Chapter 14

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

LEXI’S POV

Clara gave me a look over, not even seeming shocked to see me. 

“I heard you were back, I didn’t think you still exhibited these rogue qualities,” she replied spitefully, standing up to face me.

The last time I saw Clara was eleven years ago, after my marriage to Manny, so seeing her back here again made me uneasy. 

I thought she was living in another pack, why was she back and seemingly so close to my son? 

“I asked you a question,” I said, stepping into the room, feeling my voice shake with barely restrained anger. “What the hell do you think you are doing with my son? 

Wayne stared up at me, clearly startled by my sudden outburst.

Clara walked closer to me, not even regarding me as a threat.

“What does it look like?” she asked, raising an arm as Wayne came to lean on her side. “I am spending time with Wayne, is that a crime now?”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously as I regarded her. She had probably joined Sophia to poison my son's mind against me and I didn't want her anywhere near Wayne as far as I was concerned.

“You have no right!! Look I don’t know what games you and Manny are playing with me, but leave my kids out of this.”

“I am playing games?” she scoffed, unable to believe my words. “Um.. who is the dirty rogue that snuck her way into this pack? Who is the rogue that was made Luna only to turn around and leave him? Who is the rogue that tried to run away with his children!!”

“You know why I ran,” I countered, stepping closer to her. “The entire pack knows why I ran, you and Sophia made sure that I left here so you could try and cement yourself as the next Luna and I am glad that it’s working out for you, but stay the hell away from my son!!”

“And why should I?” Clara replied with a shrug. “Wayne needs me in his life, not a terrible influence like you anyway, besides he doesn’t even want you as his mother, no one wants you here, not even Manny.”

“Shut the hell up!!” I screeched angrily, my hands were trembling in rage and if Clara kept running her mouth, I was going to put her in her place.

Wayne stood close to Clara, holding her shirt defensively as he glared at me.

“Stop yelling at her,” he snapped at me. “She is my mom now!”

His words pierced into my heart more than anything I had ever heard. I stared down at him, feeling my heart ache as I searched his eyes for any sign of remorse or guilt, instead I found nothing but anger and resentment.

Still I couldn’t give up on him.

“She is not your mother Wayne,” I whispered, crouching down to him. “I am. I gave birth to you and I know that you are angry. I understand why, but I want you to know that regardless of what you may think, I love you very deeply.”

“My mother would have never abandoned me!” Wayne spat back spitefully.

“But I came back…” I said, my voice breaking. “I came back for you—”

“No you didn’t!!” Clara interrupted. “You only came back because you had to. You dragged your dying child in here and somehow expected everyone to forget what you did.”

“News flash Lexi…” she snapped her fingers in my face. “Motherhood isn’t just something you can pick up when it is convenient.”

“Can you just stay out of this!!” I shouted at Clara, keeping my eyes on Wayne, who was still glaring at me.

“Oh, but you don’t like the truth, do you?” she taunted, raising a brow. “You don’t belong here. You should have stayed out there with your precious rogues. This pack is better off without you. Wayne is better off without you.”

I turned to her immediately, raising my hand angrily. 

I was going to slap this bitch.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Manny stepped in, looking from me to Clara with an enraged expression on his face.

“What’s going on here?” he thundered

I narrowed my eyes as I dropped my wrist. She had just been saved by Manny.

“Why is Clara here?” I demanded, turning to face him. “Why are you letting her raise my son like I don’t exist?”

Manny looked at me, his eyes hard and unreadable. “Because she did raise him. When you ran off, she stepped up. She was there when he cried. She fed him, helped him through school, taught him to shift—”

“And now she’s your Luna?” I asked bitterly, the words tasting like ash.

He didn’t flinch. “She will be. I am naming her during the ceremony.”

I blinked, stunned into silence. My ears were ringing, but I caught every word. Clara smiled beside him, smug and victorious.

“You allowed her to take my place in my son’s life after everything she did?” My voice cracked. I felt so broken.

Manny stared at me, with a cold expression on his face. “You lost the place of being his mother on the day you walked out.”

“That is what I have been saying this from the beginning,” Sophia’s voice suddenly called out.

I turned, watching as she strolled into the room. Her head raised, looking down at me like I was nothing but vermin to her.

“I still don’t understand why you are allowing her to stay in the pack house,” she said to Manny. “She is confusing Wayne. And soon she will poison Dexter against you too. Is that really the environment you want to raise your sons in?”

My gaze swept over all of them—Clara with her smug face, Manny with his stony coldness, Sophia with her superiority.

It was three against one.

No… four.

Wayne still stood by Clara’s side, glaring angrily at me like I was the worst person on earth.

It felt too much. 

My chest tightened and I struggled to breathe. I clenched my jaw, holding back the tears that were aching to pour from my eyes.

With these people, I could never win. 

That was why I had run away in the first place.

I turned on my heel sharply, brushing past Sophia as I stormed out

“Lexi!!” Manny called after me.

But I didn’t stop.

My heart was broken again for like the millionth time since I got here, but this time I was done.

I was going to figure out a way to take my sons out of this cruel pack, no matter what.