Aya

My fingers trembled as I walked past the pack hall, some of the maids and pack members gathered around in groups and gossiped about the situation between myself, cliffe and Evelyn. I never thought hateful remarks about me would affect me the way they did.

I didn’t know which hurt more, the pain in my feet or the one in my heart.

“Does anyone else think Aya looks a bit like Beta Evelyn? She has freckles under her eye, too!” One pack member chimed.

“Really? Freckles aren’t rare. If every girl with one looked like Beta Evelyn, we’d have a thousand knockoffs running around.” Another person replied in irritation.

“Let’s make Alpha Cliffe see sense and send her packing. À lowly human girl like her doesn’t belong anywhere near him!”

“If she won’t leave, we’ll stage a protest outside their house. She won’t dare show her face.” À maid said loudly and all the others cheered in agreement.

Each cruel word felt like a dagger to my chest. I quickly rushed over to the alpha’s cabin where me and cliffe stayed and immediately I went inside, I knelt to the floor crying and my eyes drifted to the old photograph on my desk, a group of children from the orphanage, smiling despite our worn clothes. At the center stood Cliffe, his arm protectively around my small shoulders. We had both been abandoned, but Cliffe’s quiet strength had carried me through those dark days.

Now, the man who once shielded me had allowed me to be exposed. The photo’s leak could only have come from two people, him or Evelyn.

The betrayal was suffocating.

My phone rang.

“Aya, are you okay?” Caroline’s voice crackled through the phone, brimming with concern.

“I’m fine,” I lied, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

“Don’t lie to me,” she pressed. “Do you want me to come over? I can catch the next train.”

“No,” I said firmly. “I need to handle this alone.”

After hanging up, I dialed Cliffe’s number. The first call went unanswered. By the third attempt, my frustration morphed into desperation. Finally, his deep, detached voice came through.

“Aya, I’m busy. What’s the matter?”

“Did you see the photo?” I asked, my voice trembling. “The one Evelyn posted online?”

There was a pause, then a sigh. “Aya, Evelyn didn’t mean anything by it. She was just reminiscing about our past.”

“Reminiscing?” My voice broke. “That picture has people calling me a parasite, Cliffe! How can you defend her?”

“I’m not defending anyone,” he replied, his tone calm, almost disinterested. “I’ll handle it when I’m back.”

“Handle it?” My grip on the phone tightened. “You’ve already let her tear my life apart. What else is there to handle?”

Cliffe’s voice cooled. “Don’t be dramatic, Aya. I’ve always taken care of you, haven’t I? Don’t let this get to you.”

The words stung worse than the hateful comments online and around the pack house . “Taken care of me?” I whispered. “So you keep a record of everything you do for me?.”

But the line went dead.

I didn’t know him anymore.

That night, I tossed and turned, memories flooding my mind. Cliffe had once been my rock, my protector. Now, he seemed like a stranger.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through my window, but it felt cold. My phone buzzed with unread messages:

[caroline: Aya, the photos are gone. Someone must have pulled strings. Maybe Cliffe does care more than you think?]

[Evelyn: Did Cliffe clean up your mess? Must be nice to have him wrapped around your finger.]

My jaw tightened. Cliffe didn't have the power to do that, he was only the newly ascended alpha of the crimson moon pack and not the alpha of the obsidian pack or the darkcrest pack—the top packs. He didn’t have the power to hush the wolf and human communities.

My phone went off.

It was my sister.

“Hey baby sis. Are you good?” Vivian’s voice came from the other side and I felt like bursting into tears because of the warmth in her tone.

“Yeah, I am," I said, managing to keep my emotions in check as I walked into my bathroom to wash my face.

“Do you need me to book a flight ticket for you or can you do it yourself?” She said and I could hear the sharp clicking of keyboard keys from her end.

“It’s fine I can do it myself, I’ll be back soon I just need time to round up here.”

The clicking stopped and silence ensued for a while before she continued “Ok… I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Aya

I was about to leave my room to get a bit of fresh air when Cliffe appeared, leaning casually against my door frame. His dark hair was disheveled, his expression unreadable.

“Who were you talking to on the phone?” he asked, his tone sharp.

I froze. “You misheard,” I replied quickly. “I was watching a video.”

Before he could respond, Evelyn’s soft voice called from the kitchen.

“Cliffe, breakfast is ready! Is Aya coming down?”

Evelyn stepped into view, radiant as always, her smile dripping with false sweetness. “Good morning, Aya! I made sandwiches… your favorite! Cliffe told me what you liked.”

I clenched her fists. “You two enjoy,” I said coldly. “I’m not hungry.”

As I turned to leave, Cliffe grabbed her arm. “Don’t be rude,” he said, frowning. “Evelyn went out of her way to make this for you. The least you could do is sit down.”

My laugh was sharp and bitter. “Rude? You’re calling me rude?”

Cliffe’s brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m tired, Cliffe,” I said, my voice trembling. “Tired of being the one who always gets hurt while you make excuses for her. Tired of being invisible unless it’s convenient for you.”

His gaze dropped to my hand, where faint scars from our childhood still lingered. For a moment, something softened in his expression, but Evelyn quickly stepped between us, her voice dripping with concern.

“Take a look at my leg! Where she spilled hot tea on and the porcelain cut my skin.” I screamed. “Did you bother to check up on me again?” There was a tinge of guilt in his eyes as he glanced at my bandaged feet.

“Aya, I’m so sorry if I upset you,” she said, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. “I just wanted to share a piece of Cliffe’s past. I didn’t realize it would cause so much trouble…”

My chest burned with suppressed anger. “Save it, Evelyn,” I snapped. “I’ve had enough of your games.”

