Chapter 20: The Permission
653 Words
The warm glow of afternoon sun spilled into the Alpha office as papers shuffled and pens scratched over reports. Damon sat behind his desk, flipping through territory maps and warrior assignments while Ethan typed away, handling rogue patrol schedules.
A knock echoed through the room.
Damon looked up. “Come in.”
The head healer stepped in, his expression unreadable.
“Alpha Damon. Alpha Ethan. I wanted to inform you—Anya has officially quit her assistant position at the clinic.”
Damon dropped the pen he was holding.
“What?” His brows furrowed. “Why? She loves the clinic. She’s been training for years to become a healer.”
The healer gave a small sigh. “She said she wants to focus on her studies. She seemed… tired. Distant.”
Ethan stiffened, jaw tight.
“We’ll need to hire new assistants,” the healer added before quietly bowing and leaving the room.
Ethan immediately called their beta through the mindlink. Nolan, make arrangements to recruit two new healer assistants for the clinic.
Damon stared at the door long after it closed. His mind was stuck on one word.
“Leaving…”
Days Later
The soft morning light bathed the Anderson cottage when the letter arrived.
Anya opened it with trembling hands, her heart pounding as she read the words.
“Congratulations! You have been selected for the Full Academic Scholarship to Northern Heights Medical University.”
A joyful gasp escaped her lips.
“Mom! Dad!” she called.
Her parents rushed in, reading the letter together, smiles spreading across their faces.
“You did it, sweetheart,” her mother said tearfully. “You’ve been working so hard for this.”
“I’m proud of you,” Alex said, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. “But…”
Anya looked up, expectant.
“Leaving the territory means you need to ask for permission from the current Alphas.”
Her heart sank. Her wolf, Aurora, stirred uncomfortably inside her.
We have to face them again…
We can do this, Anya thought firmly.
Dressed in a simple white blouse and jeans, Anya walked toward the packhouse, her heart hammering. She kept her head high, ignoring the stares from she-wolves who now barely acknowledged her.
She reached the Alpha office and paused outside.
Breathe.
She raised her hand and knocked.
“Coming,” came a voice from inside.
The door opened. And then they saw her.
Damon stood from his desk. Ethan froze, the tension in the room thick and sharp.
She stepped in slowly.
“Alpha Damon. Alpha Ethan,” she said, voice firm though her hands trembled slightly. “I need to talk about something.”
“What is it?” Damon asked, his voice unreadable.
Anya straightened her spine. “I received an offer to study medicine at Northern Heights Medical University. A full scholarship. I would like to leave the pack territory to attend.”
Ethan’s breath caught. His wolf, Roan, growled low inside him.
She’s leaving. She’s leaving us.
You made her leave, Roan snapped.
Damon couldn’t speak. His hands clenched behind his back. His wolf Zion was howling now, clawing at his insides.
They looked at her—calm, distant, beautiful. A silver flame of power and pain.
The girl they had rejected.
The girl who no longer looked at them the same.
Silence hung in the air for too long.
Anya glanced between them. “So… do I have your permission?”
Ethan swallowed. “You do.”
Damon gave a single nod. “Safe travels, Anya.”
She bowed her head slightly and turned.
“Thank you, Alpha,” she said, and walked out the door.
They didn’t stop her.
They couldn’t.
The moment the door shut, both wolves inside them howled in agony.
And for the first time in years, Ethan and Damon felt like they had truly lost something they could never get back.
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