Chapter 2
I wasn’t interested in dealing with them; there were still lives at stake, and I had no time for petty distractions. I strode into the command center, my heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Pulling out the folder, I took my place at the head of the table, the weight of the Moonclaw Pack’s Beta rank settling firmly on my shoulders.
“The first plan is too aggressive,” I stated, my voice calm but commanding. “It could provoke the rogues, endangering the hostages. The second plan fails to account for the extremist ideology of their leader and the hierarchical dynamics within their group.”
The room fell silent as the gathered Alphas, Betas, and Gammas listened intently. Some nodded in agreement, their respect for my expertise evident. The only one who seemed unaffected was Lucian Gonzalez, the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
“Alianna,” he drawled, his tone dripping with mockery. “You’re putting on quite the performance. Did you go through all this trouble just to catch my attention? Even changed your scent to match Luna Kathryn’s?”
He chuckled softly, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. “Though I must admit, I did prefer the lavender you used to wear.”
I suppressed a sigh, mentally cursing Emery for this mess. The “Moonlit Mist” fragrance he had crafted specifically for me had mysteriously vanished from the pack market. I now knew it was Luna Kathryn’s doing, her influence reaching even into the smallest corners of my life.
Lucian’s disdainful attitude brought back memories I’d rather forget. Years ago, I had given up a promising career as a war correspondent for him. Augustus, my former pack elder, had warned me bitterly that I’d regret it. Back then, I was young and foolish, convinced that Lucian was the only one for me. But after Casen was born, everything changed.
Lucian began to criticize every flaw he could find in me—my stretch marks, which he compared to “scars on torn fabric,” my weight, which he mocked relentlessly until I developed anorexia. When his beloved Kathryn divorced, he wasted no time in courting her, making me the laughingstock of the pack.
I remembered the school trip where only parents and a nanny were allowed to board the cruise ship. I stood there, the “nanny” badge pinned to my chest, watching the three of them—Lucian, Kathryn, and Casen—look like the perfect family. When the ship sank, and Lucian clung to Kathryn, declaring he would never choose me, I felt the water close over my head. But in that moment, I swore to myself that I would never choose him again.
I met Lucian’s smug gaze now, my voice icy. “Alpha Gonzalez, this is not the time for trivial matters. Your Luna’s rescue window is closing.”
His smirk faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “I’m not here for you,” I continued, my tone deliberate. “I have a family now, and I’m not interested in you. I’m here to do my job. If you continue with these pointless remarks, I suggest you leave.”
Refocusing on the room, I pressed on. “Let’s proceed with the discussion.” Over the next hour, under my guidance, the rescue plan was finalized. The room was filled with focused energy, everyone working together seamlessly. Lucian sat in the corner, his expression growing darker by the minute.
Before the first round of negotiations began, I took my usual fifteen minutes alone in the break room to center myself. Just as I was about to relax, the door burst open, and Casen stormed in, a cup of cold water in his hand.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself!” he shouted, throwing the water at me. “So what if you’re temporarily in charge? Dad doesn’t love you! You just want to get my stepmom out of the picture so you can cling to him again! You’re disgusting!” His voice cracked with anger. “Get out and stop hurting Mom Kathryn!”
I exhaled slowly, reminding myself that I had grown used to such treatment in my past life. I understood it rationally, but my heart still ached.
Before the divorce, I had agonized over whether to fight for Casen. I remembered the day I opened his bedroom door to find him placing my mother’s heirloom emerald bracelet on Kathryn’s wrist. My mother had whispered on her deathbed, “This is for Casen’s future wife.”
“Mom Kathryn,” Casen’s eyes had shone with adoration, “this is something grandma said to save for my future wife. I’m giving it to you because I hope to find a wife as beautiful as you one day.”
Kathryn had feigned distress, saying, “Casen, I had no idea you gave me something that belonged to a deceased person.”
Casen froze, then, in a fit of rage, yanked off the bracelet and hurled it to the ground with a loud crack. It shattered into pieces.
“I knew that woman, Alianna, was up to no good!” he stomped on the fragments, grinding them under his small heel. “Everything that’s hers is cursed!”
Kathryn beamed, patting his head. “Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
I stood at the door, watching everything unfold, not saying a word, not intervening. Casen held Kathryn’s hand, running off to explore other treasures.
I looked at the irreparable fragments on the floor and resolved to leave alone for good, never to return.
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