Chapter 2: The Breaking Point
The tension in the air was sharp enough to cut as Lukas stood in the doorway, his amber eyes glowing with barely restrained anger. “You forget yourself, Ayla,” he hissed, his voice low but laced with venom. “Living here doesn’t make you untouchable.”
I folded my arms, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin. “Untouchable? That‘ s rich, coming from you,” I shot back, my voice calm, controlled, and deadly. “Tell me, Lukas. How’s Celeste these days?”
His jaw tightened, the subtle shift in his face betraying his guilt. “I’m not doing. this with you,” he muttered, brushing past me into the kitchen.
The oven‘ s timer blared, breaking the tension. I grabbed the gloves and yanked the cake out—a pathetic attempt to salvage my 30th birthday. The irony wasn‘ t lost on me. Thirty years old, still stuck playing
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housemaid to a man who couldn‘ teven fake fidelity.
“Is that for us?” Lukas asked, gesturing to the cake with forced casualness.
“Not everything‘ s about you,” I snapped, slamming the pan onto the counter.
He flinched but quickly recovered, his lips curving into a cold smirk. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’ve been handling pack
business, Ayla. You know how important it is.”
“Pack business?” I barked out a laugh. “Ist that what you call your late–night visits to Celeste’s quarters?”
He froze, the smugness vanishing. “You‘ re paranoid.”
“Am I?” I reached for my phone, already open to Celeste‘ s latest photo–a smug selfie in what was unmistakably Lukas‘ private study. The caption read: The Alpha’s seat is warm tonight.
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Chapter 2: The Breaking Point
I held it up, letting him see. “Explain this.”
Lukas‘ face darkened. “You‘ re spying
now?”
“No, Lukas. I’m noticing. Something I should’ve done years ago.”
The silence between us was heavy, oppressive. For a second, I thought he might apologize, maybe even beg. But instead, his lip curled in disgust.
“You‘ ve always been jealous,” he sneered. “That’s your problem. You can’t stand not being the center of attention.”
I laughed, bitter and hollow. “Jealous? Of what? Being lied to? Cheated on? Please.”
Before he could reply, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and sighed dramatically. “Celeste needs me,” he said, shoving the phone into his pocket.
“Of course she does,” I muttered.
“Clean up here,” he ordered, ignoring me completely. “And don’t forget, we have the
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pack meeting tomorrow. Try not to embarrass yourself for once.”
The door slammed behind him, and I stood there, the cake forgotten, anger bubbling under my skin. My wolf growled, pushing to the surface, but I forced her down. I wouldn’t waste my energy on him. Not
anymore.
But I wasn’t done. Not by a long shot.
An hour later, I was in Celeste‘ s quarters. The place reeked of cheap perfume and arrogance. Her vanity table was filled with expensive makeup and jewelry–gifts from Lukas, no doubt.
The bed was unmade, sheets scattered and stained. My stomach churned as I spotted the torn lace lingerie on the floor.
I picked up one of her necklaces, a delicate gold chain with a heart pendant. It felt heavy in my hand, like the weight of all the lies I’d swallowed over the years.
Footsteps approached, and I froze. The
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door opened, and there she was–Celeste, the pack‘ s perfect golden girl.
She stopped short, her eyes narrowing. when she saw me. “What are you doing
here?”
“Cleaning up your mess,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Her lips curled into a smirk. “Is that what Lukas told you? How sweet.”
I stepped closer, the necklace still in my hand. “I’m not here for him. I’m here
for me.”
Her smirk faltered. “What’s that supposed
to mean?”
“It means I’m done playing nice,” I said, my voice low and steady. “You think. you’ve won? Think again.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but I
didn’t give her the chance. I dropped the
necklace onto the vanity and turned to
leave.
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“You‘ re pathetic,” she called after me. “That’s why he‘ Il never choose you.”
I paused in the doorway, my wolf snarling. Slowly, I turned back to face her.
“You‘ re right,” I said, a cold smile
spreading across my lips. “He won’t
choose me. But when I’m done, neither will you.”
Back in my quarters, I started packing. Seven years of my life reduced to a single suitcase. The rest–the clothes, the jewelry, the memories–I left behind. They belonged to the Ayla who had let Lukas walk all over her. That Ayla was dead.
As I zipped up the suitcase, my phone buzzed. A text from Selene, my best friend and the only person who had ever told me
the truth about Lukas.
About time you woke up. My pack‘ s doors. are open. Come home.
Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them
away.
I didn’t have time to cry. Not yet.
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The sound of footsteps outside my window made me freeze. My wolf bristled, her senses sharp. I moved to the window and peered out.
A shadow moved in the distance. A rogue.
My heart raced as I stepped back, my mind scrambling for a plan. The door burst open, and a massive wolf lunged at me.
I shifted just in time, my claws raking across its side. The fight was brutal, chaotic. My wolf reveled in the release, her strength and fury unleashed after years of
suppression.
But then I smelled it–a scent I knew all too
well.
Lukas.
He stood in the doorway, his face a mask of cold fury.
“What the hell is going on here?” he
demanded.
The rogue retreated, its eyes darting
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between us before disappearing into the night.
Lukas stepped closer, his gaze fixed on me. “You just made a big mistake, Ayla.”
I straightened, my wolf still on edge. “The only mistake I made was staying this long.”
His lips curled into a sinister smile. “Oh, Ayla. You have no idea what’s coming.”
I held his gaze, refusing to back down. “Neither do you.”
And with that, I walked past him, my suitcase in hand. For the first time in years,
I felt free. But I knew this was just the beginning.
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