Chapter 4
After the fever subsided, I took a cab back to the pack den. I pulled out my suitcase and packed it with the white dresses that filled my wardrobe, then tossed them into the trash bin outside. For seven years, I hadn’t worn anything but white because the Alpha preferred it on me. But now, seeing them again, they felt like mourning clothes—utterly depressing.
While packing my belongings, I accidentally knocked over a vase brought by Vivienne Johnston, the Alpha’s newly announced mate. I scattered some cash over the shards, intending to leave with my essential documents. Just as my hand reached for the doorknob, the door swung open from the other side. The Alpha and Vivienne entered, fingers intertwined, their scents mingling in a way that made my stomach churn.
A wave of bitterness surged within me, ready to overflow. I turned aside to leave, but Vivienne gasped and rushed to the broken vase, crouching down and sobbing, "How could this happen? This was my favorite vase..."
Seeing that I didn’t stop, the Alpha chased after me, his alpha aura pressing down on me like a weight. "Amaris," he said, his voice sharp with authority, "why are you so spiteful? Go back and apologize!"
I pressed my lips together, saying nothing as I looked him over. I once drank until I had a stomach bleed to cover for his reckless behavior during a pack negotiation. For him, I confronted a rogue werewolf threatening the pack and ended up with two broken ribs. I caught severe pneumonia after standing in the freezing rain to guard the den while he was sick from overindulgence. And all that earned me was being branded as spiteful.
A faint smile formed on my lips, even as tears threatened to fall. Clenching my fists, I straightened and met his gaze, forcing myself to stand tall despite the alpha tone in his voice. "I won’t apologize. What are you going to do about it?"
I tried to walk past him, but the Alpha grabbed my arm, his grip like iron. Behind me, Vivienne cried softly, "If I’m causing trouble, I’ll leave right away..."
Her eyes were red, and the Alpha panicked immediately, shoving me aside. My lower back slammed against the edge of the shoe cabinet, sending pain shooting up my spine. But his eyes were only on Vivienne’s distress.
I got to my feet and slowly walked toward the open door, but the Alpha wasn’t finished with me yet. "Apologize before you leave!" he commanded, his alpha tone cutting through the air.
When I kept walking, the Alpha laughed, a cold, mocking sound. Indignant and frustrated, I turned back and shouted at him, "Are you out of your mind, Alpha?"
He looked me over, his expression twisting into something cruel. "Amaris, in such a hurry to leave, it’s hard not to suspect you’re up to something. Dressed so provocatively today, are you trying to catch my eye by playing hard to get?"
I shook with anger, my wolf growling low in my chest. "Do you even hear yourself, Alpha?"
He sneered, his alpha aura intensifying, "What, did I say something wrong? Since you’re still holding onto my pendant, just apologize to Vivienne, and we can still be friends."
The pendant around my neck felt like a chain, heavy and suffocating. I gripped it tightly, my nails digging into my palm. "Friends?" I spat, my voice trembling with rage. "You think we can be friends after everything?"
The Alpha’s smirk widened, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Why not? You’re still useful to the pack, Amaris. Don’t throw that away just because you’re upset."
I stared at him, the weight of his words crushing me. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, a sound of pain and betrayal. But I refused to let him see how much he’d hurt me. With a final, defiant glare, I turned and walked out the door, leaving the Alpha and his mate behind.
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