The Alpha’s Loss

I quickly ended the call, turning around with a blank expression. "Yeah, there’s a restaurant nearby that’s super popular," I lied smoothly. "You have to reserve it days in advance if you want to try the menu."

Zachary didn’t press the matter any further. He just pulled me along to a nearby hotel and booked us a suite. We worked side by side in silence, waiting for a client overseas to respond. Eventually, I couldn’t fight off the exhaustion any longer and fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up in bed, surprised to find myself tucked in. Zachary sat beside me, flipping through the financial section of the newspaper. He glanced at me as I stirred.

"Breakfast's on its way," he said, already calling room service.

Halfway through breakfast, Zachary suddenly asked, "Why’d you change your phone password?"

I didn’t even look up from my plate. "Felt like changing it," I replied casually.

The truth was, the old password was a combination of our birthdates. Since I was planning to leave, it didn’t make sense to keep it.

He set down his knife and fork, his tone shifting. "You were always asking me to run patrols with you, weren’t you? There’s a new territory nearby."

I knew there wasn’t an option to say no, not with the Beta skipping work. So I nodded.

As we patrolled the woods together, the image I’d once dreamed of played out before me—the two of us, running under the moonlight, side by side. But while it was happening for real, I was struggling to stay focused.

Zachary must’ve noticed. "This was your idea," he said. "You don’t want to be here?"

"It’s fine. It’s good," I replied, not even bothering to fake enthusiasm.

He pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly unconvinced. Just as he was about to say something, his phone buzzed.

Without a word to me, he stepped away.

The patrol ended, and Zachary still hadn’t returned. Annoyed, I was about to mind-link him when I heard a familiar, sickly-sweet voice in the distance.

"Oh, Zachary! You're so amazing!" Aria squealed.

I turned and saw her practically bouncing up and down, clutching a massive stuffed wolf as she leaped into Zachary’s arms, planting a kiss on his cheek. He held her by the legs, laughing softly, but the moment his eyes landed on me, his smile vanished.

"Harper! I didn’t know you were here too," Aria exclaimed, wide-eyed and pretending to be innocent. A few seconds later, she gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. "Oh no! Don’t get the wrong idea! I just got a little excited, that’s all..."

Zachary lightly tapped her on the nose, his tone playful. "What are you apologizing for?" he said, amused.

His arm was still wrapped around her waist as they turned away from me.

That night, I sent him a text message.

"I'm resigning from pack duties, and we're done."

There was no reply.

As soon as it was sent, I pulled out my SIM card and tossed it in the nearest trash can.

It was nearly midnight when I arrived at the station in my hometown. As I stepped off the train, I saw Dad waiting for me. He smiled the moment he saw me and led me to the car.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I noticed a large bag of my favorite snacks and yogurt waiting for me.

Before starting the car, Dad chuckled softly, grabbing one of the yogurts and poking a straw through the lid, handing it to me. "Here, drink this," he said warmly.

As I took it from him, I noticed the gray hairs at his temples, and something inside me broke.

Without warning, I burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Dad, I'm home for good this time," I choked out between sobs. "I'm never leaving again. I'm going to stay here with you and Mom. Forever."

Dad chuckled again, this time a little more tenderly. "You silly girl. Whether you stay or not, you'll always be our precious Harp."

He could tell I wasn't in the best place, but he didn't ask me to explain. He just drove, respecting my silence.

When we got home, I showered and ate a simple dinner my parents had prepared.

By 10 p.m., I was lying in bed, staring at my phone. I opened my music app, hoping to find something relaxing to help me sleep. That's when I noticed several unread private messages.

They were from Ross, one of my closest colleagues. He seemed shocked by my sudden resignation. His message was full of concern, asking if everything was okay and if there was anything he could do to help.

Just as I was trying to figure out how to reply, another message from him came in—a video file this time.

It came with a note.

[Harp, this video's blowing up in the pack group chat. It's about Aria and Zachary.]