4
1326 Words
Sophia
The road stretched out endlessly before me, framed by trees that blurred into green smears as the black SUV sped toward Moonlight Pack. The rhythmic hum of the engine could do nothing to quiet the cacophony of thoughts in my head.
I sat stiffly in the back seat, hands clenched tightly in my lap, knuckles pale, while Erick’s guards flanked me in silence.
His silent shadows.
Their stoicism reminded me of him.
Erick.
The Lycan King. My… husband.
The thought still felt surreal, surreal and terrifying in equal measure. But beneath the anxiety was a strange undercurrent of calm... of security.
For reasons I couldn’t yet explain, I trusted him.
"If she gets as much as a scratch..." his words echoed in my ears, making my heart swell with pride.
He’d insisted I not go back alone, and though I wished he hadn’t assigned his guards, I couldn’t ignore the warmth that flickered in my chest because he cared.
We’d only known each other for a day, yet he treated me with more consideration than Caleb ever had.
Caleb.
His name felt like venom now. Bitter and poisonous.
My jaw tightened as the SUV turned the familiar bend that led into Moonlight Pack territory. From a distance, the once beloved sight of my former home emerged, bustling and adorned with bright drapes of gold and navy.
I could see warriors preparing the grounds, and shouting instructions, servants dashing around with trays. It was all for tonight. For Caleb’s enthronement as the new Alpha.
And he had discarded me like trash to make room for it.
My heart felt too tight in my chest.
As the SUV slowed to a halt in front of the packhouse gates, one of the guards, the taller of the two, turned to me. “Lady Sophia, we will accompany you inside.”
I shook my head firmly, already pushing the car door open. “No. Stay here. This is something I have to do alone.”
The shorter guard frowned. “Alpha Erick gave strict orders that...”
“I know what your Alpha said,” I interrupted, stepping out onto the gravel. “But I am not in danger here. Not physically. Please… just wait.”
They looked at each other again, but they obeyed. I didn’t wait to hear their reply before making my way down the cobbled pathway, each step feeling heavier than the last.
The closer I got to the packhouse, the harder my breath came.
The familiar structure stood proud and tall, decorated for celebration, but to me it felt like a haunted relic now. A monument to betrayal.
Every stone reminded me of whispered promises and stolen kisses. And now, of lies.
I climbed the stairs and didn’t bother knocking. I had been in that house more times than I could count. I pushed the door open and walked in like a ghost, like a shadow of the woman who used to belong there.
I found Caleb in his room, just as I had expected.
He stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the gold-embroidered sash that crossed over his chest.
His hair was styled with more care than usual, and his jaw was freshly shaven. He looked every bit like an Alpha.
Tall, proud, imposing. But all I saw was a man with a blackened soul.
His head jerked when he saw my reflection in the mirror.
“Sophia?” he asked, surprised and… annoyed?
I didn’t greet him. I didn’t smile. I stared, long and hard.
“Where were you last night?” he demanded, turning towards me, his voice taking that arrogant tone I’d learned to hate.
“I could ask you the same,” I replied, my voice low and cold. “Why didn’t you show up at the marriage bureau?”
His lips tightened, and then he scoffed. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
“Like what?” I stepped closer. “Like a woman who waited three hours to marry the man she loved? Or Like a fool who overheard her fiancé panting in bed with her best friend?”
His face darkened.
Thise words probably hit a nerve.
“Watch your tone.” He hissed.
I felt my pulse quicken. “Why, Caleb? Was I not good enough for you? Or did you just enjoy making me look like a fool?”
Something in him snapped. His palm shot out before I could react, and the sound of the slap echoed off the walls.
My head jerked to the side, pain blooming across my cheek like fire.
I stumbled back a step, blinking fast, tears burning behind my eyes but refusing to fall.
“You forget who you’re talking to,” he growled. “I am your Alpha.”
I steadied myself, ignoring the pain. “You’re no Alpha of mine.”
A fake gasp echoed from behind me.
I turned just as Sonya stepped into the room. She wore a tight dress that hugged her already rounding belly, her perfectly made-up face twisted into a mask of false concern.
“Sophia!” she said, her voice too sweet. “Oh no… did he hurt you?”
I stared at her, stunned by her gall. “Why pretend? You’ve already taken everything from me. The least you can do is stop acting like you care.”
She tilted her head, and the smirk that slowly curled her lips made my stomach twist.
“Caleb, please don’t get worked up,” she cooed, stepping toward him and placing her hand delicately over his chest. “It’s not good for the baby.”
Baby.
The word hit like a brick. I glanced down at her hand resting on her stomach.
Their child.
The one she’d been gloating about.
The heir Caleb wanted to announce tonight.
I had already known, but seeing it now...seeing them…
Caleb reached out and pulled her into his arms, brushing her cheek affectionately. “I want her out of here,” he said, not even looking at me anymore. “She’s not part of this pack anymore. I don’t want her sullying my reign.”
My heart dropped.
“Are you serious?” I asked, my voice cracking. “You’re throwing me out?”
“I gave you a home once,” he said coldly. “Now I’m taking it back.”
Sonya leaned her head on his shoulder, her eyes locking with mine. “I tried to tell you, Sophia… I really did. But he was mine long before you came. You were just keeping the seat warm.”
I turned away, refusing to let them see me crumble.
I walked into the adjacent room where my few belongings still sat packed in the corner. My clothes were neatly folded, a single book of poems, a necklace Caleb once gave me that I now saw as nothing more than a chain. I shoved them into a bag with robotic precision.
I felt them watching me, but I didn’t care.
I couldn’t.
If I looked at them again, I might scream or cry, and I couldn’t afford to do either.
I made my way back to the entrance, hands trembling slightly on the straps of my bag. I stopped at the door, turned slowly, and faced them one last time.
They stood side by side, hands intertwined, like the perfect couple they were pretending to be.
A king and queen crowned by betrayal.
I walked towards Caleb, each step deliberate. He tensed slightly but didn’t move.
I raised my hand slowly.
He flinched.
But all I did was press my palm against my stinging cheek, the same place where he had slapped me moments before.
“I will pay you back for the slap,” I said softly, but with a steel edge in my voice.
Then I turned, walked out of the house I had once called home, and didn’t look back.
- Writer
