Jackson didn’t come home that night. After I refused to cook for Charlie, he blocked my number.
I didn’t bother trying to contact him. Instead, I decided to visit my hometown. It wasn’t out of nostalgia; there were things from my childhood I needed to retrieve.
The small county of Everfall where I grew up was far from the pack's territory, nestled deep in the mountains. The moment I stepped off the bus, I saw my mother waiting at the door of our old, worn-down cabin. She was scanning the road eagerly, her eyes bright with anticipation. But when she realized I was alone, her face darkened.
“You didn’t bring Jackson?” she asked, her tone sharp with disappointment.
“No,” I replied evenly. “We’re not together anymore.”
Her hand flew faster than I could react, slapping me hard across the face. The sting of it was nothing compared to the shame I felt, knowing I deserved it—not for leaving Jackson, but for what I couldn’t bring myself to say.
I pressed a hand to my swelling cheek, staying silent as she scolded me.
“What do you mean you’re not together? Jackson told me everything!” she shouted, her voice carrying across the quiet county of Everfall. “He said you’re jealous and stubborn, ruining the best thing that’s ever happened to you! Do you know how lucky you are to have him? Do you have any idea how much I prayed for someone like him to overlook your failures?”
The words cut deeper than her slap ever could. I opened my mouth to respond, but she grabbed a stick from the porch.
“I won’t let you ruin this!” she yelled, bringing the stick down hard across my arm, my back, my legs. The strikes rained down like a storm, and all I could do was stand there, taking it, as I had so many times before.
“You’re useless! A disgrace! You can’t even keep a man!” She punctuated each accusation with a blow.
I wanted to tell her about the miscarriage. How Jackson wasn’t there that night because he was with Charlie. How the pack doctor had told me afterward that I might never conceive again. But the words caught in my throat.
The shame was suffocating.
A cold gust of wind swept through Everfall, and the sky opened up, heavy rain soaking us both. My mother finally stopped, her breathing ragged. “Get out,” she spat. “If you’re not going to marry Jackson, don’t bother coming back here.”
She hurled my old belongings out of the house—a faded trophy, a few books, a photo frame. One of the sharp corners struck my forehead, and I felt warm blood trickling down my face, mingling with the rain.
I bent down, gathering what I could from the mud, my hands trembling. The memory of the pack doctor’s words echoed in my mind: “The damage is extensive. It’s unlikely you’ll conceive again naturally. And even if you do, it will be difficult.”
A car pulled up beside me, its headlights cutting through the downpour. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
Jackson stepped out of the sleek black car, holding an umbrella over his head. Without a word, he grabbed my arm and hauled me into the car, his grip firm and unrelenting.
“You’ve caused enough of a scene,” he said, his voice cold. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve done for you? And this is how you repay me?”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My body was numb, my thoughts a swirling mess of anger and despair.
As we drove away, Jackson threw his coat over me. It reeked of Charlie’s perfume, the scent almost choking me.
“You’re lucky I’m still willing to take you back,” he said, his tone condescending. “No one else will ever want you, Bellamy. Be a good girl, come home, and apologize to Charlie. You’ll still be the future Luna if you behave yourself.”
I turned to look out the rain-blurred window, my fingers curling into fists.
Once, I had believed Jackson was my salvation. I had told him everything—my fears, my shame, my pain. But he had used those vulnerabilities against me, wielding them like a weapon to keep me under his control.
I was done believing his lies.
His phone buzzed, and he answered it without hesitation. “Jackson, where are you?” Charlie’s voice came through the speaker, soft and sweet. “Everyone’s waiting. They’re teasing me, saying it’s bad luck for the Luna to be here without the Alpha.”
