A wry smile tugged at my lips, the irony of the situation hitting me. After all this time, he couldn’t even remember something as basic as my allergies. My bitterness slipped out before I could stop it. “Congratulations,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I heard you’re finally crowning your Luna.”
Darius stared at me for a moment, something dark passing through his eyes, but he didn’t say a word. He turned and left as if the conversation hadn’t even happened.
I sat there for a long time, staring at the empty doorway.
What was that? What was he even doing in my room? His room was in the west wing, far from here. We might be tousling the sheets at night this past month, but I didn't think that was enough to turn him into a romantic.
I glanced at the slice of cake, the strawberries glistening under the morning light. I picked it up and tossed it in the trash. He hadn’t gotten it for me. I knew that. Only one person in this house would ask for a strawberry shortcake this early in the morning.
Vera.
And that just left me wondering what he was really here for.
That afternoon, I went to town for an errand. The marketplace was bustling, vendors calling out their wares, and shoppers chatting away, but I barely noticed. My mind was a storm. All I could think about was getting away from Stormfang and Darius. I needed a concrete plan that could get me out of this place for good.
As I turned the corner toward the bakery, lost in my thoughts, I heard someone mention my name. I froze, quickly slipping into the shadows, and hiding behind a stall. A group of she-wolves were talking about me.
“She’s finally getting ditched by the Alpha,” one of them sneered. My chest tightened as I pressed myself further into the corner, trying to keep my breath steady.
“Vera’s got it all now—strength, beauty, everything. Lyanna’s just a half-breed. No one even cares.”
Their words were like daggers. Vera’s voice echoed in my head, her smugness from before.
'No one gives a damn about you here'.
I’d known that long ago, but hearing it from someone like her was humiliating, and infuriating.
“They were training together this morning,” another one chimed in. “Alpha Darius and Vera looked perfect. Like they’re already the real deal.”
My heart clenched painfully, anger simmering just below the surface.