Before I could say anything else, a voice suddenly came from the doorway.
“What are you two doing here?”
We both turned.
Ivy was leaning against the doorway, wearing a tight racing outfit that clung to every curve. The fabric was thin, cut high on her thighs, lace barely hidden underneath when she shifted.
She looked relaxed. Confident… like she knew exactly what she was doing.
“It’s not the weekend. Why are you dressed like that? Where are you going? Who's with you? What time you get homem”
I blinked. That didn’t sound like a step-brother asking. That sounded different.
Ivy noticed too. Of course she did.
Her lips curved slowly.
“There’s a motor race today, brother,” she said, tilting her head. “Big crowd. Big energy.”
She glanced down at herself, then back at him.
“Might meet someone there. Maybe I’ll finally find myself a boyfriend. Hmm, what do you think?.”
Her voice softened, almost teasing.
“So don’t wait for me, okay?”
Samuel’s jaw tightened. I felt it before I saw it.
Something dark flickered in his eyes.
But Ivy only smiled wider, then shifted her gaze to me.
“What about you, Clara?” she asked sweetly. “Any plans today?”
I opened my mouth, but Samuel spoke first.
His fingers slipped into mine, holding on like it meant something.
“Clara’s coming with me,” he said. “We’re going back to the main pack house.”
Ivy’s eyes flickered for a second, something unreadable passing through them.
“Alright. Have a good day, both of you. Send my hi to my mum there!”
She walked past us, her scent lingering in the air.
And Samuel… he still didn’t let go of my hand.
Why are you holding me like this…?
Half an hour later, we were already on the road. Samuel drove in silence, one hand on the wheel, the other still wrapped around mine.
I stared out the window. I hated going there. The main pack house.
His parents never liked me. Only his grandmother ever treated me kindly. She used to hold my hand and tell me I was strong, that I belonged here.
And the rest of them… they look at me like I brought ruin into their bloodline.
I gave birth to twins. A boy and a girl. They were supposed to be everything this pack wanted.
But they died. Both of them.
And somehow it became my fault.
Every visit after that felt worse. Their eyes… their whispers… their silence… it all pressed down on me until I could barely breathe.
Samuel knew that. That’s why he usually avoided bringing me. But this time his mother wasn’t well. So here we were.
When we stepped inside, his parents were already in the living room. They were smiling, talking softly to each other. Warm. Peaceful.
But the moment they saw me… everything changed. Their faces went cold.
Just like that.
My chest tightened. I lowered my head, pretending I didn’t notice.
But Samuel noticed. His grip on my hand tightened.
“If you keep treating my Luna like this,” he said, his voice turning sharp, “then don’t expect us to come back here again.”
The room fell silent. Then his father slammed his hand on the table. The sound made me flinch.
“Watch your tone,” he snapped. “Are you really saying you’d turn your back on your own family for her?”
I tried to pull my hand away, but Samuel held on, his fingers locking with mine.
“Father,” he said, steady but firm, “I’ve told you this before. Clara is my mate. She’s the woman I love. I won’t even raise my voice at her, so why do you keep hurting her every time she comes here?”
His grip tightened.
“If this happens again, I won’t just leave this house. I’ll walk away from this family completely.”
His words hit the room hard. The Alpha everyone feared… the one who could command wolves with a single word… now stood there defending me.
Anyone watching would think I was the luckiest woman alive.
But I knew better.
Pathetic… you think I don’t know what you’ve been doing behind my back?
Before anyone could speak again, another voice cut in.
“Of course he’d choose her. He’s been blind for years.”
Sandra.
Samuel’s younger sister stood at the stairs, arms crossed, eyes full of disgust as she looked at me.
“Brother, are you serious right now?” she continued, walking down slowly. “You’re threatening our parents because of her? After everything that happened? After those two pups died? Ivy is much better than her.”
Her words pierced straight through me. I felt my fingers go cold.
Sandra didn’t stop.
“Maybe if she was stronger, maybe if she was a better Luna… they’d still be alive.”
“Enough, Sandra.”
Samuel’s voice dropped, dangerous this time.
But she only scoffed.
“What? I’m just saying the truth,” she shot back. “Everyone in the pack knows it. She brought bad luck into this family.”
I kept my head down. I didn’t fight back.
What’s the point…?
Samuel stepped slightly in front of me, his body shielding mine.
“Say one more word about Clara,” he warned quietly, “and I won’t treat you as my sister anymore.”
Sandra froze. For a second, something flickered in her eyes. Then she turned away with a sharp laugh.
“Fine. Protect her all you want,” she muttered. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”
Silence filled the room again. Heavy. Suffocating.
Samuel still held my hand, standing there like he was protecting me from all of them.
But I didn’t feel safe.
I just felt… tired.
Mrs. Willoughby finally let out a long breath.
“Enough,” she said coldly. “Let’s eat first.”
…
At the table, no one talked much. Just the quiet clink of utensils, stiff and uncomfortable.
Mrs. Willoughby kept making small annoyed sounds, and my fingers slowly tightened around my fork. I knew it was coming. It always comes, doesn’t it?
She suddenly set her fork down harder than needed. “It’s been nine months,” she said coldly. “That’s enough grieving. You lost your pups, fine. But you can’t stay like this forever. The pack needs an heir. You need to give us a grandson.”
My chest tightened.
Her husband looked at me next, his eyes even colder. “That happened because you didn’t take care of them properly,” he said flatly. “A small illness, and both of them died in the healer’s den. Stop acting pitiful, Clara. If you conceive again, then do it right this time.”
My ears rang. Both of them. My son. My daughter.
Before I could even breathe properly, Samuel set his fork down.
“I’ve already said this,” he said calmly, but there was something sharp underneath. “Clara is afraid of going through that pain again. I won’t force her. Even if we don’t have pups, that’s fine with me.”
The room went heavy. His parents looked at him with disappointment.
Sandra scoffed from the side. “Of course. You’d rather protect her feelings than think about the pack.” Then louder, “Brother, are you serious? No heir? What are we supposed to do, just wait forever while she hides behind excuses? You know what, bro? Just go mate with our stepsister, Ivy. I like her more than Clara. You used to have a crush on Ivy before she went abroad to study fashion.”
"Enough Sandra!" Samuel roared.
My fingers trembled slightly on the table.
I finally spoke. “You’ll have a grandchild soon.”
The whole table froze. Three pairs of eyes turned to me at once.
Samuel’s hand tightened around mine, his face softening. “Clara… you don’t have to push yourself for me,” he said gently. “I told you, I’ll protect you from all this.”
Protect me? I almost laughed. You can’t even stay away from her, how are you protecting me?
I smiled anyway. “You all want a grandson so much,” I said softly. “Then I’ll give you one.”
Mrs. Willoughby’s expression eased instantly. Her husband nodded, satisfied. Sandra just watched me, eyes narrowed, but said nothing.
Only Samuel looked uneasy. Like something felt off.
Then his phone buzzed. I glanced down.
Ivy.
A message flashed.
“Samuel… there’s someone here bothering me. Asking me for a quickie. I don’t like it. Can you come?”
I counted quietly. One. Two. Three.
He stood up right on cue.
