Their performance was more dramatic than a soap opera.
I didn’t hold back as I ordered them to leave. “If you want to cry, do it somewhere else. Don’t taint my territory.”
“Sofia, you’re being too harsh.”
Watching their interaction, a sour ache twisted in my chest. I refused to stoop to Ariella’s level, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Keeping my voice steady, I said, “Since you’re so in love, I’ll step aside and let you be together.”
Seeing my compliance, Jalen’s attitude softened slightly. “I knew you’d understand, Sofia. If you can get along with Ariella, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
“Get along with Ariella? What are you talking about?”
Jalen spoke with an alpha tone, as if he had already decided everything. “You and Ariella will both join the Blue Moon Pack. She’ll be my Luna, and you’ll be my chosen mate.”
I stared at him, feeling a wave of unfamiliarity. “Jalen, what’s happened to you? What do I even mean to you?”
“Sofia, the Blue Moon Pack is prestigious. My Luna can only be someone like Ariella—a noble and refined she-wolf with a strong aura. Having a mate who spends her time tending to herbs in the forest would be an insult to my pack.”
He repeated his decision with finality. “My Luna will be Ariella. Allowing you to remain as my chosen mate is already a gesture of kindness, considering our history.”
“Sofia, don’t be stubborn. It won’t do you any good.”
Jalen smiled as he said this, the curve of his lips dripping with mockery.
This wasn’t the way he used to treat me—a childhood companion. It was the way he looked at a weak omega.
I couldn’t understand why Jalen had suddenly turned against me.
