Chapter 3

“Ring, Ring, Ring”

The phone call from my adoptive father, Jeremy Pierce, Gamma of the pack, jolted me back to the present. My hands trembled as I answered the call.  

"Why do you always embarrass me, you stupid bitch?" His voice rasped on the other end. "You set Lynda up!"

I clenched my jaw. The accusation was ludicrous. "I didn’t poison her, dad!" I shot back, trying to keep my voice steady. "Why would I do that?"

But my father wasn’t listening. His anger surged, unchecked. "By the way, why haven't you paid me this month? How ungrateful! Have you forgotten that if I hadn’t raised you, you’d be an orphan?"  

The words cut deeper than he could ever imagine. I had never forgotten what he had done for me, raising me after my parents died, but that didn't mean I owed him everything. Still, I fought back the urge to scream. I wouldn’t let him control me anymore.  

"Don't ever call me again, if you keep gambling I will tell Alpha Lucas!" I said, my voice hardening with each word. It was the first time I’d ever spoken to him with such disrespect. The freedom that came with it was so damn good.  

Without waiting for a response, I hung up.  

I stood there for a moment, letting the finality of it all settle in. For the first time in years, I felt… free.  

 #

I glanced around the bedroom I had shared with Adrian. The life I had been trying to build here, the life I had been trying to force, felt like a distant memory now. I grabbed the nearest suitcase and started packing. My belongings were few—just some clothes, books, and the small trinkets I had kept over the years. 

After a couple of hours, just as I was zipping up my suitcase, I heard the front door open. Adrian had come home.  

He stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, his mouth twisted in that familiar sneer. "Are you waiting for me to come home this late?" he taunted.

I didn't even look at him, not wanting to waste any time on him now.  

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" Adrian's voice, laced with sarcasm, broke through the silence. He stepped into the living room, glaring at me. "No apology? No explanation?"  

I stayed silent, not giving him the satisfaction of a response. He wasn’t worth it.  

Then, with a dramatic sigh, he finally spoke again, though it was more of a command than a question. "I want you to accompany me to the pack's party tomorrow night." His voice was cold, indifferent. "You can't avoid it forever. You are going to apologize to Lynda at there."  

I turned to face him, trying not to let my emotions show. "I don’t want to go..."

Adrian’s expression darkened. "Too bad," he said, his lips curling in a mocking smile. "You’ll be there, whether you like it or not."  

I stood my ground, not flinching at his words. But inside, I felt a quiet resolve building. "Fine," I said, forcing the words through clenched teeth. "I’ll go. But it’s the last time."  

Adrian’s eyes flickered with triumph. I knew that he didn’t understand the weight of my decision.

I was leaving. I had to.  

Just when I thought Adrian was about to leave, he suddenly asked, "What are you standing there for? Take off your clothes."

"What?" I froze. Over the years, we rarely had any intimate moments. It always seemed like he was only doing it out of obligation. "I'm not in the mood today," I replied.

"Heh, hope so," he said with a smirk. "Don’t come begging me to sleep with you later." Then he left. I guess he went to the study. We've been married for three years, but 90% of the nights, we sleep in separate rooms. He'd rather sleep in the study than share a bed with me.

As Adrian turned to leave, a twinge of regret hit me. The secret I’d kept for so long would soon be out. Adrian would never mark me, never truly claim me as his mate. But I was carrying triplets. My triplets.

He would never knew that, I promise to myself.

I finished packing and grabbed my last things. As I reached the door, my phone rang again. Gamma’s name flashed on the screen. Without hesitation, I cut the call and turned off the phone.

No more calls. No more guilt. No more Adrian...