Chapter 2: Unwelcome Guest

Myra's POV

Sophia burst through the front door like a whirlwind, her dark hair tousled from the pack meeting and a bright grin lighting up her face.

“Myra! Sorry I’m late. Those elders talk forever when they get going.”

She pulled me into a tight hug, her familiar scent of wild pine and citrus wrapping around me like comfort. I hugged her back, forcing my expression into something normal even though my thoughts still lingered on the quiet tension from earlier. The house always felt different when David was nearby, and the feeling hadn’t fully left me.

“No worries,” I said, managing a smile. “I’ve just been chilling.”

We chatted easily as we headed toward the grand staircase, catching up on the usual things—pack gossip, her latest failed dating attempt, my long week at the university library. Sophia talked quickly, full of energy after the meeting, while I listened and nodded at the right moments. Still, my eyes kept drifting toward the closed door of David’s study. He was in there. So close. Probably reviewing contracts or handling the endless responsibilities that came with leading the pack. The knowledge sat quietly in the back of my mind, impossible to ignore.

“Want to raid the kitchen for snacks before we head up?” Sophia asked, already pulling me along.

I nodded, grateful for the distraction. As we wandered through the halls of the Thorn mansion, I let my thoughts drift. The place was a labyrinth of quiet luxury—polished marble floors, tall windows overlooking the private woods, and rooms that always seemed to carry a faint trace of David’s presence. Cedar and something deeper, something steady and commanding. Every corner of the house held memories I tried not to dwell on. The library where I’d once lingered longer than necessary, pretending to look for a book while he worked nearby. The upstairs hallway where we’d once passed each other, the brief closeness leaving me unsettled for hours afterward.

We moved through the east wing, past the home gym. I knew David trained there some mornings. The thought of him in that space—focused, disciplined, completely in control—made my pulse quicken for a moment before I pushed it aside. I crossed my arms loosely and pretended to study a painting on the wall.

“Everything okay?” Sophia asked, glancing back at me.

“Yeah,” I said. “Just thinking about that big history paper due next week.”

The lie came easily. It always did.

We turned into the sunlit conservatory at the back of the house, a glass-domed space filled with lush plants and comfortable loungers. A woman I didn’t recognize was already there, lounging with a glass of wine in hand. She was striking—tall and elegant, with long auburn hair cascading down her back, sharp features, and the kind of confidence that filled a room without effort. An Alpha female, without question.

Sophia’s face lit up.

“Lila! You made it. Myra, this is my cousin Lila Gilbert. She’s been traveling with her pack in the northern territories for the last couple of years. Lila, this is Myra, my best friend since forever.”

Lila turned, her green eyes assessing me with casual interest. I’d heard of her before—the ambitious cousin who moved easily through pack politics and inter-territory alliances. Seeing her in person made the stories feel more real. She smiled, though there was a sharpness behind it.

“Myra. Nice to finally meet the girl Sophia never shuts up about.” Her voice was smooth, carrying a teasing edge.

“Hi,” I replied, offering a polite smile while something uncomfortable twisted in my stomach. She was everything I wasn’t—confident, experienced, and completely at ease in this world of power and influence. And she was family. Close enough to move freely through David’s home.

We settled onto the loungers. Sophia grabbed snacks from a nearby cart, and the conversation started lightly. Lila shared stories from her travels, exaggerating just enough to make Sophia laugh. I smiled when expected, but my attention kept shifting. Lila spoke with the kind of ease that made her presence feel larger than the room. She belonged here in a way I never quite had.

Then her tone changed.

She leaned back, swirling her wine, and her gaze drifted toward the main house with a small, knowing smile.

“God, this place never changes. Still feels like home. Especially with Uncle David around.” She let out a soft, appreciative sound. “That man just gets better with age. Have you seen him lately, Soph? The way he carries himself… that voice. Half the room goes quiet whenever he speaks.”

Sophia rolled her eyes, laughing. “Lila, stop. He’s my dad.”

I stayed silent, but something sharp and uncomfortable rose in my chest. My fingers pressed into the cushion beneath me. The thought of Lila looking at David that way—openly, without hesitation—made my pulse tighten. She could say these things out loud. She could look at him with interest and not hide it.

Lila only shrugged, unrepentant, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she glanced between us.

“Come on. We’re not that closely related. He’s family by pack more than blood. And honestly? He’s been alone for a long time. A man like that doesn’t stay single forever. Wealthy. Dominant. That quiet intensity…” She tilted her head slightly. “Maybe I should stick around longer this visit. See if I can get him to notice someone other than work for once.”

Sophia groaned and threw a pillow at her. “You are impossible. I do not need to hear this.”

Lila grinned wider, clearly enjoying the reaction. “What? I’m just being honest. The man is still in his prime. Someone’s going to catch his attention eventually. Why not someone who already understands this world?”

My face felt warm. I kept my expression carefully neutral, but inside the jealousy settled heavily. Lila’s words were bold and casual, spoken without shame. She could imagine a future that included him. She could speak it into the open. I, on the other hand, had spent years locking every thought away, careful never to let anything slip.

“He seems… busy with pack responsibilities,” I said, my voice tighter than I intended.

Lila’s sharp eyes flicked to me and lingered a second longer than necessary. “Oh, he is. But even the busiest Alphas need more than work. Quiet company. Someone who doesn’t demand too much.” Her smile turned thoughtful. “You have that soft omega energy, Myra. Some men notice that more than the loud ones.”

Sophia quickly changed the subject, steering the conversation toward upcoming pack runs and safer topics. The moment passed, but the damage had already settled in. My thoughts kept circling. What if Lila did stay longer? What if David finally looked at someone the way I had always hoped he might look at me—and it was her instead? Confident. Fearless. Belonging.

I excused myself after a while, saying I needed the bathroom. Instead, I wandered deeper into the house, heart beating a little too fast. My steps carried me past the study again. The door remained closed, but I could feel the weight of his presence on the other side. I paused in the shadowed hallway, leaning lightly against the wall, trying to steady myself.

He doesn’t see me. Not really.

But he might see her.

The thought sat heavily in my chest. Lila would flirt without hesitation. She would touch his arm in conversation, speak with confidence, make herself impossible to overlook. The jealousy that rose in response was quiet but sharp.

Footsteps approached from the conservatory—Sophia and Lila’s voices carrying lightly through the hall. I straightened quickly, smoothed my expression, and rejoined them with a careful smile.

As the evening continued, Lila’s earlier words refused to fade. David remained somewhere in the mansion, focused on his work, completely unaware of the quiet storm building just outside his door. And now there was someone else in the house—someone bold enough to speak her interest out loud.

The careful distance I had maintained for years suddenly felt more fragile.

I had to be careful.

More careful than ever.​