The End After Ten Years of Pain

Debbie's POV

“You’re acting cold, Debbie,” Alpha Darrell said, his voice low but laced with irritation.

“Cold? In what way?” I responded calmly, though I knew exactly what he meant. Carla, standing behind him with her ever-present smug grin, didn’t even try to hide her satisfaction.

“Toward Carla,” he snapped. “How many times do I need to say it? Don’t be cruel to her. You’re constantly envious, and honestly, I’ve had enough of it. You never seem to grasp the situation.” His hand clamped tighter around my arm, sending a jolt of discomfort through me. “Why is this so difficult for you to accept?”

“I’m not envious, Alpha Darrell,” I said flatly, though deep inside, my wolf let out a low growl, itching to retaliate. “I do understand. And it’s fine. Don’t trouble yourself over it.” The words burned as I forced them out, but I kept my composure. I had the urge to tell him it didn’t make a difference anymore—that I was leaving, that I was engaged—but what would be the point? He wouldn’t even blink.

He let go of my arm, and his hand moved to gently touch my cheek. What used to make my heart flutter now left me numb. “Please, Debbie. Trust me. I’d never hurt you. Stop filling your head with doubts about me and Carla.”

I bit the inside of my mouth to hold back a bitter laugh. Trust him? Not hurt me? Those were exactly the things he’d failed at again and again. If those poisonous berries had claimed my life yesterday, I doubted he would’ve even mourned me.

Once I entered the packroom, the children ran up to greet me, their laughter echoing with joy. For a moment, their beaming faces dulled the constant ache in my chest. I used to picture raising pups of my own—Darrell had even whispered dreams of our future together. But like the promises he made, those dreams had turned to ash.

Leaving them would hurt more than I was ready for.

Later that evening, I glanced at my phone and saw yet another message from my parents. They were excited about the wedding preparations—asking what kind of flowers I wanted, what dress style I liked, whether I preferred a crown of blossoms or a flowing veil.

Since my teenage years, I’d always adored the idea of wedding planning. I even took charge of Sinna’s wedding—Darrell’s sister—five years back when she married someone from the Duncan Pack. Now she had two adorable sons and a partner who truly loved her. And me? After a decade spent loving Darrell, all I had were regrets. If I had allowed my parents to choose a mate for me back then, I might already have three children and a husband who valued me. Instead, I was here—discarded and humiliated by the man I once thought would be my forever.

During a trip to the pack market, I purchased small gifts for the children and something for Elisha—one of the few people who still treated me like I mattered. As I returned, two pack warriors noticed my struggle with the packages and wordlessly helped me carry them to the manor. Their silent support touched something fragile in me.

Darrell caught sight of the gifts as I walked in, his gaze immediately hardening. “What’s all this for? Who are you giving them to? And this…” He waved a letter at me, one I instantly recognized by the handwriting. “What’s this about a wedding that the messenger mentioned?”

I reached out and took the letter, my mother’s neat script confirming my guess. “We need to talk, Alpha Darrell,” I said, my voice unwavering despite the emotional storm stirring within me. “About the upcoming marriage—”

Before I could finish, a pack warrior burst into the room.

“Alpha, Carla isn’t in her quarters. We’ve searched the entire packhouse—she’s gone.”

Darrell’s entire demeanor shifted. Panic crossed his features, and without even glancing back at me, he bolted from the room to find Carla. He didn’t say another word. Not even goodbye.

With a heavy heart, I brought the gifts to the children and Elisha, doing my best to smile through the pain.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” Elisha asked gently, her voice cracking slightly as she tried not to let the children hear.

“There’s nothing left for me here, Elisha,” I murmured, feeling the lump in my throat grow. “He’s made his choice. I can’t linger in the shadows of what we were.”

“What about the kids? They adore you, Debbie. And I... I don’t know how I’ll manage teaching them alone,” she said softly, her green eyes searching mine, filled with concern and sorrow.

“I’m getting married, Elisha,” I said, though the words felt strange, as if they belonged to someone else. “This place—it’s no longer home to me.”

“To whom?” she asked, her voice tinged with fragile hope. “Is he better than the Alpha?”

I hesitated, unsure how to respond. My wolf was quiet—something she rarely was—and her silence felt like confirmation that this was the path we needed to take. That leaving, painful as it was, was right.

“I pray he is,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “I truly hope he is.”