As messages filled with blame towards me flashed across the screen, I felt a rising frustration.

["The protagonist has already stepped back; what more does she want?"]

["Juliet doesn’t come from a prominent pack. It’s her first birthday celebration, so wouldn’t it make sense for Beta Kasen to be with her as her sponsor?"]

Kasen fiddled with his phone, looking uneasy, and quickly erased a post from his Instagram. His apology to me was quiet, but his tone still defended Juliet, the Delta warrior he had recently decided to support.

"You know, this is Juliet’s first time ever having her own birthday cake," he reasoned calmly, his deep voice carrying the weight of his Beta status. "She looks up to me like I’m her hero. If I don’t attend, it would really disappoint her. She’s not like you; she hasn’t experienced any of life’s pleasures. Since I chose to help her, I feel obligated to stick to it."

Kasen’s words were sincere, but Juliet’s tough situation wasn’t my responsibility. Why should I be the one to pay the price? I scrolled through my phone, pulling up a document, enlarging it for Kasen to see. My frail hands trembled slightly, a reminder of my weak constitution.

"My father, Alpha Mustafa, sponsors thousands of students every year, and I’ve never had to show up to each one’s birthday just because I’m their sponsor."

"So why is she so special that she needs you with her all the time?"

Messages kept pouring across the screen.

["The antagonist is just causing drama; the protagonist will continue to drift apart from her."]

["The protagonist and the antagonist were meant for each other; nothing beats a knight-in-shining-armor romance!"]

Kasen was momentarily taken aback, his broad shoulders stiffening as he prepared to counter my argument. The aura of a Beta, commanding yet conflicted, radiated from him. Then there was a knock on the hospital room door, interrupting the tension.

I glanced at the door, my heart pounding. My wolf stirred faintly in the back of my mind, a quiet whisper of unease. I could feel the weight of Kasen’s presence, the way his dominance filled the room, yet it no longer brought me comfort. Instead, it felt suffocating, a reminder of how far we’d drifted apart.

Kasen turned towards the door, his expression shifting to one of mild irritation. "Who is it?" he called out, his voice carrying the subtle authority of his rank.

The door creaked open, and a nurse stepped in, her eyes respectfully averted. "Miss, your father’s assistant, Valentina, is here to see you," she said softly, her tone deferential.

I nodded, my throat tight. Kasen’s gaze flicked back to me, his dark eyes searching my face for a reaction. I avoided his stare, focusing instead on the nurse. "Send her in," I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

As the nurse stepped aside, Valentina entered the room, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me. She bowed her head slightly in Kasen’s direction, acknowledging his rank, before turning to me. "Miss, your father has arranged everything. He’s waiting for your return," she said, her voice gentle but firm.

Kasen’s jaw tightened, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. He knew what this meant—my father, Alpha Mustafa, was stepping in. The weight of his authority, even from a distance, was enough to make Kasen hesitate.

I took a deep breath, my wolf’s whisper growing fainter. "Thank you, Valentina," I said, my voice soft but resolute. "Tell my father I’ll be ready soon."

Juliet stepped into the room, her cheeks streaked with tears, her posture trembling with fragility. She approached me with a hesitant bow, her head lowered in a gesture of submission that was almost too perfect. Her scent—rosemary, sharp and poignant—filled the space, a reminder of her presence in Kasen’s life.

“I’m sorry, Charlotte,” she said, her voice quivering with a fragility that felt rehearsed. “I shouldn’t have taken so much of Beta Kasen’s time. There’s nothing between us, truly.”

Her words were smooth, practiced, but her eyes flickered to Kasen for a fleeting moment, a silent plea for validation. When she turned back to me, her eyes were wide, brimming with tears, her sincerity almost convincing.

“I’m inexperienced, and Beta Kasen only felt sorry for me. He spent Thanksgiving with me out of pity. Please don’t be upset with him because of me.”

She wore a Victorian-style dress, the kind that made her look delicate and out of place in the modern world of our pack. It felt like a performance, her attempt to seek forgiveness while subtly staking her claim.

