Want Me to Come Back? Sorry, All Too Late!

I held my breath, watching Sharon as she clutched the crystal plaque in her hands, her expression a strange mixture of innocence and something sharper, more calculating. Her eyes gleamed, almost pleading, but I knew her well enough to recognize the hidden edge beneath her softness.

“Malinda,” she said, her voice low, as if she was whispering some sacred truth only I deserved to hear. “Alpha Nathan asked me to give this to you as a reward. It’s precious… you’ve earned something truly special. You’re… amazing.”

I kept my face carefully neutral, though I could feel my wolf stirring, sensing Sharon’s true intentions before I did. Her words were a smokescreen; I could feel it in the way her gaze flickered, avoiding mine just long enough to give herself away.

Before I could speak, she took a shaky breath, biting her lip as though summoning courage. “I know this award isn’t mine,” she continued, her lashes brushing her cheeks as she glanced down, playing up the picture of vulnerability. “But could I… maybe… borrow it? Just for a few days?”

Her words cut through me like ice. My wolf bristled, an instinctive urge to protect what was ours rippling through me. Borrow my reward? The very symbol of the blood, sweat, and sacrifice I had poured into my role, the one I had earned through loyalty and dedication? Sharon’s request felt like an insult, as if she thought my years of hard work were something that could be loaned out at whim.

A dangerous smile crept onto my lips. I could feel my wolf pushing forward, all sharp teeth and no kindness. “Wow,” I said, my voice like steel, “you really are shameless, aren’t you?”

Sharon blinked, taken aback, but her grip on the plaque only tightened.

“If you’re so desperate for a crystal plaque, why don’t you earn it yourself? Talk to the intelligence division, Sharon. Maybe, after a few years of dedication, you’ll get one too.”

I reached out, my hand open, expecting her to hand it over with at least a flicker of respect. Instead, she clutched it closer to her chest, her face twisting into a look of shock and hurt, as though I’d wounded her deeply.

“Why are you being so… mean?” she whispered, her voice trembling with what I could only describe as feigned hurt. “I’m not trying to take it from you. I just… wanted it for encouragement, to remind myself of what’s possible.”

My patience snapped. The anger simmered low but deadly, and I leaned forward, extending my hand. “Hand it over, Sharon. Now.”

But Sharon didn’t budge. Her knuckles turned white as she held the box tighter, her eyes widening in a defiant glare that only fueled my irritation. Before I knew it, the struggle between us escalated, the tension crackling in the air like an impending storm.

Suddenly, her fingers slipped, and the box fell from her grip. The sound of it hitting the floor was louder than thunder in that silent room, and then—a sickening crack as the delicate crystal plaque shattered, scattering into a thousand glittering pieces across the hardwood floor.

A heavy silence settled over us, the soft glow of the plaque’s aura extinguished, replaced by fractured shards that seemed to mock me from the floor. My stomach twisted, a hollow ache settling in my chest at the sight of my ruined reward.

The silence didn’t last. From the doorway, Kayden and Francis appeared, their faces going from confusion to horror in an instant. And then, as if she’d been struck down by a mighty force, Sharon gasped, clutching her leg where a single, shallow line of blood trickled down from a shard of the crystal plaque.

Kayden’s face darkened, his eyes flickering between Sharon’s wound and me, judgment heavy in his gaze. He didn’t hesitate, rushing to Sharon’s side and inspecting her tiny cut as if it was a mortal wound. His protective instincts flared, and he turned to me with a glare that felt like an accusation.

“Are you hurt?” Francis murmured to Sharon, barely sparing me a glance. They focused on her, their attention firmly on her minor injury, their sympathy a knife twisting in my gut.

Without another word, Kayden scooped Sharon up in his arms, ignoring her feeble protests. “I’ll take you to the healer,” he said firmly, his voice wrapped in a quiet resolve. I could only watch, mute with fury, as he carried her out of the room.

Francis remained, his expression darkening as he turned to me, disappointment etched in every line of his face. “Malinda, how could you?” He demanded, his tone sharp, each word slicing into me like glass. “You have everything—the respect, the title, the power—and yet, you tried to rob Sharon of a small comfort?”

I blinked, genuinely taken aback. Rob? Sharon had been the one clinging to what was rightfully mine, refusing to let go until it shattered. The anger surged up again, hotter this time, as I struggled to keep my voice even.

“This is my reward, Francis,” I replied, my voice low and taut with barely restrained anger. “It’s a symbol of my sacrifice, my dedication. She held onto it, refused to let go, and broke it. And yet, you think I’m in the wrong?”

I pointed to the shards on the floor, their jagged edges glinting in the moonlight like a thousand tiny knives. “She’s the one who refused to let go, Francis. She’s the one who destroyed it. If anyone should apologize, it’s Sharon.”

But Francis’s expression only hardened. He lifted his chin, meeting my gaze with a fierceness that hurt more than I wanted to admit. “It’s just a reward, Malinda,” he shot back, his voice cold. “You hurt her, and instead of showing any remorse, you’re here, demanding an apology?”

With one last look of disappointment, he turned and left, the door closing behind him with a final, echoing click. I stood alone, my fists clenched, my breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. My chest burned with a mix of anger and humiliation, and I looked down at the ruined plaque, its pieces scattered around me like a testament to my failure to keep control.

As I stood there, the faint stinging in my leg caught my attention. I looked down, realizing that a shard of the plaque had cut into my own calf, far deeper than Sharon’s shallow scratch. Blood trickled down my leg, pooling around the edges of the crystal fragments, but I felt no urge to call for help.

I crouched down, reaching for the broken shards, feeling their sharp edges dig into my palms as I picked them up one by one. My hands shook, my wolf’s quiet fury a constant presence in my mind as I cleaned up the mess on my own.

The night had settled fully by the time I finished, and just as I wrapped a makeshift bandage around my leg, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, seeing my mother’s name flash in the dim light. I hesitated, then answered, my voice softening as I spoke. “Hi, Mom.”

Her warm voice washed over me, a comfort I hadn’t realized I needed. “Malinda, I’ve sent over some dress options for the Mateship Ceremony. Tell me which ones you like, darling.”

I scrolled through the pictures she’d sent, each gown more stunning than the last, the thought of the ceremony stirring a mix of excitement and unease within me. I felt the ache in my chest deepened, and I barely kept the tears from slipping past my control.

“Mom…” I started, but my voice faltered. I bit my lip, forcing down the bitterness and anger that simmered just below the surface. “Everything’s fine, Mom. I’m just… tired.”

Her tone softened, understanding laced in every word. “Are you sure, sweetheart?”

“Yeah,” I replied, swallowing back the lump in my throat. “I’ll be ready soon. Just one more week, and everything will be settled.”

My mother’s enthusiasm seemed to brighten the conversation. “I can’t wait to see you, darling. This is the start of a beautiful new chapter for you.”

Before I could respond, the familiar sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. I turned, feeling a pang of dread as Kayden and Francis re-entered, their faces tense as they caught the end of my conversation.

“Mateship Ceremony?” They asked in unison, their shock evident in their voices.