FELIZ’S POV
The journey back to the Silver Steele Pack felt like a dagger twisting deeper into my chest. The roads leading to the estate, once familiar and filled with memories, now felt cold and foreign. I had built a life here once, but now, it felt like chains pulling me back to a place that no longer welcomed me.
I didn’t want to go back, but I had to. My father’s only keepsake—the locket necklace he gave me before he died—was something I needed to take with me. I had no intention of staying, but I needed it wherever the future would lead me.
As I arrived, the packhouse loomed in the moonlight, its grandeur suffocating. Inside, laughter and music spilled out through open windows. The celebration for Vera’s ascension as the new Luna continued, a cruel reminder of the life I was leaving behind.
I moved silently through the interior, determined to grab the necklace and leave quickly. The air inside was filled with the scent of roasted meat and wine, but it only gnawed at my hunger and heartache. People glanced at me with curiosity and whispered among themselves as I walked past.
“Feliz,” a sickly-sweet voice called out. I stopped to see Vera standing at the base of the grand staircase, a glass of red wine in hand. Her moonstone ring gleamed under the chandelier’s light. She looked every bit the Luna she now was, and it churned my stomach.
“You’re back. Going somewhere?” she asked with a sly tilt of her head.
“I’m just here to get something, and then I’ll leave,” I replied, uninterested in her games.
“Oh, but you’ll miss the festivities,” she said with mock concern. “Elias and Kade said you were like a little sister to them. It would be a shame if you didn’t get to say goodbye properly.”
Her words felt like daggers wrapped in velvet. “I’ve already said my goodbyes,” I said, refusing to show weakness.
She smiled wider, her eyes glinting with malice. Without warning, she spilled her wine on the front of my coat. “Oops!” she gasped. “I hope that wasn’t your favorite coat.”
I swallowed my anger, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. “Don’t worry about it,” I said coldly, turning to walk away.
But she didn’t follow, and I felt a wave of frustration. How could she act like she hadn’t almost killed me with the wolfsbane they forced me to drink? My wolf was still barely hanging on, weakened but not fully gone.
I reached my room, slamming the door shut. My chest heaved with anger as I searched through my closet. My eyes landed on the locket necklace—a simple silver pendant with my father’s initials engraved on it. Memories flooded back: Elias and Kade in our younger years, teaching me to hunt, fight, and heal. They had once been my protectors, my family.
But now, those memories felt like a cruel illusion. The brothers who once cared for me had become strangers.
A knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. Before I could respond, the door swung open, and Elias stepped inside, his expression hard. Kade followed, his usual smirk replaced with cold seriousness.
“Feliz, what are you doing?” Elias asked.
“I am just taking some of my things, then I’ll leave,” I replied, standing tall.
Kade sneered. “Ungrateful as always. Have you forgotten what we did for you? We fed you, clothed you, gave you a place to belong—and this is how you repay us?”
“A place to belong?” I echoed bitterly. “You all made it clear I don’t belong here anymore.”
Elias didn’t argue. Instead, he pointed to the trunk at the foot of my bed. “That that too. My Luna doesn’t want reminders of you cluttering her space.”
Kade stepped forward, grabbing the locket from my hand. “And this?” he said, yanking it away. “Let it go, Feliz. Your father’s dead. Move on.”
The sound of the necklace hitting the floor felt like a gunshot. I knelt to pick it up, trembling with fury. “Enough. This is my father’s memory.”
Kade laughed mockingly. “Your father? He’s gone. Forget him.”
I stood up, my voice shaking but resolute. “I’ve had enough.”
I met Elias’s gaze, a flicker of determination settling in my eyes. The tension between us was suffocating, but I stood firm.
“Fine,” Elias said, his voice filled with disdain. “Then don’t expect us to take you back if no one opens their pack or home to you. You’ll have nothing.”
“I already have nothing,” I said, my voice unwavering. “But at least now, I’ll have a chance to build something of my own.”
Elias’s eyes narrowed, his expression a mix of anger and resentment. Without another word, he turned and left the room, Kade following closely behind. Their footsteps echoed through the hallway, leaving me with a strange sense of relief.
I felt a mix of anger and sadness. The Silver Steele Pack’s chains had kept me captive for too long, suffocating me with their rules and expectations. But now, I was breaking free.
Taking a deep breath, I looked at the locket in my trembling hands. My father’s memory would guide me. I wouldn’t let the past define me. The future lay ahead, uncertain but full of potential.
