I was too stunned that I could feel my rationality leaving me. Sure, my mom wouldn’t have minded a rabbit on her grave—she loved animals—but Liam knew it was her resting place. And he still let his pity little mate defile it. The nerve!

Then, his mate timidly tugged at his shirt, her voice barely above a whisper. “Liam, stop. It’s our fault, we—”

She let out a soft squeak when she looked at me, and somehow that only made Liam angrier.

“Don’t test me, Astrid! I could have you and your dad banished from the pack!” His voice was pure venom. “With his condition, he wouldn’t survive living as a rogue!”

My mind went blank. He could hate me all he wanted, but to speak of my dad like that? After everything Dad had done for him? It was too much.

“I’d like to see you try, bastard!” I roared, shifting into my wolf as I leaped onto them, all of my reason gone. I wasn’t going to stop until I tore him apart.

Liam shifted in an instant, meeting me midair, and we crashed to the ground, rolling through the mud like wild animals, each of us trying to tear the other’s throat out. His mate screamed his name from the sidelines, her voice shrill with terror, but her cries only seemed to fuel him. He fought like a beast, more savage than I’d ever seen him.

I sank my teeth into his forepaw, claws digging into his side. But he retaliated with a brutal kick to my stomach, his claws raking across my back. Pain shot through me as one of his claws sliced dangerously close to my spine. For a moment, everything cleared. The rage, the pain—everything.

And I saw the truth.

I was nothing to him. Always had been. If he hadn’t found his mate, I’d probably still be blind to it all.

With a final blow, Liam sent me flying. The world spun around me as I crashed into the wet grass. For a second, I thought maybe dying here wouldn’t be so bad. But then Dad’s face flashed before me.

This wasn’t what he would’ve wanted. Not like this.

I forced myself to stand, my body screaming in protest as Liam emerged from the trees, looking like he hadn’t even broken a sweat. I hated to admit it, but he was stronger and faster. A league above me in every way. But that didn’t mean I was about to back down. Not after everything.

Liam charged at me, his eyes filled with murderous intent. I braced myself, ready to meet him head-on, but just as our claws were about to clash, three massive wolves leaped between us, forcing us apart.

The Alpha slammed into Liam, while the Delta and Gamma held me down, one on each side.

"Enough!" the Alpha’s voice boomed through the forest, sharp and commanding. "Shift back and explain yourselves!"

Neither of us listened. I was too consumed with rage, too blinded by the need to break free and finish what Liam had started.

The Alpha’s eyes narrowed in frustration. With a swift, brutal punch, he knocked the wind out of Liam, while the elders forced me to the ground, their grips unrelenting.

Then, a trembling and soft voice cut through the chaos. "Please, don’t hurt him. He was only protecting me."

I looked up to see Liam’s mate rushing toward us.

"And who the hell are you?" the Alpha snarled, his patience wearing thin.

"I-I’m Nina," she stammered, her voice barely holding steady. "Liam’s mate."

The words hung in the air like a curse. A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd, and I could feel their judgment pressing down on me, sharp as daggers. How did I suddenly become the villain here? I snorted, shifting back into my human form, blood still boiling beneath my skin.

I didn’t need to say anything. What was the point in defending myself? I knew every bone in my body had been craving this fight.

"Talk, young girl." The Alpha ordered with a calmer tone, but his concerned gaze locked with my murderous look.

Nina fumbled nervously as she tried to explain. “Liam was teaching me how to hunt. But I felt sorry for the rabbit and told him we should bury it. We passed by some flowers and thought... maybe the little thing would want to rest somewhere nice…”

Before she could finish, the Alpha’s growl cut through the air like a blade. “You did what?!”

With a swift kick, he sent Liam tumbling to Nina’s feet like a ragdoll.

“I understand wanting to be with your mate, but you’ve crossed a line!” The Alpha was beyond furious.

Forced back into his human form, Liam coughed, attempting to reason. “What did I do wrong? It was just an old grave. Mrs. Bane…”

The Alpha grabbed him by the neck, pulling him close as his voice dripped with venom. “Elliot was just buried days ago, and you had the nerve to desecrate his grave.”

Liam’s face went pale, and his gaze slowly drifted to me, filled with shock, confusion, maybe even regret. But none of it mattered to me. All I had left for him was disgust. How had I ever loved this man? If only I could go back, I'd erase every trace of him from my life. But that wasn't an option—I’d have to carry this regret forever.

