Chapter 2
1029 Words
Clarice's scent slipped through the closed door, and I recognized it at once. A low growl escaped me before I could stop it, and every hair on my body stood on end.
Every instinct in me recoiled from Clarice. I didn't need a reason. Whenever her scent approached the edge of the territory, I reacted before I had time to think.
I knew that scent. It was Clarice. Beneath the subdued sweetness was perfume she had probably used to mask her natural scent, but a wolf's nose wasn't that easy to fool.
She had been the same in my previous life. She hid behind a gentle, harmless facade while slowly working her way closer to Jude and winning over Elowen until she helped destroy my life. Clarice never relied on rank or intimidation. She got what she wanted through patience, inching closer one careful step at a time.
And in this life, she had come just as early.
I had no intention of going downstairs. I shut down the mind-link and blocked Jude's private channel, cutting myself off from everything happening below.
Then I mind-linked Jemma Foster. "Are you free tonight? Come see a movie with me."
Jemma was one of Black Pine's best female warriors and the only friend I had who wanted nothing from me. Her wolf was named Storm. Though Jemma had been born an Omega, she was one of the few she-wolves in the pack who could outperform male warriors in physical assessments. She was refreshingly blunt and straightforward.
She answered without hesitation. "I'll be there in 10 minutes. Wait for me outside."
Storm was a gray she-wolf and one of the fastest runners in the patrol unit. In my previous life, Jemma and I had become friends after she protected me during an accident on a pack hunt.
I changed into comfortable clothes and left without glancing toward the living room.
Once we were in the car, Jemma turned and studied me, her nose twitching. "You're different today. Even your scent has changed. You're calmer, almost like a different person."
Werewolves had sharper senses than humans. Strong emotions altered our scent, making it difficult to hide how we felt from one another.
"I finally figured a few things out," I said. "There's no reason to keep making myself miserable."
As the car passed through the guard post and left the territory, my whole body relaxed. During the 2 hours we were at the theater, Jude tried to reach me over the mind-link more than a dozen times. I ignored every call.
By the time the movie ended, night had settled over the town. This time, the house steward contacted me. He sounded anxious and awkward.
"Luna, Miss Hawthorne says she's in pain and won't stop crying. She insists that only you can calm her down."
I knew exactly what Elowen was doing. In the past, one complaint from her would have sent me racing home, no matter the hour. But I had learned her habits too well over the years. Pretending to be sick was her favorite way to manipulate people. She also knew that as the Alpha's pup, few people dared refuse her outright.
Even through the mind-link, I could hear how fake Elowen's crying was. She dragged out every sob for the benefit of whoever might be listening. She wasn't truly in pain.
"Don't coddle her, and don't contact me again about it," I said. "If she's actually unwell, take her straight to the infirmary."
The house steward paused before answering respectfully.
Jemma arched a brow at me. "So you're really letting go this time? You used to put that kid above everything. You'd fly home in the middle of a snowstorm if she called for you."
"I misjudged the people around me," I said. "No amount of sacrifice can buy real love."
When Jemma dropped me off at the Pack House, the living-room lights were still on. Jude sat alone in the middle of the couch, scowling as he waited for me. The force of his Alpha presence put the whole room on edge.
I calmly took off my shoes at the door without a hint of guilt.
"Where were you?" He shot to his feet. "Our daughter was sick. Do you have any idea how many times I tried to reach you? Is this how a Luna is supposed to behave?"
It was always the same. He accused me and judged me without ever seeing what I had done for this family or how much I had turned down just to keep everything running.
I watched him rage without saying a word. The argument ended with him furious and me silent from beginning to end. I neither defended myself nor apologized.
From that day forward, I changed the way I lived. Housekeeping staff handled the day-to-day chores. I stopped cooking, worrying about cleaning, and overseeing every trivial detail of the Pack House.
I returned to violin lessons and took my business-management courses seriously. Whenever I had spare time, I shopped in town and took better care of myself. Sometimes I passed the pack training grounds and watched the younger warriors spar. It reminded me that I had once been a gifted she-wolf capable of holding my own in the ring.
The change showed quickly. The tension left my face, color returned to my skin, and I moved with a lightness I hadn't felt in years.
One weekend afternoon, Jemma and I met for lunch at a restaurant in the center of town. The moment I sat down, I froze at what I saw.
By the window sat Jude, Elowen, and Clarice. They laughed together around the table, looking like a warm, happy family. They looked more like the people who belonged in my home than I did, even though I was the rightful Luna.
I lifted my water glass. My fingers didn't tremble. To my surprise, I felt calm.
But I couldn't silence my instincts. Every territorial alarm in me went off at once, and my muscles tightened as I watched the three of them.
Then I felt Jude staring at me from across the restaurant.
Jude had noticed me.
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