LOGINOne year later.Shop number two? Thriving.I wasn't the she-wolf who waited around anymore.Now they called me the herbalist queen—cool, steady, totally myself.***Noah still showed up every day.Little by little, we became more.He never pushed.Just stayed close, calm—like he knew my wolf needed time.He remembered the peanut allergy. Never slipped up once.When my wrist flared, he'd rub in the ointment, real gentle.If I looked beat, he'd cover the shop and send me home to crash.I started opening up—memories, pain, stuff I thought I'd buried deep.That's when it hit me—real love isn't silent waiting or one-sided giving.It's respect. It's shared space. It's healing, slow and steady.One day, the pack threw a festival.Noah and I showed up together.Liam was there.He clocked us—fingers laced, full smiles.Bitterness flashed in his eyes, then slipped into something softer. Acceptance.He got it.I'd found what was mine. And it was time he let go.Later, Noah a
Liam found out about Noah's confession.He panicked and showed up, desperate for one last shot."Sophia, I know Noah treats you well, but I'm not him! We've got eight years together. I know your habits, your favorite things—I can love you more than he ever could!"I stared him down, calm and cold."Those eight years? You wrecked them yourself. Sure, you knew my habits—but you forgot my allergies. You knew what I liked, but never gave a damn. Noah hasn't known me long, but he actually sees me. He gets it. He respects me.""I can change!" he blurted. "I've already changed. I'm not arrogant anymore—I listen, I—""Changed?" I laughed under my breath."You changed because you LOST me. Because guilt's eating you alive. But if Chloe hadn't been exposed, would anything be different? No. This whole 'new you' isn't for me. It's just damage control."He froze.Mouth open. No words.He knew I was right.If Chloe hadn't been exposed, he'd still be at her side—still blind to me."I know
Liam didn't quit.He kept showing up at my herb shop—stacking jars, chatting with customers, even running breakfast errands like some desperate Beta trying to earn stripes.I stayed chill. Not icy, just... unmoved.If he sorted herbs, I'd go, "Appreciate it, but I've got it."If he showed up with food, it was, "I can grab my own."If he offered to walk me home?"I'm heading out with Emma."Straight facts. No room left to twist the message.Wolves in the pack noticed.One even pulled me aside."The Alpha's been trying. He knows he messed up. Why not forgive him?"I just gave a half-smile."Forgiveness takes more than apologies. He wrecked something in me. I need space... and honestly? I don't even know if trust is still on the table."Liam got it.Didn't push.Just stayed in orbit—quiet, steady.The arrogance? Gone.He stopped acting like the world owed him a crown.Started showing up for pack chores. Waited in supply lines like everyone else.One time, the pack's wat
Chloe wouldn't quit.When picking fights didn't stick, she switched tactics—ran her mouth all over Stormborne pack, trashing my herbs, hinting I was messing around with Noah, claiming I'd crumble without him holding me up.What she didn't count on? Most wolves weren't blind.They saw through the act. Knew who was real and who was fake as hell.Her lies didn't break me—they backfired. Wolves started backing me harder... and turning on her.The real hit? That landed at the Pack Assembly.Normally, it's a chill once-a-month meeting for pack stuff. But this time, Liam was all set to crown Chloe as his Luna.Then Noah stepped in—calm, steady—and dropped a fat stack of receipts."Take a look," he said, laying out photos and recordings. "Proof Chloe's been stirring the pot, spreading lies, and scheming with Wildgrove wolves to jack our herb formulas. She even planned to break Liam and Sophia apart."The photos? Chloe, mid-whisper with two shady Wildgrove she-wolves.The recording? C
I crashed at Emma's for a month.My wrist was still weak—no heavy lifting—but I could handle the basics.Emma scored me a tiny rental on Stormborne pack's main street. I turned it into an herb shop.In a pack, herbs are gold. Grandma taught me all the good stuff when I was just a pup. Finally, it mattered.The shop was small—two hundred square feet, max. White walls. Clean shelves. Nothing fancy, but solid.Opening day? Emma helped hang the sign. Noah showed up with two potted plants, set them by the door. Brought the place to life."This is your turf now," Emma said, clapping my shoulder. "No one's pushing you around ever again."I smiled. No Liam. No Chloe. Just my shop, my space, and people who actually gave a damn.Not a bad life.Too bad peace didn't last.One afternoon, I was mid-herb sort when Chloe strutted in, flanked by two betas.New dress—Liam's money.Empty bottle in hand.Face full of drama."Sophia, your herbs are messed up," Chloe snapped. "I used your ant
I stepped into my room and popped open the suitcase, folding each piece of clothing like I was sealing off a chapter.Liam's gray jacket—bottom of the pile.Then Grandma's herb journal, untouched anti-inflammatory bundles, and the half-finished wrist guard.Every item made me freeze for a second. Eight years packed into a carry-on.From the next room, Chloe's sugary voice floated out. "Liam, will you tell me a story?"His reply? Quiet. Too damn soft. "Sure. Lie down. I'll tell you one."My fists clenched, nails biting into my palms. Just enough pain to keep me from falling apart.That wolf? He wasn't mine anymore.When the last zipper sealed, I dragged my suitcase into the living room.Chloe stepped out, spotted the suitcase, and plastered on a guilty face like she practiced it in the mirror. "Sophia, you're leaving? I'm so sorry—I never meant to come between you two. I'll go back to my pack. Just don't leave Liam, okay?""Cut the crap." My voice? Ice-cold. "You won. He's you







