Begging me to Come Back? No Way!

Arriving at my office, I opened the door to find breakfast laid out neatly on my desk. The sight of it made my heart clench—how many times had I tried to win him over with similar gestures? I didn’t need to wonder who had placed it there. The familiarity of the situation was almost nauseating. Without a second thought, I picked up the tray and headed for the door, my movements deliberate.

As I passed by the trash can, I tossed the breakfast inside, my actions filled with a finality that startled even me. The clatter of porcelain echoed in the hallway just as Alpha Haynes appeared, his face clouded with anger and disbelief.

"You threw away the breakfast I bought for you," he said, his tone heavy with frustration. His eyes, once so familiar, now felt like they were piercing through me, demanding an explanation.

"I’ve told you before, Alpha," I replied coolly, meeting his gaze without flinching, "I don’t want what you have to offer anymore."

His hand shot out, gripping my arm with a force that would have once made my heart race. Now, it only made me feel trapped. "Aeliana, why the hell are you still acting up?" His voice held an edge of desperation as if he couldn’t comprehend why I was pulling away.

"Acting up?" I repeated, my voice calm yet laced with the bitterness I had kept suppressed for so long. "Is that what you think this is? Just a tantrum? You’ve always seen it that way, haven’t you? You thought I was just being difficult, never once considering that maybe, just maybe, you were the one in the wrong."

He opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "Do you even know how many nights I spent learning to cook, trying to make meals you’d enjoy? And do you know where they ended up? In front of Leila, because she’s ‘weak’ and needs them more than you."

His grip loosened slightly, a flicker of something like guilt passing through his eyes, but it was quickly masked by the stubbornness I had come to know all too well. "She’s not like you," he said defensively. "You’re strong, Aeliana, you have Lycan blood. Leila…she’s different. She needed those meals more."

I let out a mirthless laugh. "Of course. One is strong, and one is weak. You two really are quite a match." I pulled my arm free from his grasp, the finality in my voice leaving no room for argument. "I don’t have time for this, Alpha. I have work to do."

I walked away from him without looking back, focusing all my attention on the tasks ahead. The phone calls, the messages, the mind-links—each one was ignored, severed before they could reach me.

The only odd thing was that my wolf, who should have been writhing in discomfort from the distance between us, remained silent and unaffected. It was like this from the very start, as if she never felt any mate pull when between us, it should be her that should be affected the most.

Days turned into weeks, the gifts, the meals—everything the Alpha sent was returned unopened, and with each rejection, I felt a little more like myself again. I almost forgot about them entirely until Beta Ark called me.

"Luna Aeliana, when are you coming? We're all waiting here. The gathering is incomplete without our Luna." His voice, dripping with mock politeness, reminded me of the role I was supposed to play.

"Waiting for me? Why?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Isn’t it you and Alpha Haynes supposed to be here with the delegations from other packs? This is important for alliances your previous pack could not even give. Please, participate in this. Hurry up and come over. Everyone’s waiting for you." He ended the call abruptly, leaving me with little choice but to comply. His text followed quickly, telling me which villa they were using.

Reluctantly, I made my way to the southern part of the territory, where the delegations were being hosted. The villa was grand and designed to impress. A wolf guard led me to the private room, and as I approached, I heard voices inside.

"Luna Aeliana has quite the temper, doesn’t she? We had to call her again and again before she finally agreed to come. She might have thought she was still some princess from Bloodmoon Pack, but Shadowveil is different. Can you believe it? After the grand banquet incident for Leila, Alpha Haynes has humbled himself, yet the Luna still won’t give him the time of day. She’s really spoiled back in her own pack; she thought we would tolerate her here." Beta Ark’s voice was unmistakable, his words biting and filled with disdain.

Leila’s soft laughter followed. "Girls are like that, a bit of a temper is normal. Luna Aeliana is just too insecure, not quite trusting Alpha Haynes. She’ll come around eventually."

"Honestly," another voice chimed in, "you and Alpha Haynes are a better match. If it weren’t for your focus on your dreams back then, you’d be the one by Alpha Haynes’s side now! I still remember visiting Shadowveil Pack in the past, and you two really were a match made in heaven! I was shocked when I found out Alpha Haynes... well, you know."

The truth hit me like a physical blow. So, this was it. This was why Haynes was so forgiving, so tolerant of Leila’s every whim. She wasn’t just a childhood friend; she was the one he had always wanted, the one he had never truly let go of.

The door creaked open from behind, and I stiffened, turning to see Haynes standing there, his expression unreadable. "Why are you still there? Go on in," he said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. "Don’t just stand there."

I met his gaze, the weight of everything I had just heard pressing down on me. "What do you want me to go in for?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "To hear you announce your new romance?"