Camilla
“Camilla! Why the hell did you put vegan pepperoni on this pizza?” Santiago shouted from the dining room.
I rushed out of the bathroom, heart pounding. By the time I got there, the pizza was already on the floor, half-eaten by Brave, our scruffy terrier. I’d meant that pizza for myself—Santiago hated vegan anything.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I’ll make another one—”
“You’re always forgetting things. I’ve lost my appetite. I’ll just eat out.”
He called for Gabriella to get ready. I stood frozen, shrinking under his words. It was one stupid mistake. One. But he acted like I made a habit of screwing up.
Gabriella came down the stairs, smirking like she’d been waiting for a moment to pile on.
“Way to go, Mom. You made Dad mad again. You probably forgot my finger tab too.”
“I always put it in your bag, Gabbe,” I said, trying to keep my voice level.
“Well, it wasn’t there this time. Maybe you’ll blame me for losing it. Let’s go, Dad.”
“Her memory’s getting worse,” Santiago muttered, grabbing the car keys from the hook.
I sank into the dining chair, eyes on the ruined pizza Brave was still licking up. I scratched behind his ears, my mind racing.
Is this what my family’s become?
They didn’t see me anymore. Not as a mate. Not as a mother. Just a woman who forgot things.
One mistake. That’s all it took for them to turn it into a character flaw.
I waited until they left, then went to Gabriella’s room. Her finger tab was right there in her bag, just buried under a change of clothes. I exhaled. Let her say I forgot—at least it wasn’t lost.
Back downstairs, I mopped up the mess on the floor and went back to scrubbing the slippery tiles in the bathroom. Years ago, my father never let me do housework—he said it was Omega duty. But when I became Santiago’s mate, that all changed.
Santiago didn’t want to hire help. Said it was a waste of money. So I took over. Cleaning. Cooking. Managing everything. Even though my dad warned me not to strain myself like this.
I gave up everything—my status as an Alpha’s daughter, my role as a pack consulate, and my dream of being loved by mate who actually respected me.
When the house was finally clean, I sat down to eat what little was left of my cold pizza—then I heard the garage door.
Santiago was back, scowling. Apparently, his Mastercard had been declined. Again. No surprise there. He hadn’t closed a single property this month.
But what I didn’t expect was him blaming me for it.
“If you hadn’t messed up dinner, I wouldn’t have had to eat out.”
“Good thing Aunt Jen came,” Gabriella added, skipping past him. “She treated us. She’s way nicer than you, Mom.”
“Gabriella, don’t talk to your mother like that,” I said.
“But Dad said it first. I’m just being honest.”
“Don’t take it to heart,” Santiago said with a sigh. “Jen took care of everything. She just happened to be at the restaurant with some friends.”
Jennifer walked in behind them, arms full of grocery bags, all smiles like she belonged here.
“Santiago said you hadn’t done the monthly grocery run, so we picked up a few things. Sorry we’re late—Gabriella wanted to stop and get a dress for her friend’s birthday party.”
My throat tightened. That was my job. I always did the shopping with my own retirement money, every end of the month.
Now Jennifer was doing it.
Even Gabriella had chosen her over me.
“Yeah, Mom, Aunt Jen helped me pick out a dress. She has amazing taste. I wanna go shopping with her all the time now.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Because you always say no to trendy stuff. You’re old-fashioned, Mom. I don’t want my friends laughing at me.”
“Gabbe, you could’ve just said…”
“It’s fine, Camilla,” Jennifer cut in smoothly. “I don’t mind. It’s just a dress. It’s not like I spoil her every day.”
I wasn’t hungry anymore.
Their words hit harder than fists. They bruised in places no one could see. And no amount of pretending could cover up the pain.
I had no voice in this house. Not in the home I bought with my severance pay from Allegiant Howl.
My husband and daughter listened more to my half-sister—the trendy, modern, flawless Jennifer—than they did to me.
I let them unpack the groceries without a word and climbed the stairs to my room. From behind the door, I heard them laughing, chatting like I didn’t even exist.
I pulled my journal from the drawer, flipped it open to the letter I’d hidden a month ago.
The Lycantrophic Unit for Paranormal Affairs is seeking your expertise, Camilla Evelyn Navarro, to join our specialized division.
At the bottom was a name I hadn’t seen in years.
Antoine Reed.
A friend. And the recruiter for the position.
I pulled my phone from my shorts pocket, hands trembling as I dialed the number listed below.
“Hello…Antoine. This is Camilla.”
