Chapter 3

Willow’s POV

I pushed Noah back with both hands until he let go of me.

“It changes nothing?” I echoed flatly.

He blinked. “I just meant—”

“That’s what you just said to me. It changes nothing.” I glared at him through my tears. “Do you hear yourself?”

“Willow —”

“Am I supposed to feel better right now?” My voice was shaking but I kept going. “Is that supposed to fix this? You want me to keep hiding? Keep sneaking around? So I can watch you and Stacey stand together and plan a future while I stay in the background and pretend I don’t exist?”

“It wouldn’t be like that—”

“It is already like that!” My voice broke on the last word. I pressed my fingers to my mouth for a second and took a shaky breath.

“Noah, do you know what my life looks like? Do you actually know? I wake up before everyone else in that house. I do the work that no one else wants to do. I eat last. I sleep in a room that used to be a storage space. I have never once been introduced to anyone in this pack as anything other than the wolfless omega they took in.”

My chest was heaving. “And you — you were the one thing — the only thing — that made any of that feel worth it. Because you said you saw me. And now you’re standing here telling me that you want me to keep doing all of that, keep living like I’m invisible, and just wait for you to sneak away from your Luna to come find me in secret?”

He opened his mouth.

“Don’t,” I cut him. “If you’re about to say it wouldn’t be like that, don’t.”

He closed his mouth.

We stood there looking at each other, and I kept waiting for him to maybe change his mind or something.

But he just looked tired, like this conversation was exhausting him.

“I’m trying to find a way to keep you,” he murmured quietly. “That’s all I’m doing.”

“You’re trying to keep me hidden,” I said. “That’s not the same thing.”

The door opened.

Stacey stepped into the hallway. She had her arms folded lightly across her chest. Her eyes moved from Noah to me slowly.

“Is everything okay?” she asked with a saccharine smile. “Why are you arguing with the wolfless maid?”

Her words landed like a slap.

I looked at Noah instinctively, waiting for him to correct her, or defend me, but he wasn’t looking at me anymore.

He sighed tiredly instead.

“Nothing,” he muttered. “It’s just a little misunderstanding. I’ve handled it.”

Something inside me shattered into several pieces at his dismissive words.

Stacey smiled smugly, but I was the only one who noticed it.

Noah turned back toward me again. “Willow, please go home. We’ll talk later.”

I stared at him for a long moment, then I turned and walked away silently.

I tried to hold myself together all the way down the clinic hallway, through the front doors, and outside. I kept my head down. ‘Don’t stop. Don’t look up. Don’t let anyone see your face.’

Then I ran.

I ran the entire way back, tears already streaming down my face and my vision blurring so badly I could barely see where I was going.

I made it to my room, pushed the door shut behind me, and dropped to my knees.

Then I fell apart completely.