Evelyn’s face fell, her lips parting in a practiced look of hurt. Cliffe glanced between us, torn.

“Aya,” he began, his tone softer now. “Don’t do this.”

But I shook her head, stepping back. “No, Cliffe. You don’t do this. Don’t pretend you care when you’ve made it clear where your loyalties lie.”

Before he could respond, I turned and walked out the door, the cool morning air rushing against my face. For the first time in years, I felt free.

Aya

I sat on the swing I had pleaded with Cliffe to build outside the cabin, its creak blending with the soft rustle of the wind through the garden below. The plants and flowers, lovingly tended by me and the pack’s female elders, once brought me peace. But now, they felt like strangers… beautiful but hollow, a reminder of how misplaced I felt in this place I used to call home.

Heavy footsteps approached behind me, steady and deliberate.

“Come back inside,” Cliffe’s voice commanded, firm and unyielding, leaving no room for defiance.

I gripped the chains of the swing tighter, my gaze fixed on the horizon. Just this once, I told myself. Not out of obedience, but a quiet acknowledgment of the man who had raised me, even if the connection between us now felt like a ghost of what it once was.

The smell of chili sauce hit me like a punch to the gut. I took one look at the sandwich and immediately regretted my decision to sit down for breakfast. The fiery heat of the sauce lingered on my tongue, and my eyes watered as the burning sensation spread through my mouth.

“Cliffe…?” I choked out, grabbing a glass of water.

Cliffe’s deep voice was softer than I expected as he looked at me, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Aya? What’s wrong?”

I held up the sandwich, unable to hide the frustration. “This isn’t ketchup, Cliffe. This is chili sauce. Did you… did you not tell her how I like my food?”

Cliffe looked at the sandwich and then back at me. His face was unreadable, but I could see the flicker of something behind his eyes. A tinge of doubt. “I told Evelyn you liked ketchup. I don’t know what happened.”

Evelyn, feigned concern, her delicate fingers tapping ‘nervously’ against her cup. “I… I must have mixed them up. I’m sorry, Aya. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

I stared at her, feeling the familiar surge of anger bubbling up. “You didn’t mean to?” I repeated, my voice cold. “You’ve been making mistake after mistake, Evelyn. First, it was the tea you spilled on my legs, and now… now this?” I gestured to the sandwich with a sharp motion, my frustration seeping into every word.

Cliffe’s eyes softened, but his hand reached out to stop me. “Aya, it’s just food. You’re letting your anger control you.”

I pulled away from him, my heart racing as I fought to suppress the tears threatening to spill. “No, Cliffe. It’s not just food. It’s everything. Evelyn’s presence, her constant mistakes, all of it. It’s like she’s trying to take everything from me.”

Cliffe took a step back, his expression firm. “Aya, please.” His voice was low, and scary, and I could see the irritation in his eyes. “You know it’s too early for this right?”

I bit my lip, feeling the ache in my chest deepen. “Every time something happens, you rush to defend her.”

Cliffe paused, his gaze shifting downward. The silence between us stretched longer than I was comfortable with. “You’re wrong. I…” He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes clouded with thoughts I couldn’t reach.

I turned away, my hands trembling as I pushed the chair back from the table. “I’m going to the orphanage today.”

Cliffe’s head jerked up, his eyes wide with surprise. “What? Why?”

“I need to go back, Cliffe. It’s been a while, and I need to see Mrs. Leonard. I need to go back to where I belong.” My voice cracked, the weight of my words settling heavily in the air.

He opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it again, his jaw tightening. “I can’t go with you, Aya. I have things to do with Evelyn.” The words stung, harder than I expected.

I didn’t want to feel this way. I didn’t want to feel abandoned, to feel like an afterthought in the life Cliffe had built for himself. But I couldn’t help it.

“Fine,” I whispered, my voice barely audible as I grabbed my coat and headed toward the door. “I’ll go alone.”

The ride to the orphanage was quiet, my thoughts racing as I stared out the window. When I arrived, the familiar sight of the old building tugged at my heart. Mrs. Leonard was still here, still running the place with the same warmth and energy she’d had when I first arrived.

“Aya!” Her voice rang out across the lobby, and I was immediately enveloped in her embrace. “You’re back! Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

I smiled softly, hugging her back. “I’ve missed you too, Mrs. Leonard. I brought some gifts for the kids.”

We sat down in her office, and she poured me a cup of tea. “I saw the news, Aya. Cliffe and Beta Evelyn, huh? I thought you two might end up together. You’ve been through so much together.” Her voice was gentle, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

I looked down at my tea, swirling the liquid in the cup. “Things have changed, Mrs. Leonard. I think Cliffe and I have both grown in different directions.”

She sighed, a soft frown tugging at the corners of her lips. “I always thought he cared about you more than anyone else. He took care of you when you had no one.” She shook her head, her expression wistful. “But sometimes, people change. They grow apart.”

I nodded, feeling the sting of her words settle into my bones. “I’ve changed too, I guess.”

As I walked out of the orphanage later that afternoon, a sense of clarity began to settle over me. It wasn’t just Cliffe that had changed, it was me, too.

I wasn’t the same girl who had wandered into the orphanage years ago, abandoned and lost. I was stronger now. I had a life to build, with or without Cliffe.

But as I stood outside, the weight of my decision pressed heavily on my chest. Could I really let go of the boy who had promised to protect me forever? Could I step away from the only family I had left?

I didn’t have the answers yet, but I knew one thing for certain: I wasn’t going to wait around for someone who didn’t see me the way I needed to be seen.

The world was bigger than just Cliffe Salvatore, and I was ready to face it on my own.