“It’s time I reclaim my throne as the Alpha. Tell the council I’ll be there by sunrise,” I said firmly into the phone.

My grandmother sighed on the other end. “Are you sure about this, Evelyn? Once you step foot back in Blackthorn Territory, there’s no turning back.”

“I know,” I replied firmly, clutching the phone tighter. “It’s time.”

I hung up before she could say anything else and stared at the bedroom I’d called mine for nearly a decade. Five years of living under someone else’s roof, pretending to belong somewhere I didn’t, it was enough.

Enough pain, enough regret and enough pretending. I was finally going home to take up my rightful position.

As I turned to grab my bag from the closet, my elbow accidentally knocked over the small vase sitting on the edge of the dresser.

The sound of glass breaking made me freeze. My heart sank as I looked down at the mess. It was one of Maya's favorite vases, the one Lucas cherished most.

“Oh no,” I whispered, quickly bending down to pick up the pieces.

Before I could clean it all up, the door burst open, and Lucas stormed in. The man who should have been my happily-ever-after looked furious.

“What happened?” he demanded, his sharp gaze darting between me and the broken vase.

“I—I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.” I tried to gather the shards.

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, and he took a threatening step closer. “You dropped her vase. Again.”

“No, I—” I started, but he cut me off.

“Always doing this, aren’t you? Destroying everything that reminds me of her,” he snapped.

A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it down. This wasn’t the first time we’d fought over something like this, nor would it be the last. Maya, Lucas’s late fiancée, the woman I could never replace had died five years ago in a car accident.

But to Lucas, it felt like yesterday. To him, I was nothing more than the temporary substitute, the one who kept his bed warm while he mourned.

He found me shortly after Maya's death and promised me a future, claiming he loved me just as much as he had loved Maya.

Yet, for five long years, he never once proposed. Every mention of marriage was brushed aside with excuses about timing or responsibility.

“I’m sorry, Lucas. It was an accident!” I pleaded, trying to pull my wrist free as he grabbed me.

He yanked me closer, his grip tightening painfully. “Accident or not, you’ll pay for this!”

Before I could respond, his hand slipped slightly, and I stumbled backward, crashing into the dresser. Pain shot through my side as my hip hit the sharp corner. I gasped, clutching my ribs as I sank to the floor.

“Well?” he said coldly. “What are you waiting for? Clean it up.”

“But I’m hurt,” I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.

He scoffed. “Serves you right. Next time, you’ll think twice before breaking something important to me.”

Without another word, he stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with the mess he’d made. Again.

Later that evening, I stood in front of the mirror, applying ointment to the angry red marks on my arm. The burn wasn’t severe, but it worsened with every movement.

The door opened, and Lucas stepped inside. He walked over and gently took the ointment from my hand.

“Let me,” he murmured, his fingers brushing against mine.

I hesitated, unsure whether to pull away or let him continue. In the end, I stayed still, watching as he carefully applied the soothing cream to my injury.

His touch was tender and loving, but it only made me angrier. How could he act like nothing had happened? Like throwing me in the middle of a broken vase was just another minor disagreement?

“You need to stop doing this,” I said softly, breaking the silence.

“Doing what?” he asked.

“This.” I gestured between us. “Acting like everything’s fine when it’s not. Like I’m some kind of placeholder until you’re ready to move on.”

Lucas stiffened, his hands pausing mid-motion. “That’s not fair, Evelyn. You know I care about you.”

“But you don’t love me. Not the way I deserve to be loved. Not the way Maya deserved to be loved,” I shot back.

His face darkened, and for a second, I thought he might lash out again. But instead, he dropped the ointment and stepped back, putting distance between us.

“We need to talk,” he said.

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand, pulling both of our attention to it.

“Who’s texting you this late?” Lucas asked, frowning as he reached for the device before I could stop him.

“Wait—don’t!” I stammered, moving forward, but it was too late.

His eyes scanned the screen, and his face darkened instantly.

“What’s this?” he demanded, holding the phone up so I could see the message.

It was from my grandmother: I can’t wait for you to pack. See you soon, sweetheart.

Lucas’s jaw tightened as he looked at me with betrayal flashing in his eyes. “What the fuck is this, Evelyn? Who sent this?” he growled.

“My grandmom,” I said quietly.

“So you’re leaving. After all this time, you’re just going to walk away?” His voice was icy cold.

“Yes, Lucas. I’m done being a substitute. By sunrise, I’m leaving for good.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” Lucas’s expression darkened.

I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. “Why not? You’ve made it clear that I don’t belong here. Five years is enough.”

