Chapter 39 Confused
“Layla,” her name burst out of my mouth in shock as I stared at the scene in front of me.
My stepsister, the one I had always thought was different, the one who had suddenly started acting cold toward me, was sitting on Alpha Warren’s lap, kissing him. Her hand rested on his chest, fingers spread like she belonged there, while his hand was firm around her waist as if he had every right to touch her that way.
My heart sank at the confusing sight before me, and the pain that shot through my chest was so sharp it felt like my heart had stopped beating. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, pressing against my lungs, making it hard to breathe.
Layla jumped out of Warren’s lap hastily when she noticed me. She straightened herself and looked at me with disgust, mixed with something dark that I couldn’t quite name. The next thing she said sliced deeper than the sight I had just witnessed.
“Who are you?” she asked with a smug smile curling her lips. “Don’t you think it’s rude to barge into someone’s office without knocking?”
“Are you fucking serious right now?” I shouted, my voice shaking as I turned toward Warren. He just sat there staring at me like a deer caught in headlights, frozen and silent. “I knew you’d changed, but I never thought you would be so heartless as to cheat on Mark.”
“Who’s Mark?” Alpha Warren asked in confusion as he stood up from his chair. His eyes moved between Layla and me. “Diana, what are you talking about?”
“Don’t listen to her, my love,” Layla muttered smoothly, placing her hand back on his chest and rubbing it like she had done nothing wrong. “She’s just a mere office assistant. How could she barge in here and start talking nonsense?”
“Layla, what has gotten into you?” I asked, staring at her in disbelief. My chest tightened as I looked at Alpha Warren again, silently hoping he would say something, anything, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood beside Layla, facing me like he had chosen his side already. “What happened?”
She scoffed and briefly looked away, her expression hardening. “Nothing happened. So leave now and don’t ever come back here.”
“Layla, who’s Mark?” Warren asked again, his voice firmer this time. Layla turned to him, and I noticed her hands shaking slightly. Fear flickered across her face before she quickly masked it. “Layla, is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“No, honey,” Layla muttered, glaring at me like I was the problem. “Mark is her mate—the one she’s pregnant for. I’ve told her several times to abort that baby because that jerk isn’t worth her love.”
My eyes widened at her words. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I felt something inside me crack, and in that moment, I realized that nothing I said would change anything. Not the truth. Not the pain. Nothing.
I stepped forward into the office, my legs weak but determined. Alpha Warren shifted slightly when he noticed the envelope clenched tightly in my hand.
“I don’t want to work for you anymore,” I stuttered, my voice barely holding together. Tears filled my eyes as I met his gaze. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, restless and hurt. The affection I once saw in his eyes was gone, replaced with something cold that made my chest ache. “Here’s my resignation letter.”
I dropped the envelope on the table and turned to leave, my vision blurred by tears, but I stopped when I heard my name.
“Diana,” Alpha Warren called.
Before I could decide whether to turn around or not, he stepped in front of me, blocking my way. “You don’t have to leave. I can find another position for you.”
“Honey, you don’t have to care for her,” Layla said, taking Alpha Warren’s hand and intertwining her fingers with his like it was natural. “She’s just an office assistant, and a pregnant woman.”
That was it.
Tears spilled freely from my eyes at Layla’s words, and I walked out of the office without looking back, wiping my face with the back of my palm as my shoulders shook. Whispers followed me down the hallway, voices low but sharp, but I didn’t care. I kept walking until I stepped outside the building, the cool air hitting my face.
The moment I reached the road, my legs gave out. I bent forward, hands on my knees, breathing hard as sobs tore out of my chest. My chest burned like something was clawing its way out of me, and every word Layla had said replayed in my head, over and over, refusing to stop. My wolf whimpered inside me, confused and hurting just like I was. I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach, my heart breaking even more at the thought of my unborn child.
“I trusted you,” I whispered to the empty street, my voice breaking. “You were all I had.”
Cars passed by, but none slowed down. I wiped my tears roughly and started walking, not fully sure where my feet were taking me. Cora’s place was ahead, but each step felt heavier than the last, like my body didn’t want safety anymore. To my right, the woods stood quiet and dark, calling to me in a way I couldn’t ignore.
I stopped.
The memory of the wolves that had chased me before flashed through my mind, yellow eyes, snapping teeth, but the fear didn’t come this time. All I felt was emptiness. Tired of being careful. Tired of being strong. Tired of Layla betrayer and a sudden hatred. Without thinking any further, I turned and ran toward the woods.
Branches scratched my skin as I pushed through, the scent of earth and pine filling my lungs. My wolf surged forward, begging to be free, and this time I didn’t fight it. Bones cracked, skin burned, and seconds later I was on all fours, my paws pounding against the forest ground as I ran deeper into the woods. The wind rushed past my ears, but it couldn’t drown out the thoughts in my head.
Layla’s face haunted me.
I remembered the day our parents died, how we had clung to each other and promise to always protect each other. I had promised her I would never leave her, no matter what. So why had she left me? Why had she chosen to hurt me this way?