Piss Off, Alpha! You Lost Me Forever

SOPHIA'S POV

Dinner at my parents' house always smelled like home.

My father sat at the head of the table with my mother beside him. My brother, Marco, and his wife, Patricia, were there too. She had their daughter, Klara bouncing excitedly on her lap.

I hadn't been surrounded by this much warmth in years. It felt almost too good.

The laughter around the table made me smile.

We ate slowly, talking over each other like we always did.

My wolf lay curled peacefully inside me, something she'd never been able to do at the pack house or even at Damien's private villa.

Here, she didn't have to brace for Damien's alpha aura or Helen's harsh voice. Here, she could breathe.

Halfway through the meal, while sipping hot broth, I realized I couldn't hold it in anymore. They deserved to know the truth. And I needed to say it out loud, to finally claim my freedom.

I set my spoon down. "I have something to tell you."

Every head lifted. My father's brows furrowed.

"Sophia? You're pale. Did something happen?"

I inhaled deeply. "I'm divorcing Damien."

Forks froze mid-air. Even the old wall clock seemed to stop ticking. Everyone was silent. They stared at me in shock for a while.

Patricia blinked hard. "Wait, what? You're serious?"

Marco leaned forward. "You're leaving the Royal family? For real?"

My mother covered her mouth with her hand. "Sophia."

I nodded. "Yes. I can't do it anymore. The insults, the pressure, the expectations. they don't see me. They never did. And I'm giving up custody of Ashley"

My father's chair scraped loudly as he stood. "You're giving up custody?"

His voice wasn't angry, just shocked.

I looked down at my hands. "Ashley doesn't want me. She's made that clear for a long time. And they'll never allow me to raise her outside the estate. She'll be happier with them."

The silence that followed felt heavy, but not suffocating. It was just full of disbelief.

Then Patricia exhaled loudly and slapped her hand on the table. "Finally!"

I looked at her in shock. "Huh?"

She grinned. "Sophia, we've all been waiting for the day you'd come to your senses. That family drained you dry! You used to glow, now you look like an old soul stuck in a twenty-something-year-old's body."

She nudged Marco. "Tell her."

Marco raised his cup. "Honestly? I thought you'd keep suffering forever. I'm glad you're done."

My mother blinked tears away but she smiled. "Sweetheart, we just want you happy. If this is your choice, we stand with you."

My father nodded slowly. "You were never meant to be a servant, Sophia. Not even to an Alpha."

And just like that, the heaviness I'd been carrying cracked open. Laughter followed. They cheered me up with their words. They even made jokes about how I should find a nice local wolf, maybe even someone who actually used the word please.

Klara wrapped her tiny arms around my shoulders and shouted, "Auntie is free!"

I couldn't stop laughing. For the first time in years, my heart felt light. My wolf even wagged her tail.

Just as I reached for another piece of grilled fish, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, expecting maybe Laurel to be the one calling but the caller ID froze my blood.

Damien.

A chill slid down my spine. He never called me unless something was wrong. My wolf lifted her head instantly.

I stepped away from the table and answered.

"Hello?"

His voice came harshly. "Where the hell are you?"

I frowned. "Why? What happened?"

"It's Ashley." His breathing was uneven, frantic in a way I'd never heard from him since Ashley was a baby. "She ate mango at the mall. She's in the hospital. Allergic reaction."

My heart raced "What? She's allergic to that. How severe?"

"She couldn't breathe," he snapped. "Get to the hospital. Now."

The call ended abruptly.

I didn't have time to think. I grabbed my coat, barely managing to keep my voice steady as I shouted into the dining room, "Ashley's in the hospital. I have to go."

Patricia dropped her chopsticks. "I am coming with you."

Klara was already pulling on her tiny slippers. "Me too!"

The three of us rushed out the door.

I could feel my wolf sprinting ahead of me emotionally. I felt her instinct to protect overriding everything else. Damien might have wronged me but Ashley was still my daughter.

When we reached the hospital, the smell hit me first.

Then the sight of Ashley lying on the bed, pale and exhausted, made me weak. She had a small oxygen mask resting beside her.

I moved to her side immediately. "Ashley."

Her eyes opened. I felt relieved..until her expression froze into something cold.

"Oh. It's you." She muttered.

I swallowed. "Are you okay? Does your chest still hurt? Your throat?"

She turned her face away. "Why are you even here? You didn't come for me today. Or yesterday. Or ever."

My throat tightened. "Ashley-"

Klara stepped forward, crossing her arms. "Hey! That's not fair! Auntie Sophia takes care of you all the time. You are the one who doesn't appreciate her and just because she didn't come yesterday you don't get mad at her."

Ashley's lip trembled. "You don't know anything. She doesn't like me."

"I do," I whispered, but my voice sounded small "I love you so much."

"No you don't!" she cried, tears spilling. "Tiffany loves me. You don't show up. You don't care. You disappeared!"

Patricia opened her mouth, furious. "Ashley-"

But before she could continue, the door opened and Damien walked in.

He looked at Ashley first. He saw her crying and his entire face hardened. Then he turned to me with a glare.

"What did you do to her?" he asked me.

I rose slowly. "Damien-"

"You disappear for days, and now she's crying the moment you walk in."

Ashley sniffed, still upset. "Daddy. Tiffany wouldn't have let me get sick."

Damien clenched his teeth and threw the dagger without hesitation. "Maybe because Tiffany is a better mother than you'll ever be."

Something inside me went still. Completely still. My wolf whimpered inside me.

I nodded. "You're right."

Damien gasped. "Sophia-"

I gently placed my hand on Ashley's blanket. "But since Tiffany is the better mother. tell me something." I looked directly at Damien. "Did either of you know Ashley is allergic to mangoes?"

He stopped. He blinked repeatedly. He looked so confused.

Ashley looked between us, sniffling. "Daddy didn't know?"

I continued. I kept my voice calm and professional, even though my heart felt like it was tearing.

"She has multiple dietary restrictions. No mango. No red food dye. No tree nuts. She hates strawberries unless you slice them thin. She gets itchy when she eats too much bread. She can only sleep with a night-light shaped like a moon."

They both stared at me.

I added softly, "You never asked. You never noticed."

Damien's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue.

I stepped back from the bed, smoothing Ashley's hair gently. "She'll be fine now. Don't give her anything except warm broth tonight. And make sure the nurses check her oxygen levels every two hours."

I turned to Patricia and Klara. "Let's go."

Ashley whispered behind me, "Soph. Mom. are you coming back?"

My heart twisted but I didn't turn around.

"No," I said quietly. "Not anymore."

With that, I walked out of the hospital, cutting the last fragile thread tying me to Damien and his family.