“Evelyn, stop being ridiculous. Is this because of earlier? That vase incident was nothing—it doesn’t mean anything. You’re overreacting,” he snapped.

“Overreacting? You threw me against the dresser and told me I deserved it. How am I supposed to forget that?”

Before he could respond, his phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand. He glanced at the screen, and a smile spread across his face.

“It’s official—they just promoted me to Head Enforcer of the Silverstone Pack. This is huge, Evelyn. You can’t possibly leave now, not when we should be celebrating together.”

I stared at him. “You think I care about your promotion after everything you’ve done to me? No, Lucas. I’m done playing along.”

He grabbed my wrist. “Don’t embarrass me like this. Not tonight. Everyone will be there—friends, family, and even the council. They expect us to show up together.”

“I don’t care what they expect. Let them see the truth, that we’re nothing more than strangers sharing space.” I yanked my hand away.

“Enough of this tantrum. You’re coming with me.” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along before I could protest further.

Reluctantly, I followed him to the party hall, where the pack had gathered. The room buzzed with laughter and chatter, but the moment we walked in, whispers filled the air.

“There she is—the pathetic stray who thinks she belongs here,” someone muttered loud enough for me to hear.

“She’s still clinging to Lucas? Pathetic.”

“She’s not fooling anyone. She’ll never replace Maya.”

I forced myself to ignore their words. But it wasn’t easy, not when even Lucas refused to defend me.

“Behave yourself,” Lucas whispered sharply as he left my side to join his friends.

I stood frozen as they surrounded him, laughing and patting him on the back.

“Lucas, man, when are you finally going to get rid of that clingy girl?” one of them joked.

“Does she even contribute anything besides warming your bed? Honestly, man, it’s getting pathetic watching you babysit someone so… replaceable.”

Lucas chuckled along with them. “Come on, guys. I can’t leave her all alone, that would be cruel. Her parents are dead, she’d be out on the streets without me.”

They burst into laughter, completely indifferent to how their words might hurt me.

Just then, the doors swung open, and the room fell silent. It was Clara, Lucas’s childhood sweetheart.

“Clara!” someone shouted, breaking the silence. “We heard you were back in town!”

Everyone turned to greet her, including Lucas, who rushed to embrace her.

“Clara, I’ve missed you,” he murmured, holding her close.

My stomach churned as I watched them together. It was like watching a movie I’d seen too many times before—but somehow, it still managed to break my heart.

“Oh, Evelyn!” Clara called out, spotting me near the edge of the crowd. She approached me with a sugary-sweet smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here. How lovely!”

She handed me her phone. “Take a picture of us, won’t you? Something to remember this special night.”

I hesitated but took the phone anyway. As I snapped the photo, Lucas leaned down to kiss Clara right in front of me. Their affection was nauseating, and everyone—except me—applauded them as they finished.

When I handed the phone back to Clara, she gave me a patronizing pat on the shoulder. “Thank you so much, dear. You’re such a sweetheart.”

I got away from them and found refuge in the restroom, leaning against the sink as tears threatened to spill. Just as I was about to compose myself, the door creaked open, and Clara stepped inside.

“Evelyn,” Clara’s voice purred behind me.

I turned to see her leaning against the doorway. “What do you want?”

“Just thought I’d check on you. You seemed… tense out there.”

“I’m fine.” I avoided her gaze.

“Tsk, tsk.” She clicked her tongue mockingly. “Don’t lie to me. I saw how devastated you looked when Lucas kissed me. How does it feel knowing he’ll never love you? That you’re nothing more than a placeholder?”

Her words cut deep, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break. “Why are you here, Clara?”

“To remind you of your place. Lucas may pity you, but he’ll never choose you over me. Everyone knows it. Even his friends think you’re pathetic—a clingy little stray clinging to scraps of affection,” she said sharply.

My fists clenched. “Get out.”

“Not yet.” She reached out suddenly, grabbing the pendant hanging around my neck, the only thing I had left of my late mother. “What’s this ugly trinket? Looks ancient.”

“Don’t touch that! It belonged to my mom.” I gasped, lunging forward.

Clara laughed cruelly, holding it just out of reach. “Oh, how precious. Sentimental garbage from a dead woman. Let’s see if it’s as fragile as your heart.”

With a swift motion, she yanked the chain off my neck and threw it onto the floor. Before I could stop her, she stomped on it and shattered the locket into pieces.

“No!” I cried, dropping to my knees. Inside the broken pendant lay a tiny photo of my mother smiling—a memory I cherished more than anything.

“That’s what happens to things you care about when you overstay your welcome,” she hissed. “Leave before I destroy everything else precious to you.”

