Chapter 4
1388 Words
Lucas comes barrelling in like a tiny hurricane, throwing himself at Sandra’s feet.
The air suddenly feels heavy, charged with the storm that is Lucas.
“Grandma,” he cries, his eyes swollen and red from crying, “I’ll never call Sierra Mummy again! Please don’t make her leave!” He pleads as he clutches at her skirt.
“Mum, don’t indulge him,” Thorne sighs as he strides in. “He’s upsetting Aria, and I’ve had enough of it.”
I turn my face away, not wanting to look at him while he spouts more lies so easily. Despite my lack of interest in him, he still plays the doting mate, crouching beside me and pressing his palm to my forehead. The tension drains from his shoulders when he confirms I’m not feverish or cold, putting on yet another great performance.
I catch Sandra watching us before turning her attention to Lucas, who still cries at her feet. She looks confused, obviously believing her son’s act. Behind her, the tall windows frame the grey afternoon sky.
“Lucas,” she says firmly. “How could you call that woman mummy? Don’t you know how much that would hurt your mum, who sacrificed so much to bring you into this world? She still suffers for it, and now you repay her by breaking her heart?”
“I didn’t ask to be born. She chose to have me!” Lucas snaps back.
“These are not the words of a six-year-old child. You have been fed these words. That scheming babysitter planted this poison in your mind, and she will pay for it. I want her banished and off pack lands by sundown,” Sandra declares.
Lucas sobs, and it breaks my heart again, because I can’t comfort him, not when he still thinks I’m the enemy.
Sandra looks at me, her eyes hard and determined. “Aria, don’t worry. Pack or not, that woman corrupted my grandson. She will answer for this today.”
I realise my mistake then. Sandra’s decision to banish Sierra wasn’t because she had discovered Thorne’s affair with her. It stemmed entirely from the incident at school this morning.
Just that knowledge had cut her deep. Even the grandfather clock in the corner seems too loud now, each second ticking loudly by like a reminder of the secrets I’m keeping from her.
If she knew the full truth of what had happened, the devastation would be unimaginable. I have to protect her from this, at least for now, because I can’t bear to see her world crumble the way mine has.
With a loud thump, little Lucas falls to his knees in front of me. I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t even seen him move.
He clutches at my hands desperately, his small fingers feeling clammy in mine. “Mum, please don’t let Grandma banish Sierra. It’s nearly my birthday, and I don’t want any toys or games; I just want her to stay forever,” he cries.
I study him. Even like this, begging and so upset, he is full of spoilt defiance. Whether Sierra manipulated him or not, this disrespect was his own choice. I know he’s only small, but this is how he learns. If this is truly what he thinks he wants, then so be it. Let him learn the hard way.
“Lucas, are you sure this is really what you want for your birthday?”
“Yes!”
“And you won’t regret this?” I ask, giving him one last chance to rethink.
“Never,” he shakes his head. “I only want Sierra!”
So be it. He may not learn today, but he will learn.
“Fine, Lucas Wolfe,” I say with a smile, but my tone is sharp enough to make his name feel like a verdict. “In one month’s time, you’ll get your wish.”
His eyes widen, just a fraction, before he catches himself. The boy who stormed in here so certain of his demands now shifts on his knees, fidgeting on the rug beneath him uncomfortably. That tiny flicker of doubt in his gaze tells me he’s heard the warning in my tone, even if he doesn’t yet understand it. But then his chin lifts, stubbornness settling back over his face, and I know he’s already convinced himself I’ll forgive him like I always do. Let him believe it. Let him think he’s won. In a month, he’ll learn the difference between getting what you want and living with it.
“Grandma,” he breathes, turning away and scrambling back to Sandra. “Mum said yes, so you don’t need to send Sierra away.”
Sandra sighs as she looks down at my son. “Your mother may have agreed, but I am still the pack elder, and my decision is final. I will find someone new to look after you, someone with good intentions.”
Her voice cuts through the room, seeming to echo off the carved oak panels lining the walls and absorbing into the heavy drapes that have witnessed generations of pack law.
Lucas begins to cry again, but Sandra remains firm as she issues the order for Sierra to collect her belongings. Seeing her defend me this way warms something in me, and I no longer feel quite so alone. The warmth brings something else with it though, something darker. Guilt. Because in one month’s time I’ll be gone without a trace, and just imagining how devastated Sandra will be is eating me up.
I’ll leave her a note. Something to ease her worries a little and let her know how much I appreciate her.
I can’t deny how relieved I am that I won’t have to endure Sierra’s sickening antics for my last month here.
Thorne remains unusually quiet through his mother’s ruling, his jaw tight but his eyes giving nothing away. It’s unlike him not to argue or try to sway her, especially when it concerns Sierra, but even he knows there’s no winning against Sandra once she’s made up her mind.
As Alpha in name, he holds authority in the eyes of the pack, but in reality, Sandra’s word is law. Until she chooses to step down, she remains the true power behind the title, and every wolf in the territory knows it. She’s strong enough to lead for years yet, and Thorne, ever the dutiful son in public, has learned to bide his time.
Still, the silence feels calculated, as if he’s already plotting the moment he can turn this decision to his advantage. It’s a reminder that in this house, every smile, every word, every pause can be a move in a much bigger game. And I can’t shake the sinking feeling that sooner or later, I’m the one he’s planning to sacrifice.
Not wanting to trouble Sandra any further and in hopes of lessening her concern, I leave in the car with Thorne and our son.
The gravel crunches under the tyres as we roll past the stone pillars at the gates; the wrought-iron wolf heads watch us leave like silent sentinels.
Lucas has gone quiet, and I glance back to see him slumped over in his seat. All the tantrums and crying must have really taken it out of him. I can only hope he’s in a better mood when he wakes up.
No sooner than the car rolls past the manor gates, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out only to see Sierra’s taunting message flash up on the screen.
Sierra: Aria, have you ever heard how powerful families secretly arrange mistresses when the Luna can’t bear children?
Sierra: I genuinely pity you, betrayed by those closest to you really has got to hurt.
Sierra: Do you want to take a wild guess where I am?
A photo comes through then, the tulips in Sandra’s memorial garden for my mum at the back of the manor. I had helped Sandra plant and care for them in my mum’s honour, and there, clutched in Sierra’s hand, is one of the delicate blooms, its yellow petals torn and mangled.
Fury rushes through me like a fire in my veins as I turn to Thorne. “Turn the car around. Now.”
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