I wrapped myself with a blanket and turned away.

“Astrid…” I heard him call, but I didn’t look back.

The week following that joke of a fight was a blur of sorrow, silence, and suffocation. Our house felt more like a cage with every passing day. I was trapped inside, haunted by memories of my parents at every turn. I couldn’t step into the kitchen without thinking of Mom, how she used to hum while making tea, filling the air with warmth. I couldn’t walk past the sunroom without remembering Dad, sitting in his favorite chair, giving me advice, always so full of life and laughter.

Now, all of that was gone, except the cold emptiness that surrounded me and made me cry every night.

The Alpha advised me to rest and heal. But how could I heal when everywhere I looked, I was reminded of everything I’d lost? The scent of Dad’s old leather jacket still lingered in the air, his favorite books were neatly stacked by the fireplace. Each reminder was a punch to the gut, a fresh wound. I could almost hear his voice echoing in the house, reminding me to stand tall, to be strong, but without him, I felt anything but it.

I tried planting more flowers by his grave as a distraction, something to pour my grief into, but even that had been difficult. Ever since Liam and his mate dug up the grave like it was nothing, I hadn’t been able to go back. The thought of it made me sick to my stomach, a knot of anger and sorrow twisting inside me.

Having his cold-blooded gaze replay in my mind was like a sprinkle of salt on an open wound, and the more I recalled it, the angrier I got. The worst part, I wasn't even that mad about him. I was furious at myself.

Loving him felt like the worst mistake I had ever made. I wasted so much of my life trying to be someone who would mean something to him, but I hadn’t meant enough to stop him from humiliating me at our mating ceremony, and not enough for him to show even a fraction of respect to my father in death.

On top of that, he was showing up at my door almost every day since his dad beat him up, knocking with an air of entitlement like he had any right to be there.

The first time he came, I almost couldn’t believe it. I had heard the knock and thought it might be Leia, bringing me food or checking in. But when I opened the door, there he was, standing on the threshold with a sheepish look on his face, holding a small bouquet of tulips—the same color I planted on the grave.

“Astrid…” he started, his voice soft, almost pleading. “I’m sorry. I brought these for you.”

I hadn’t said a word. I just slammed the door in his face. I didn’t need his apologies, and I certainly didn’t need a bundle of flowers that reminded me how much of an asshole he was.

But he didn’t stop. Every day, Liam came back with something else. One day, it was a basket of fruit; the next, a necklace I’d once admired in a shop window. I didn’t touch any of it. He was trying to buy his way out of the guilt, thinking that gifts could somehow erase the past, that they could patch up the deep wound he had torn open in me. Every knock at the door only made me angrier, every forced apology only added to my disgust.

Today, when I heard the knock again, I groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. I knew it was him. No one else would have the audacity to keep showing up after what he’d done. Part of me wanted to ignore him, to let him stand out there until he gave up. But he wouldn’t leave until I confronted him, so I dragged myself to the door.

I threw it open, not caring how disheveled I looked. Sure enough, there he was, standing with that same pitiful expression, holding yet another offering. This time, it was a small, carved wooden wolf, something Dad would have loved.

“Astrid,” he said softly, as if trying to gauge my mood. “I… I just want to talk. I know I messed up, but I never wanted to hurt you or your dad. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” I laughed bitterly. “Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover what you’ve done, Liam. You humiliated me, abandoned me at the altar, causing my dad's death, and then you thrashed his grave. Now, you think some gifts and apologies will fix everything?”

His face fell, and for a moment, he looked like he might cry, but I didn’t care. He deserved to feel this pain.

“I just… I didn’t know and...” he stammered, voice wavering. “You know how it is with mates, I—"

I cut him off, my fury rising to the surface. “Don’t you dare blame this on fate! This is about you being a coward and a selfish bastard. You hurt the one person who stood by you through everything, and for what? So you could run off with your fated mate? Was it worth it, Liam? Was me losing my dad worth it?”

He didn’t respond. He just stood there, looking like a scolded child.

“Get out of my sight,” I spat, slamming the door before he could say another word.

I leaned against the door, trembling with rage. The audacity of him, to think he could waltz back into my life after everything he had done. I wanted to scream, to tear something apart, but I was too tired—tired of being angry, tired of grieving, tired of Liam.

I slid down to the floor, my hands shaking as I pulled my knees to my chest. The house felt emptier than ever, and I realized, with a hollow ache, that no matter how many times I turned him away, it would never fill the space Dad left behind.

