The silence of the morning was suffocating, a heavy blanket pressing down on my chest. My heart ached, the wound fresh and raw, as I lay there in the cold stillness. It was as if everything had stopped. The world outside the window might as well not exist for all I cared.
I couldn’t bear it any longer, dragging myself out of bed, I moved sluggishly. My limbs feel heavy, every movement an effort. I reached for a simple dress, a muted gray that matched the storm raging in my chest and slipped it on without much thought. My fingers trembled as I tied my hair back into a messy bun, the strands refusing to cooperate.
When I looked into the mirror, I flinched. The reflection staring back at me was almost unrecognizable. My eyes were red-rimmed, hollow, devoid of the fire that once burned there. My skin was pale, and my lips pressed into a thin line. I looked like someone who had given too much and received nothing in return.
I stepped out of the room and as I descended into the foyer, something unfamiliar caught my eye…two large suitcases parked neatly by the staircase.
I froze.
“Whose are these?” I asked the maid.
The maid, startled by my sudden appearance, and she hesitated for a moment before answering. “These belong to Miss Lila, ma’am,”
“Lila?” The name hung in the air like a curse.
“Yes, Luna Anya,” she replied. “ Alpha Harlan instructed us to prepare the guest bedroom for her. These are her things.”
I felt the ground shift beneath me. She was here. She was moving in. My breathing grew shallow, my chest tight as I turned on my heel and stormed toward Harlan’s study. The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open without bothering to knock.
Harlan sat behind his desk, pen in hand, papers scattered in front of him. His golden eyes flicked up to meet mine.
“Harlan,” I said, my voice trembling with barely contained anger.
“Anya, what’s the matter now?”
“What’s the matter?” I repeated, “I wake up to find Lila’s luggage in the foyer, and I’m being told you’ve arranged a room for her. That’s the matter!”
Harlan sighed, leaning back in his chair as though my outburst were nothing more than a nuisance. “Don’t make this a big deal, Anya.”
“Not a big deal?” I snapped. “You’re moving her into the house…Our house…And you didn’t even think to tell me? Do you realize how humiliating that is?”
“She needed a place to stay,” he said, as if that explained everything. “It’s not like she has anywhere else to go.”
I stared at him, in disbelief. “You can’t be serious,” I whispered. “This is her plan, Harlan. She’s manipulating you, and you’re letting her.”
“Enough, Anya! I won’t stand here and let you insult her. Lila’s been through enough. She’s family, and I’m helping her. That’s the end of it.”
“Family?” I said bitterly, “She’s not your family, Harlan. She’s a parasite, and she’s sinking her claws into you.”
“You’ve changed, Anya,” he said. “You’ve become bitter, jealous, and impossible to reason with. This isn’t the woman I grew up with. This isn’t the woman I chose as my mate.”
I blinked back the tears threatening to spill, my throat tightening with the effort to hold them in.
“You’re right,” I said, “I’ve changed. Because I had to. Because the woman you fell in love with wouldn’t have survived this…survived you.”
“Maybe choosing you was a mistake,” he said, the words like a dagger to my heart.
“If that’s how you feel,” I said, “then maybe you’re right. Maybe this was a mistake.”
Harlan didn’t respond immediately, but when he did, almost resigned. “Maybe it is.”
I stood frozen, my entire world crumbling around me. My heart shattered into pieces as the words hung in the air, and I couldn’t breathe.
I turned, blindly stumbling toward the door, the tears already streaming down my face. But as I stepped into the hall, I stopped cold.
Lila was there. Standing just outside the study, her back pressed against the wall, her expression caught somewhere between amusement and mock concern. Her lips twitched upward, but she tried to hide it, playing the innocent.
She’d been listening.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” I said to her and I glared at her.
“Anya,” she said sweetly, “I didn’t mean to overhear. I was just... passing by.”
“Save it,” I snapped, “I know what you’re doing. I know exactly what you are.”
Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she regained her composure. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said, “But I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t have the energy. Instead, I turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with that sickly sweet smile plastered on her face.
When I reached my room, I collapsed onto the bed, sobs wracking my body. Lila had won. She had slithered her way into my home, into Harlan’s heart, and no matter how much I fought, he would always choose her over me.I cried until there were no more tears to shed.