I clenched my fists, tears streaming down my face. "You're cruel, Clara. What did I ever do to you?"

Before she could respond, footsteps echoed outside the restroom. Lucas's voice called out sharply, "Evelyn, where are you?"

Clara's eyes gleamed with mischief as she grabbed one of the broken shards of my mother's pendant from the floor.

Before I could stop her, she slashed her own arm and collapsed dramatically onto the tiles, clutching her wound.

"Evelyn!" Lucas burst into the room. "How dare you!"

"What? I didn't do this!" I stared at him in shock.

"She tried to push me away when I told her not to leave the pack," Clara whimpered, tears falling down her face. "She said she didn't care what happened to me or the pack. Then she shoved me, and I fell onto the glass."

"That's not true!" I shouted in panic. "I never pushed her! She came at me—"

"Enough!" Lucas roared, cutting me off.

His glare burned into me like fire. "I brought you here so you could celebrate with me, but instead, you're causing trouble. Clara was just trying to help you, and this is how you repay her?"

"I didn't touch her! She's lying!" My voice shook.

"Don't shout at her!" Clara interrupted. "It's my fault. I should have left her alone when she said she wanted to leave. None of this would have happened if I hadn't tried to convince her to stay for your sake, Lucas. And now… now she's shattered her mother's pendant because of me."

Lucas glanced at the shards scattered across the floor. "You did well. She broke Maya's vase earlier too. It's only fair that something of hers breaks in return."

He turned back to me. "Pack up the shards of your mother's pendant. Make sure some of them enters your skin. You deserve every bit of pain they cause."

He knelt beside Clara, gently inspecting her cut. Though it was barely more than a scratch, he acted as though she were dying.

"Everyone, gather around! There's an emergency here!" he barked to the nearby pack members who had gathered outside the restroom. "Call for medical aid immediately from the healer. She's losing too much blood!"

He scooped her up bridal-style like she was fragile glass and shot me a final glare.

"Clean up your mess, Evelyn. And before I come home, throw out everything related to your mother. Her stupid pendant caused this whole issue."

The party ended shortly after that, and I returned to the mansion feeling hollow.

I couldn't stay in this toxic environment any longer. I began packing my belongings, determined to leave as soon as possible.

Just then, my phone buzzed. Thinking it might be Lucas apologizing or maybe even begging me to reconsider, I glanced at the screen.

Instead, it was Clara. She'd sent a string of half naked photos: Lucas holding her close, kissing her neck, whispering something in her ear. The caption read:

"Sending you away was the best decision ever. Lucas misses me so much, he said he's been dreaming of my body since I got back. Don't worry, I made sure to remind him what real sex feels like."

My hands trembled as I stared at the images. Was this why he pushed me aside so quickly? So they could rekindle their romance behind closed doors?

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Of course. Why should I expect loyalty from a man who couldn't even look at me without seeing someone else's ghost?

Moments later, Lucas returned looking disheveled, his shirt untucked, his hair messy and traces of red lip gloss smeared across his neck. "Have you made dinner?"

"Yes. How is she now?" I set a plate of food on the table.

"She's fine," he answered coldly. "Thanks to you, she needs stitches on her beautiful arm. Are you happy with yourself?"

I hesitated. "Can't you even consider that she might be lying? That she orchestrated this entire thing?"

"You're always wrong, Evelyn," he shot back. "Why should I believe you? Tomorrow, you'll apologize to her properly. First thing in the morning."

"What? You want me to grovel to someone who lied and manipulated me?"

"Because of you, she's in the hospital," he growled. "You must apologize, or there will be consequences."

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Now you're talking," he said to me.

The next day, Clara came to our house. When I went downstairs, I found them already giggling together in the living room. Lucas glanced up and smiled at Clara.

"Clara, I understand you're still in pain. But I'm sure Evelyn apology will ease things." He said gently.

To my shock, Clara suddenly knelt before me, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry for yesterday. Because of me, you lost your pendant. I ruined everything. What would your mother's ghost think of me?"

Lucas stepped forward, glaring at her. "Don't you dare apologize and kneel again. I told you—she deserves it. That pendant was stupid anyway. You can always get her another one. Didn't you bring her a replacement?"

Clara nodded and pulled out a cheap, poorly crafted pendant. Inside lay a rough pen drawing of my mother. She handed it to me with a smug grin.

"Here, take this. It's not much, but at least it's better than that broken piece of junk your mother left behind."

I stared at the ridiculous gift, speechless.

"This is what you deserve," Lucas said coldly, placing the pendant in my hand. "Nothing more and nothing less."