VALENTINA
I have many questions, yet I hesitate, seeing Rey's devastated situation. She had stopped crying after those girls left, and I paid for both our gowns. Now we are walking toward the jewelry store.
I glanced at Audrey. She was unusually quiet and looked haggard, which heightened my guilt and remorse.
What the bloody hell happened in this peaceful pack after I left?
After a while, I could no longer deny the tension and made her sit on a bench near a food court, looking at her intently. "After that, you must tell me what is going on in this pack," I asked sternly, making my words bear the 'I won't take no for an answer' vibe.
"How dare those girls disrespect the Alpha's daughter, and worse, bullied?" A fit of anger spread within me as I recalled the scene. Those fucking useless bitchs.
Audrey lowered her head; her eyes dimmed as she spoke: "Two years ago, after you left, Alpha fell silent. He stopped going out much and somewhat shut himself in. A year passed like that until, a year ago, a woman named Carmella arrived in the pack with her teenage daughter. I don't know what happened, but she soon caught Alpha's attention. Since then, she has declared herself the Luna candidate, and her daughter, Olivia-the girl you slapped in the boutique-has styled herself as the Alpha's daughter and begun taking over your position."
"That woman, Carmella, openly formed her team and somehow made herself superior. She and the high-ranking wolves started bullying the weak openly, forcing unranked wolves to do hard labour and stealing their belongings, tormenting them viciously." She signed in the end, lowering her head even more.
As I listened, I felt so numb and guilty, as if I were listening to the outcome of my sins.
Two years ago, I left the pack, searching for peace and integrity, only to be trapped by evil and lose most of me. Now, when I finally returned home, I realized that the pack I left had changed for the worse and that it was partly my fault.
I left my father, my best friend, and my pack to suffer when they needed me the most, and karma punished me. If I hadn't left and had perhaps fought with Papa, or been patient, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
I held Rey's hand, "I'm so sorry." I apologized. "Because of me, you've suffered a lot, I'm so so sorry."
Wiping her tears, Rey smiled, pursing her lips. "Don't be sorry, Val. It wasn't your fault. You were grieving as well, and you were somewhat forced to disappear." She pulled me into a warm hug. "But it's all in the past; you're back now, and I'm sure everything will fall into place."
She looked me in the eye: "But promise me you'll never leave again."
"I promise I won't. This time, I'm back not only to my family but also to take over my responsibilities." I said, determinedly, and my words brought a look of reassurance to her face.
"Now come on, let's brighten up our moods with jewelry!" I exclaimed and dragged her to the jewellery store to match our dresses.
Rey and I started choosing jewellery for the welcome party in the evening. I picked up a set that also matched her dress and suited her kind and gentle demeanour. While my eyes caught a simple burgundy sapphire pendant with a gold chain. It's a set with matching earrings, bracelet, and ring, which looked perfect for my attire, as I was thinking of a bold lipstick look.
"Show me this one please," I said and noticed the clerk giving me side eyes. Well of course they would. Audrey is low-rank, and I'm even worse-wolfless.
I didn't bother, though; I kept myself collected and minded my own business.
The clerk took out the set and placed it before me on the counter.
"It's so beautiful! It'll suit you so well!" Rey exclaimed, eyes shining brightly, and I felt the same.
"Okay, I like it. I'll take it." I said, when-
"Actually, pack it for me. I'll be taking it." A mature woman's voice rang in my ears, pausing my movement.
The unexpected part was that, as soon as the voice fell, Rey stiffened. Her hands turned cold and sweaty as they gripped my arm tightly.
I turned to look at the intruder. Surprisingly, the woman wasn't alone. With her was the same girl I had punched in the boutique, Olivia, I think.
"It's her-Carmella," Rey whispered in a shaky voice.
I watched the woman curiously. She appeared to be in her thirties and had a beautiful structure, but nothing extraordinary or remarkable like my mother. Arrogance was her only adornment, worn like her daughter's, with no sign of empathy or a calm demeanour.
It's hard to believe that my father even bothered to look at her.
Carmella gazed up and down, her lips curved to a mocking smirk. Now I know from where her daughter adapted that disgusting sneer.
"B-but ma'am, this lady had taken it first." The clerk said.
"Who? She?" Carmella's smirk deepened. "Are you even in your right mind? Just look at them; do you really believe they are able to pay for it? These two low-rank omegas?"
The clerk, as expected, sent me a distasteful look.
"So shut it and pack it for me." She ordered, ignoring Rey and me completely. Her daughter sneered proudly from the side, which immediately made me chuckle.
Oh, what a fool.
All eyes turned to me, and Carmella frowned with a 'she's gone mad' kind of look in her eyes.
Without a word, I unhesitatingly brought out Papa's black card from my bag and held it before the clerk, freezing everyone, including Carmella and her daughter.
"A-Alpha's card." The clerk gasped, and so did Olivia.
But when someone is determined to cause a scene, they will find any possible way to do it, just as Carmella did.
"This is Alpha's card; how do you have it?" Carmella suddenly shouted, snatching the card from the clerk. "You've stolen Alpha's black card!" She pointed, leaving me speechless.
"Look at her! She's the thief! She has stolen Alpha's card!" Carmella and her daughter started screaming like two maniacs, widening their eyes as if they had discovered a huge crime.
Both Rey and I were dumbfounded, and before I could react, the clerk called for the guards, and people gathered to see the free rig.
The guards came and poked behind me, pushing Rey and me away from the counter.
"Hey, stop it!" Audrey screamed, "She's the Alpha's daughter, your future Alpha!" She cried out desperately only to be mocked and smirked by people. No one believed her.
Everything was happening so fast that I was completely puzzled and wordless.
The guards surrounded us, pushing us to the ground as I gritted my teeth.
"Throw them into the dungeon," Carmella ordered arrogantly. "I'll punish them so hard that no one ever dares to defy me or my daughter, let alone bother the Alpha!"
I tried to struggle, but without my wolf, I had no strength to fight these trained guards. Besides, I am still weak after the first treatment, feeling so helpless and angry.
Just as the guards were about to drag me away, a menacing growl filled the air, shuddering the walls of the entire store.
Immediately, my eyes snapped up, and I noticed Papa at the store entrance exuding his strong and resilient alpha energy.
Everyone froze and instantly dropped to their knees except me, as I stared at my father with teary eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, my papa is here and now, no one can hurt me anymore.
