Chapter 15 Seeds of Jealousy And Realization
The house felt different the moment Lena arrived.
Quieter in some corners. Sharper in others. Servants moved more carefully, like the walls themselves had grown ears.
For the next two days, Lena's laughter echoed through every hall. She found endless reasons to stay close. To Derek, mostly. Morning tea in the parlor. Lunchtime walks through the gardens. Polite visits to Derek's study that somehow lasted hours.
Amanda noticed everything.
From her window, she saw them riding together across the courtyard that afternoon. Lena's bright hair caught the sun. Her laughter carried through the air like music. Derek didn't laugh, but he didn't walk away either. That hurt more than Amanda wanted to admit.
She turned from the window. Her chest felt tight. The ache wasn't just jealousy. It was exhaustion. Disappointment. The creeping sense that she was slowly being erased from her own home.
Mrs. Hallowell entered quietly with a tray. "You should eat something, Luna. You've hardly touched your meals these past days."
Amanda gave a weak smile. "I'm fine. Just tired."
"Forgive me, but you don't look fine." The older woman's voice softened. "Sometimes, fighting in silence does more harm than the words themselves."
Amanda nodded but said nothing.
Downstairs, Lena's voice carried again. Louder this time. Filled with easy charm. Amanda could hear Derek answering, low and measured. Her fingers clenched around the bedpost.
She was done hiding.
By dinner, the long dining table gleamed under the chandelier. Silverware sparkled. The fire burned low in the hearth. Tension hummed like a second presence in the room.
Lena arrived late, as usual. Her green dress shimmered with every step. Her perfume was subtle but commanding. She slid into the seat beside Derek without being invited.
"Forgive me," she said sweetly. "I lost track of time. Derek was showing me the stables. You've done such wonderful work with them."
Amanda lifted her gaze. "I wasn't aware my husband was giving tours now."
Lena smiled over her glass. "Oh, I insisted. I've always loved horses. Derek remembers."
Derek didn't respond. He focused on his plate. His knife stayed steady in his hand.
The silence that followed stretched until it snapped.
"So," Lena said lightly, "how are you finding pack life, Amanda? Settling in?"
Amanda swallowed a piece of bread she could barely taste. "It's been... an adjustment."
"I can imagine." Lena tilted her head. "Mother mentioned that the pack still hasn't accepted you fully. Is that true?"
Amanda froze. "It takes time."
"Of course." Lena's tone was all sympathy. "But I worry for you. A Luna should be respected. Has she even successfully integrated with the pack, Derek? I heard they barely acknowledge her."
The words hung like smoke.
Derek's hand stilled. For a heartbeat, his jaw tightened. His eyes flicked between the sisters.
"She's been here less than two weeks," he said evenly. "Give her time."
The air shifted.
Amanda blinked. She was stunned by his defense. Even Lena seemed momentarily thrown off balance.
"Of course," Lena said after a pause. Her voice smoothed back into sweetness. "You've always been patient, Derek. It's admirable."
Dinner continued in brittle silence. The sound of cutlery scraping against porcelain was the only thing keeping the room from cracking apart.
When it finally ended, Amanda excused herself quietly. She didn't look back.
The garden was dim and cool. The moonlight turned the roses silver. Amanda sat on a stone bench near the fountain. Her hands clasped in her lap. The scent of damp earth calmed her, but her mind refused to rest.
She replayed the dinner in her head. Lena's barbed words. Derek's calm defense. It shouldn't have meant anything. But it did.
She didn't hear him approach until his shadow crossed the path.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," Derek said.
Amanda looked up. His sleeves were rolled. His expression was unreadable in the half-light. "It's peaceful here."
He studied her for a moment, then sat beside her. Not too close. Not distant either.
"Lena shouldn't have said that."
"She wasn't wrong," Amanda murmured. "I haven't earned the pack's respect. Or yours."
His brow furrowed. "Don't start that."
"It's true," she said softly. "They still see me as an outsider. And you… you barely speak to me unless it's about the curse."
"That's not fair."
She turned to him. "Isn't it? You've been kind, yes. But it's duty, not care. I know the difference."
Derek looked away. "Lena has a way of twisting things. Don't let her get to you. She thrives on making others feel small."
Amanda smiled faintly. "She's good at it."
"Still," he said, his voice rougher now, "you don't need her approval. Or anyone's."
Her chest tightened. "Maybe. But sometimes, it feels like I'm just... here. Existing between everyone else's expectations."
For a long moment, Derek didn't speak. The fountain bubbled quietly behind them.
"Neither do I," he said finally. His tone was low. Almost tired. "I don't belong here either. Not anymore."
Amanda blinked. "You're the Alpha's heir."
"An heir who can't shift. Who can't protect his own pack. You think they look at me and see a leader? They see a mistake."
The honesty in his voice startled her. The Derek she knew never admitted weakness.
"You're not a mistake," she said quietly.
He gave a humorless laugh. "Tell that to my father."
They sat in silence after that. Not comfortable, but not tense either. Something fragile hung between them. Understanding, maybe.
The night breeze stirred her hair. She brushed a strand from her face and noticed him watching her. Not in the cold, assessing way he used to. This was different. Thoughtful.
Amanda looked away first. "You should go. It's late."
"So should you."
They stood at the same time, both hesitating as if unsure how to end the moment. Then Derek nodded once and walked back toward the house.
Amanda lingered, staring at the moon's reflection in the fountain. For the first time, she saw not just distance in Derek. She saw something else. Something she couldn't yet name.
Inside the mansion, behind the curtains of the upper floor, a shadow moved.
Lena stood at the window of her guest room. Her face was lit faintly by candlelight. She had watched everything. The way Derek sat beside Amanda. The quiet exchange. The soft shift in his expression.
Her nails dug into the sill until the wood creaked.
"So that's how it is," she whispered. Her voice was low. Venom curled beneath the sweetness.
She picked up her phone from the dresser. She dialed a number and turned toward the dark garden again.
"They're bonding," she said when the call connected. "We need to act faster."
The line crackled with static, then a voice answered. Too faint to hear.
Lena's smile returned. Sharp. Calculating. Cold. "Good. Then let's make sure this little fairytale ends before it begins."