtly from where she sat, a victorious glint in her eyes. It was a silent declaration—a reminder of who held his heart now. It was laughable, really.

The person who had wronged me was so blissfully unaware of his doings. Just like before, he couldn’t see beyond his own pride.

He always thought he could just appease me with a few kind words and move on as if I were a child to be pacified. But I wasn’t that same girl who once believed in his every word. I met his gaze, my smile holding a trace of mockery. “Yes, you’re right, Alpha. The grand banquet was quite a spectacle. Keep it up next time.”

I turned and left without another word, my heels clicking against the polished floor, echoing in the silence that followed. As the door closed behind me, I heard Leila’s voice, sweet and coaxing. “Alpha Haynes, go apologize quickly. Luna Aeliana is obviously angry.”

“Don’t mind her,” Haynes replied, his voice dismissive. “She’ll be fine in a few days.”

His words stabbed at me like a knife. What had I done to make him so confident that I’d always come back, that I’d always forgive? Was it love? Or was it the weakness of a bond that was never as strong as it should have been?

I stepped out into the night, the cool autumn breeze washing over me, a contrast to the suffocating atmosphere I’d just escaped. The streets of the Shadowveil Pack’s territory were alive with the hum of conversation, the laughter of pack members, and the rustling of leaves underfoot. Yet all I felt was a growing emptiness.

The truth was before Leila had returned to the pack, Haynes and I had been happy. We were inseparable, our hands intertwined as if letting go would mean losing each other forever. Even though my wolf had always been distant, aloof to him despite the mate pull, I was content. Happy, even, with him by my side.

So, why did things have to change? What went wrong?

As I walked, my breath grew heavy, each inhale more labored than the last. I couldn’t shake the feeling of suffocation.

When I finally reached the villa, I felt a strange sense of relief wash over me. I had barely stepped inside when my phone buzzed. Haynes.

[Have you arrived home?]

I stared at the message, my thumb hovering over the screen. But what was there to say? I let the phone slip into my pocket without replying. A few minutes later, another message came through, the tone more insistent.

[Everyone didn’t have a good meal because of you today, especially the Elders. Let’s invite them to dinner another day.]

My grip tightened around the phone, frustration bubbling up inside me. How could he not see what he was doing? How could he not see how deeply he was cutting me with every careless word, every thoughtless action?

The buzzing of the phone stopped in silence as Haynes switched to mind-linking me directly, his voice insistent in my head. I severed the connection immediately, closing my eyes to block out his voice.

I was done listening. Done waiting for things to change.