SONIA’S POV

Still shocked and confused, I turned around and began to walk away. My bare feet moved slowly on the dirt path, each step feeling heavier than the last.

The yellow dress brushed against my legs, but the fabric no longer felt light and comforting. It clung to my skin like a reminder of everything that had just happened. The sun was high now, warm on my shoulders, but it did nothing to chase away the cold knot in my chest.

"Hey, where do you think you’re going? I haven’t dismissed you yet!" I heard Lorena’s voice call after me. It was sharp and demanding, slicing through the quiet afternoon air like a whip.

I just didn’t have it in me to stop, or respond. Maybe I was just over it for the moment. Yeah, I was over it. I couldn’t erase what I had just heard. The words kept echoing in my head, loud and impossible to ignore. Again, it couldn’t be true. Beta Blane was not in love with me. The thought made my cheeks burn with embarrassment and something else I couldn’t name.

"Move away," I heard him say, his voice firm and low.

Then I felt a hand holding mine. It was warm and steady, larger than mine. I looked beside me, and saw it was him. Beta Blane. His grip was gentle but sure, guiding me forward without pulling too hard. I was going to shove him away, but he had helped me. Despite my reservations as to what I just heard, I couldn’t embarrass him. Not after everything.

I allowed him to lead me away whilst Lorena hurled insults at me. Her voice grew louder and sharper behind us, full of venom and frustration. Her maids joined in, their laughter mocking and shrill, but their words didn’t sting as much as they usually did. I was too lost in my head to pay any attention to it. The path under my feet felt uneven, small stones pressing into my soles, but Blane’s hand kept me steady.

Suddenly, we moved from the wild road, and I began to hear trickling water. The sound was soft and soothing, like a gentle stream hidden between trees. I lifted my head, and saw we were almost at the house.

The familiar shape of the small building came into view, nestled among the trees with its simple wooden walls and thatched roof. My brow lifted with curiosity, as I turned to Blane. The sunlight filtered through the leaves above us, casting dappled patterns on his face. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He let go of my hand, and stopped walking. "There’s a shortcut," he explained. His voice was calm, almost casual, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

"Really? All this while, they’ve been one? I thought the point was to get me away from the quarters?" I asked, finding my voice. It came out softer than I expected, still shaky from everything that had happened.

"Yeah, but there’s a shortcut. You can use it, instead of walking that distance." He gestured toward the narrow path lined with wild grass and small flowers.

Things were getting even more vague. I had to be straightforward if I wanted any answers. My heart beat faster as I gathered the courage to speak.

"Are you in love with me?" I asked. The words tumbled out before I could stop them, hanging in the air between us.

He looked at me like I had lost my mind, then shook his head. A small, almost tired smile touched his lips. "Why would I be in love with you? You’re my alpha’s woman."

"That’s Lorena. I’m just his mate." The distinction felt important, even if it hurt to say it out loud.

"What does that change? You’re his woman. I’m not in love with you." His tone was firm, but not unkind. He met my eyes steadily, no hesitation in his gaze.

"So why do you keep on helping me? And why does Lorena think you are?"

"Because Lorena is a bitch who likes to instigate things, to suit whatever delusional agenda she has going on. It’s best if you ignore her." Frustration flickered across his face for a moment, his jaw tightening.

I could see he wanted to put Lorena in her place, but wasn’t at liberty to do that. It made me curious to know why. In our pack, you treated the alpha’s beta the same way you would treat the alpha in his absence. You had to be respectful to him.

It baffled me how Lorena could talk so cruelly at him, without fear of being punished. Ramon protected her a lot. She considered herself above reproach, and it was a disastrous way to live.

"I’m glad you’re not. It would be too weird, and I would have had to stay away from you," I said. Relief washed through me, light and unexpected.

"I’m also glad we’ve cleared the air. In the spirit of revelations, I want to apologise for what I did to you before. The alpha needed to make a point, and he used me to do it. I shouldn’t have." His voice grew quieter, carrying real regret. He looked down at the ground for a second, then back at me.

I knew what he was referring to. It was invading my body with so much crassness, and carelessness. The memory still made my skin crawl, but he had also saved my life. Whatever the alpha had in store for him was punishment enough. I couldn’t add to it.

"It’s okay. Let’s call it even. You have to leave now. I can find my way back home from here. I’m certain Lorena has already reported you to the alpha. You’ve gone against him one too many times. He won’t take it easy on you." My voice trembled a little at the end, worry creeping in.

"Are you worried about me?" He asked in an amused tone, as if any of this was funny. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

It wasn’t just about the physical abuse with Ramon. He was also well versed in the emotional side. Add up both sides, and you had an alpha who was capable of making you crave death. I don’t know why Blane wasn’t panicking. He absolutely should be.

"Of course I worry about you. I’m worried about you. You’ve helped me a lot. I would hate to see you burn for it." The words came out sincere, my fingers still twisting the hem of my dress.

"Nah," he waved a dismissive finger. "It’s just for the moment. Soon, I will be rewarded for it. Don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourself."

He turned to leave, but stopped after taking just a step. His broad shoulders blocked some of the sunlight filtering through the trees.

"Where were you able to see Ivy?" He asked. His voice softened at her name.

My spirits were lifted at the mention of Ivy. If she was hale and hearty, we would be heading to the house together. I missed her a lot. I missed everything about her—her kind smile, her steady presence, the way she made the worst days feel bearable.

"I did. She’s going to be fine. I’m so happy I could help as much as I did." A small smile broke across my face, warm and genuine.

"Good. If you need to sneak in again for continuous treatment, let me know. I’ll help. Although, I do think the alpha will come around, after he sees her progress," he said, all without turning around. His back remained straight, but his voice carried quiet confidence.

"You really do believe in the kindness of your alpha." The words were already out of my mouth before I realised I wasn’t talking in my mind. I bit my lip, embarrassed.

He chuckled, perhaps sensing my immediate distress. The sound was low and warm, cutting through the tension. "I know him more than a lot of people do. It’s not weird to believe in him. Am I not supposed to be his voice of reason? What good is it, if I just blindly do everything he asks me to do, when I know it’s just tainted by anger?"

He didn’t wait for my response, as he turned on his heels and disappeared out of my sight. The leaves rustled softly where he had passed, and then everything was quiet again.

I had misjudged Blane. It still didn’t erase what he did to me at the start, but I was warming up to him. He had shown me his heart, and now it was time to forget the past. I even allowed myself a smile, as I turned towards the direction of the house. The path felt a little lighter under my feet, the shortcut cutting through the trees with soft grass and small wildflowers blooming along the edges.

The sun was at its apex when I reached the house. Its rays beat down warmly on the roof, making the thatch glow golden. I expected to see the twins, but as I entered the house, there was not a single trace of anyone around. The rooms were empty, the air still and quiet. I walked into all of the rooms and around the house, just to be sure. My footsteps echoed softly on the wooden floors, but no voices answered back.

Returning to the living room, I realised I was all alone. The silence wrapped around me like a blanket, not entirely unwelcome after the chaos of the day. My only comfort was Beta Blane showing me the path that wasn’t that far off from other wolves. If under attack, I could scream, and probably be heard. The thought brought a small measure of peace.

So much had happened so fast, and I needed to stop my mind from spinning for a while. In that same moment, my eyes found a bucket and a rag. Ivy had taught me how to clean properly, and that was exactly what I was going to do. With a smile on my face, my legs skipped forward, and I began to hum.

The soft melody filled the empty house, light and hopeful, as I dipped the rag into the bucket and started wiping the surfaces. For the first time in a long while, the simple task felt like a small act of reclaiming something for myself.