I woke up with a crick in my neck, my back pressed against the cold wooden door. My limbs were stiff, and my mind foggy. "How long have I been sitting here?" I muttered as I fixed my hair.

The sunlight streamed through the small windows, still bright but shifting, hinting that it wasn’t morning anymore. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake the feeling of disorientation. The hours had blurred together, and I couldn’t remember the last time I felt truly awake.

Another knock echoed through the house, snapping me out of my daze. My heart sank instantly, irritation bubbling up inside me. I clenched my fists, bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation.

“Liam, I told you to get out of my sight!” I shouted, voice still rough from sleeping in. My words were sharp, cutting through the quiet of the house as I scrambled to my feet. It had to be him again. Only he and Leia kept dropping by my house, and Leia never knocked. She always swung the door open as if she lived here.

However, when I yanked the door open, it wasn’t Liam standing there.

It was his Nina.

I stared at her, completely thrown off guard. For a moment, neither of us said anything. My anger didn’t fade, but it twisted into something else, something more complicated. She stood there, looking uncomfortable, wringing her hands together as if she’d been dreading this as much as I had.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice colder than I intended. I couldn’t fully hate her. She was just a bystander in Liam’s disaster, but seeing her here—on my doorstep, looking nervous and guilty—made my blood simmer. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to unleash all my fury on her. Not completely.

Nina cleared her throat, her voice small. “I—I came to talk. About Liam.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Liam? What about him?”

She hesitated, her eyes darting around as if she was searching for the right words. “He’s…he’s been trying to apologize. He regrets what happened. Everything. And he’s been hurting, Astrid. Because you keep rejecting him.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. “Hurting?” I repeated, feeling incredulous. “He’s hurting? You’re really here to tell me that after everything he’s done, 'I’m' the one hurting 'him'?”

Nina flinched at my tone but nodded earnestly. “He’s not handling it well. Every time he tries to apologize, you push him away, and it’s tearing him apart. I just thought maybe—”

“No,” I interrupted, shaking my head in disbelief. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to come here and make me feel guilty for not accepting his half-hearted apologies. This is 'his' fault. Not mine.”

Her face crumpled, and I could see her eyes watering. “I’m not saying it’s your fault, I just… I just wanted to help.”

“Help?” I scoffed. “Then you should tell your mate to stop knocking on my door. I don’t need his apologies, 'Nina.' I don’t need anything from him.”

The words hit her like a slap. Without another word, she turned and fled, crying. For a moment, I stood there watching her retreating figure, feeling a pang of something close to guilt. But it was fleeting. She shouldn’t have come here.

The next morning, I was summoned to the Alpha’s office. I didn’t think much of it at first, assuming it was something routine, but the moment I walked in, I knew something was off. The Alpha stood behind his desk, arms crossed, with a heavy look on his face. Liam was there, too, standing beside Nina, who was sobbing quietly in his arms. The Elders were present as well, their expressions a mix of confusion and concern.

“Astrid,” the Alpha began, his voice steady but grave. “There’s been an accusation made against you. Yesterday, after Nina came to see you, she claimed you… slapped her.”

My jaw dropped. “What?” I stammered, completely blindsided. “That’s not true! I never laid a hand on her!”

The Alpha’s frown deepened, but his eyes held a hint of doubt. “She came back in tears, and she’s shaken up. I know you're not the type to do something like that, but you’ve been… unstable since Elliot’s passing. It’s not unthinkable that in a moment of grief, you might have done something rash.”

“I didn’t,” I insisted, anger flaring inside me. “I would never.”

Liam was glaring at me, his eyes filled with disbelief and accusation. “How could you? She was trying to help. If you wanted to lash out at someone, you should have come after me, not her.”

I stared at him in utter disbelief. “You really think I’d do that? You, of all people, should know me better than that.”

Liam stepped forward, his eyes burning with frustration. “If you’re that angry at me, then fine, challenge me. Don’t take it out on her!”

A low growl rumbled from my chest, and before I could stop myself, my fangs and claws extended, sharp and ready. I was so done with their baseless accusations, and I wanted to mince that skank who fed them this lie.

"Is this the help you were talking about, two-faced bitch?" I snarled at Nina.

"Watch your mouth, Astrid!" Liam growled back, shielding her behind him.

Tension crackled between us like lightning. I was down for a round two of thrashing him around, but the Alpha's thundering voice humbled us to submission.

"Kneel!"