Avery caught me on my way to the training grounds that morning, her lips curling into a triumphant smirk. Her perfect curls bounced as she approached, her dress fluttering around her like she was parading on a stage.
“Lady Felicia,” she called me with her voice dripping with false sweetness,
After that, she maliciously continued, “I’m surprised you’re going out. Shouldn’t you be resting after last night’s little ... disappointment?”
I clenched my fists, trying to keep me from getting upset.
“I don’t have time for this, Lady Avery,” I politely told her.
“Oh, but I do,” she said as she stepped closer.
The woman then boldly talked, “Well, you see, the Alpha was so worried about me last night. He stayed by my side the entire time, making sure I was comfortable. Isn’t he the most attentive Alpha?”
Her words stung, but I refused to let her see that.
I just met her gaze coldly as I made a sarcastic remark, “If you’re looking for someone to congratulate you on being a mistress, you’re wasting your time.”
When Avery heard my sarcastic remark, her smile faltered, but she quickly recovered.
“Oh, Lady Felicia! Jealousy doesn’t suit you. After all, the Alpha is only with you because of a promise. We both know where his heart truly lies,” she mockingly said.
I couldn’t take it anymore. My wolf, Talia, growled in the back of my mind. She urged me to stand up for myself.
Before I could think twice, my hand shot out. Soon enough, I could see myself slapping Avery until that woman fell to the ground. In fact, the slap was hard enough that it echoed through the courtyard.
The murmurs around us grew louder as pack members stopped to gawk. Avery’s hand immediately flew to her cheek and her eyes widened with shock. Clearly, she never expected me to do this.
“How dare you!” she angrily yelled at me,
I took a step closer, my voice low but firm as I spoke, “I’ve tolerated your games long enough, Lady Avery. You might be Alex’s mistress, but I am his betrothed. Start behaving like it!”
Her face reddened with both anger and humiliation. She glared at me, then to the pack members. Everyone pretended to not see what just happened, but they clearly enjoyed the drama.
“You’ll regret this,” she angrily told me before she stormed off.
Without further ado, I turned away as I ignored the whispers and stares of the pack members. For the first time in years, I felt a small spark of satisfaction. However, I knew that I had to pay the price for what I did to the Alpha’s mistress.
Later that evening, Nathaniel found me in the library. As always, his expression was unreadable. Yet, I could tell that the Beta had heard what happened.
As the man leaned against the doorway, he said flatly, “You slapped her, I heard.”
“She deserved it, Beta,” I told him, not looking up from the book I was pretending to read,
The man then stepped inside the library after he made sure that no one was there but me before he said, “Well, I don’t disagree. But you’ve made a rather fatal mistake, don’t you think?”
“I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. She was pushing me too far,” I said to him, trying to justify myself.
Nathaniel nodded weakly as he told me, “I get it. But Alex isn’t going to let this slide. Be prepared for whatever comes next.”
The Beta’s prediction came true faster than I expected.
When I was training the next morning, a pack servant delivered a sealed letter to my room. I recognized my father’s handwriting immediately. A dread settled in my stomach.
I opened the letter with trembling hands, scanning the harsh words written inside.
[Felicia Nightfire,
Your behavior is unacceptable.
Alex has threatened to break the betrothal if you don’t apologize to Lady Avery in front of the entire pack. Do not embarrass our family further. Make this right immediately, or you will regret it.
Alpha Henry Nightfire]
I crumpled the letter in my hand, my vision blurring with tears of frustration. My own father had sided with Alex and Avery without even asking for my side of the story.
‘Talia, what do I do?’ I asked my wolf.
She calmly replied, ‘You already know the answer to that. Tear it up. We’re done with all of them.’
Taking a deep breath, I shredded the letter into tiny pieces. I let the scraps fall into the wastebasket. Frankly, this felt rather refreshing to defy my own father.
“I’m not apologizing for defending myself,” I said weakly.
When I told Nathaniel about the letter later that day, the Beta listened silently. His expression darkened with each word. I knew that he wasn’t too pleased with the news.
“I’m not surprised. Your father has always prioritized power over loyalty,” he finally said something.
I nodded as I asked the Beta, “What do we do now? Alex and my father are working together to make my life miserable.”
The man was quiet for a moment as if he thought of something.
“We’ll use this to our advantage,” he said at last.
However, what he said next really shocked me.
The Beta then said, “You’ll apologize to Avery.”
“What?” I asked him, staring at him in disbelief.
He quickly shook his head as he answered, “You will not apologize because you mean it, Lady Felicia. However, you’ll apologize because it’ll give us an opportunity to observe how the pack feels about all this.”
I frowned because I was unsure of where he was going with this, so I asked him, “What do you mean?”
“People are watching, my lady,” he answered.
Then, he explained, “They see how Alex and Avery are treating you. While they pretend that you do not exist, they still watch. If you apologize, it might actually make them dislike Avery even more.”
Although it wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear, I knew Nathaniel was right. If we were going to leave, we needed to understand where the pack stood. We might be able to use it to our advantage.
“Fine. I’ll do it. But only because it’s part of the plan,” I said reluctantly.
The next morning, I stood in the pack’s common area. My heart was pounding as I faced Avery and the gathered members. Nathaniel stood off to the side, giving me a reassuring nod.
“Lady Avery,” I began talking my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach.
I continued, “I want to apologize for my actions yesterday. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I was wrong to lash out at you.”
Avery’s face lit up with triumph when she heard me apologizing to her. In fact, the woman didn’t even bother to hide her smug smile.
“Apology accepted, Lady Felicia,” she said loudly, making sure everyone heard.
I bit back a retort as she turned to the pack members.
“Do you see this? Even Felicia recognizes her mistakes. Perhaps we can all learn from this moment of humility!”
Her words were meant to make her look gracious, but the disapproving murmurs that followed told a different story. People weren’t buying her act, and neither was I. Nathaniel’s plan worked really well.
Both the Beta and I exchanged a glance, silently noting the pack members who looked less than impressed with Avery’s performance. We could gather their support. Although both him and I still had no idea what to do, it was still better than having no one at all.
Over the next few days, Nathaniel quietly spread the word of my apology among the pack. The elders were the first to voice their disapproval of Avery’s behavior, calling her out for overstepping her boundaries. Alex was obviously concerned when the elders began talking about it
“She’s not even our Luna,” one elder said during a meeting I overheard.
The other elder agreed as he said, “Her actions are causing division within the pack.”
“And, may we ask, where were you, Alpha Alex, during Lady Felicia’s birthday?” another elder asked.
The pressure on Alex grew, so it wasn’t long before the Alpha reluctantly approached me in the training yard.
“I’ve decided to include you in tomorrow’s hunting party,” he told me with is tone devoid of warmth.
I raised an eyebrow as I made another sarcastic remark, “I thought that was Avery’s special privilege.”
The Alpha frowned as he said in a rather dismissive tone, “You’re my betrothed. It’s only right that you join.”
Obviously, I didn’t believe for a second that he was doing this out of genuine care. This was damage control, plain and simple. However, I was curious about what would happen.
“Fine, I’ll be there,” I said to him, wiping my hands on my training clothes.
As the Alpha walked away, Nathaniel appeared at my side.
The Beta said, “Well, that’s a surprise.”
“Not really. He’s only doing it because the elders are on his back,” I told him.
To my surprise, the man then smiled as he said, “Well, yeah. But it’s still a step in the right direction.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I glanced toward the forest before I told him, “Maybe. But it’s too late for steps. I’m ready to run.”