The live comments on the screen beside me exploded with reactions.

“Why is she inserting herself between the Beta and his mate? Can’t she see she’s the problem?”

“He’s been supporting her for months. Isn’t that enough?”

Watching Juliet’s pitiful attempt to leave, Kasen’s composure cracked—a rare sight. My memories of him were of a man always in control, his alpha aura steady and commanding. The last time I saw him this unraveled was when I was rushed to the pack hospital for my heart condition. Back then, he was a mess, his eyes bloodshot, his voice breaking as he stayed by my side for three days and nights. When I finally woke up, he knelt beside me, his voice thick with relief as he vowed to always protect me.

So why was he implying he was being pressured now?

Now, the man who once focused solely on me was holding another girl’s hand, his voice heavy with resignation.

“Charlotte, I’m tired,” he said, his alpha tone softer than usual, but still carrying the weight of his rank. “Juliet reminded me of who I used to be. I just wanted to help her.”

His words stung, but it was the way he looked at her—protective, almost affectionate—that cut deeper.

“Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

Juliet’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, her posture shrinking as if she were a wounded omega seeking refuge. But there was a glint of something else in her gaze—a subtle triumph that made my wolf growl softly in the back of my mind.

*He’s falling for her act,* my wolf whispered, her voice laced with bitterness. *Don’t let her win.*

But as I stood there, feeling the weight of Kasen’s words and the weight of my own frailty, I couldn’t help but wonder if she already had.

I remained silent, fixated on their intertwined fingers. A wave of nausea swept over me.

The hospital room was cloaked in an unsettling silence. Suddenly, the phone rang sharply. It was Kasen Ruiz’s phone. As soon as he answered, my father’s voice, filled with fury, boomed through the room.

Unlike the gentle and cautious way he usually spoke to me, my father, Mustafa Sullivan, the Alpha of the Crimson Fang Pack, was a seasoned and commanding leader. His tone was sharp, laced with the unmistakable authority of an Alpha, the kind that made even the strongest wolves bow their heads.

“Beta Kasen,” he began, his voice low and dangerous, “I entrusted my daughter to you, not for her to be neglected.”

The air grew heavier, the weight of my father’s aura pressing down on the room. Kasen stiffened, his grip on Juliet’s hand tightening.

“You accepted the resources I provided, so you must fulfill your responsibilities. If I hear again that my daughter ended up in the hospital alone…” His voice trailed off, the threat hanging in the air like a storm about to break.

“Don’t expect me to be so accommodating.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Even Juliet, a Delta warrior with her own strong aura, seemed to shrink under the intensity of my father’s words.

My father had always been a protector, offering Kasen lucrative projects and opportunities within the pack to secure my future. He had insisted that Kasen treat me well, but now, it seemed, those words had fallen on deaf ears.

Comments scrolled across the screen of my phone, each one a tiny dagger to my already fragile heart.

[Why so high and mighty? Isn’t the supporting character supposed to help the protagonist?]

[Thinking money could secure the protagonist’s future is just wishful thinking.]

[Once the protagonist reaches the top of the pack hierarchy, the supporting character’s family will be left in the dust!]

I clenched my fists, the bitterness rising in my throat. My father, the Alpha, had done everything to ensure Kasen’s loyalty, yet here we were. Kasen, the Beta of the Silver Moon Pack, had once vowed to protect me, to stand by my side as my mate. But now, his words from moments ago kept ringing in my ears. He was weary.

I could still hear the way he had said it, the weariness in his voice as he stood there, Juliet by his side. My wolf stirred weakly in the back of my mind, a soft whimper of pain echoing my own.

I looked at Kasen, his broad frame towering over me, his dark eyes avoiding mine. He had once been my strength, my protector. But now, he felt like a stranger, his loyalty divided, his promises broken.

The room felt colder, the weight of my father’s words still lingering. I knew what was coming, what had to come. But for now, I remained silent, the storm of emotions raging within me, waiting to break.