The Alpha Who Let Me Go

Slowly, I turned to face her. She stood a few feet away, arms crossed, a smug smile playing on her lips. She was dressed in her usual training gear, but somehow, she still managed to look immaculate. The glint in her eyes told me she wasn’t here to talk about training.

“What do you want?” I asked, keeping my voice calm.

She tilted her head, her smile widening. “I just wanted to check on you. You’ve been through so much, after all.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Cut the act, Serena. If you have something to say, just say it.”

Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Fine. If you insist.” She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“You really thought you could be Luna? That you could stand by Lucian’s side and lead this pack? Face it, Amelia—you were never good enough.”

The words hit their mark, but I refused to let her see it. Instead, I straightened my spine, meeting her gaze head-on. “You’re awfully bold for someone who has to settle for being second choice.”

Her eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, I thought she might actually hit me. But then she laughed, the sound cold and sharp.

“Second choice? Please,” she said. “Lucian never wanted you. He only stayed with you out of obligation. You were a placeholder, nothing more.”

My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm. “If that’s true, then why hasn’t he made things official with you yet? Seems to me like he’s still keeping his options open.”

Her smile vanished, and I knew I’d struck a nerve. Before she could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted us. We both turned to see Lucian walking toward us, his expression unreadable.

“Serena,” he said, his tone sharp. “What are you doing here?”

She straightened, her face softening as she turned to him. “I was just checking on Amelia. I wanted to make sure she was okay after… everything.”

Lucian’s gaze shifted to me, his eyes cold and distant. “Amelia doesn’t need your pity.”

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “I don’t need anything from either of you.”

“Good,” he said, his voice as icy as his stare. “Then stay out of my way.”