Page 41 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
"Are you there?" Her message chimed in.
I sat down quickly and paused. What could I say at this point?
"Yes, I got distracted by a call." I typed, then I stared at the blinking cursor. Liar. The truth was I needed time to absorb the ache behind her words.
My fingers hovered again. I inhaled, and then I typed slowly. "This must be so hard for you, Moonleaf. I'm sorry you had to carry all that pain alone. Truly."
I stared at the message. It wasn't enough, but it was all I could give without unraveling. A second later, I added:
"I just got an SOS. A wolf is in distress nearby. I have to go, but I'll write back as soon as I can. Please take care of yourself and the little one."
I hesitated a beat before pressing send. Then I closed the laptop, the weight in my chest heavier than before. Her wordsclung to me; heavy, suffocating, and impossible to peel off. The confession, the pain behind it, the bond that still tethered her to me despite everything I had done was too much. Suddenly, the room felt too small. The walls of my office closed in on me, and the air grew thick and unbreathable. I shoved the chair back and stood, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest.
I needed air or space, anything to clear the weight in my lungs. I stepped out into the hallway, the dim light doing nothing to settle the storm in my chest. My footsteps were near silent as I moved, trying to get to the back porch where the night might offer some peace.
A muffled voice stopped me.
It was coming from Jay in my beta's office. I paused by the door and drew closer. It was slightly open so I could see his face slightly, his smartphone pressed to his ear. His face was twisted in anger, but something in his tone made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
"She's his?" His voice was sharp, bitter. "And he didn't tell me? Drew had a child with that man's daughter and didn't think to inform his beta?"
I froze.
He knows.
Jay's voice turned venomous. "He polluted our bloodline with hers. No wonder the child is cursed. Honestly, I'm glad someone from the pack had the sense to lay a blood curse on that abomination. If only I knew who did it, I'd thank them. If I had known he'd use his alpha powers to heal her, I would've stopped it. I would've let the curse run its course. Why let her live after what Alpha Alfred did to us?"
The words hit like a blade to the gut.
How did he know this? Only Lena and Alex knew about Ruby and Liora. Could it be? I shook my head, erasing the thought.Someone knew about them before me and had placed the curse on my child.
My vision blurred with rage. My wolf lunged inside me, furious and ready to tear through the door. My fists clenched until my nails drew blood. He was talking about my daughter. About Ruby. I wanted to crush him, but I forced myself to stay still, to listen and think. If I lost it now, I'd never know how deep this betrayal went. Jay had revealed more than he knew. If he knew about the curse, then it must mean someone in my pack had cursed Liora, and he would've let her die.
There would be consequences, but not yet. First, I needed the truth, then I'd unleash my fury on whoever was behind it all.
Jay was still talking. "He's weak where she's concerned. If he keeps this up, he'll lead us into ruin. I won't let our pack fall for the sake of some half-blood child."
My vision blurred. He would've let Liora die. Now I knew someone from my pack had cursed her. The bloodline angle made sense now. That's why my alpha energy could heal her. The curse had been etched into her blood, and only someone tied to it could reverse it. Someone from my side had done this. Like a light bulb, I recalled the day I heard a sound outside my office. I was talking to Moonleaf then. Had I unknowingly put Ruby and Liora in danger?
I backed away from the door, every instinct screaming for blood and vengeance, but I couldn't give in to it. Not yet. I returned to my room, my body tense and mind spiraling. I couldn't trust anyone. Not even my own beta. Jay hadn't known about the curse, but he'd clearly be fine with it. If I hadn't stepped in, Liora could have died.
I pressed a trembling hand to my mouth. They would've let my daughter die. I sat down heavily, staring at nothing. I could still smell Ruby's scent lingering in my memory like crushed wild rose flowers and wood smoke. I thought of her fierce gazeand the pain she still carried. She didn't trust me and didn't want me near her daughter.
Our daughter.
But she needed me now, even if she'd never admit it. And by the Goddess, I would protect them both, even if I had to burn down everything I once stood for—even if it meant facing down my own pack. This war had never ended, and now, it was at our doorstep again, but this time, I wouldn't run. I would fight. For her. For Liora. For redemption. Even if it meant betraying my pack.
Chapter 18
Ruby
He was here again.
I could hear him playing in the living room with Liora.
I wiped down the dusty frame of an antique mirror, the golden swirls on its edges catching the light in a way that once made my heart flutter with excitement, but today, they were just shadows of a life that didn't feel like mine anymore. My hands moved with mechanical precision as I rearranged the shelf in my day shop, placing a pair of old porcelain candlesticks beside a vintage jewelry box. Anything to keep my mind from spiraling again.
But it spiraled anyway.
