Heartbreak

(Aria's POV)

The whispers that had swirled around the medical center since Natalie Windsor's entrance were still fresh in my ears. My hands felt cold, clutching the file against my chest as if it could shield me from the stares and speculation. My composure hung by a thread, but I couldn't let them see the cracks.

She walked through the center with the confidence I could never hope to achieve. With every step Natalie took, heads turned. Even the workers who prided themselves on their professionalism couldn't hide their awe. Of course, they couldn’t. She exuded power and elegance in a way that demanded attention.

"Beautiful. Can't believe she's back," someone murmured behind me.

"She's so poised—looks like a queen already," whispered another.

The knot in my stomach twisted tighter. My wolf let out the faintest rumble of protest, but I forced her down. There was no point, no energy left to fight what was glaringly obvious. This was *her* world. This had always been her world.

Natalie stopped near the front desk, turning. She offered a restrained smile before her clear, authoritative voice filled the room. "Thank you all for your hard work. I look forward to collaborating with you to make this center even stronger."

The staff murmured their approval, nodding and smiling as though her words were a blessing. Then I saw her glance toward me. My heart clenched. Her silver-blue eyes flickered with a peculiar gleam when they met mine, pausing on my hair. Though her sharp, regal features softened with a polite smile, I saw it. That flicker of recognition—or was it annoyance? The moment stretched unbearably.

"Hello, and you are?" she asked, her gaze unwavering.

My voice stumbled out before I could gather myself fully. "Aria Moonlight," I said. I forced my trembling hands still, clutching the patient folder tightly. "Omega therapist. I work with patients recovering from trauma."

Her eyebrow quirked ever so slightly. "Omega," she repeated, her tone calculated, as if tasting the word.

I saw it then—the barely concealed flash of disdain in her expression. It was there for only a moment before she smiled again, her mask firmly back in place. My pride screamed at me not to react, even as heat flooded my cheeks.

"It's… nice to meet you," I added, lowering my eyes to avoid the sting of her gaze.

Natalie introduced herself to someone else then, clearly done with me. But I felt it linger—the weight of her glance, the silent scrutiny. The whispers resumed around us, hushed but unmistakable.

"Have you noticed? They've kind of got the same hair color…"

"Derek’s type, huh? Think there’s something to it?"

My sensitive hearing betrayed the murmurs I wasn’t supposed to hear. They weren’t directly aiming at me now—not anymore. Still, my chest ached, every word bouncing off my ribcage like shards of glass.

I turned just slightly, just enough to catch them stealing glances my way. When my eyes met theirs, they fell silent, awkwardly avoiding my gaze. Guilty.

I felt sick.

---

Moments later, I all but stumbled into the washroom. With the door locked behind me, I leaned heavily on the sink, catching myself before my knees gave way. My hands gripped the ceramic edges tightly as I sucked in shallow breaths. The mirror in front of me reflected my pale features, my dull violet eyes edged with exhaustion. Not for the first time, I hated myself for the weakness I showed.

The ache in my chest ebbed and flowed, like waves tearing me apart from the inside. *Not here, not now.* But the pain wasn't listening. My wolf howled low and pitifully, the sound ringing in my ears as I fumbled for the flask holding my bitter medicine.

I grasped it clumsily, uncapping it with shaking fingers. The scent turned my stomach before I even brought it to my lips. Still, I drank. I swallowed the sharp bitterness that burned my throat and forced it down as if the taste could drown out everything else.

My breath hitched. I closed my eyes, willing the tears back. "Hold it together," I whispered to myself. "You can't fall apart now."

The sound of the door opening startled me, and I turned sharply, still gripping the sink for support.

Natalie stepped in, her presence immediately commanding every corner of the small, confined space. The door clicked shut behind her, and her gaze found me almost too quickly. My wolf bristled under her scrutiny.

"Aria, was it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as if contemplating her next words. Her voice carried the same sweetness she'd used earlier in front of the team, yet in this confined space, it felt sharper. Heavier.

I nodded tersely, unsure of what else to say.

Her smile widened, though her eyes stayed cold, unreadable. "Perfect," she said. "Since you're already here… Could you do me a small favor? I need someone to take the welcoming tea to the leader's office."

The words hit a sore nerve, her tone laced with authority that left little room for refusal. My wolf stirred indignantly, but I squared my shoulders, masking it.

"That's usually assigned to..." Lower-ranked wolves, I wanted to say, but the accusation caught in my throat. I didn't dare speak out of turn. "I'm not sure I'm the right person for—"

"Nonsense," she interjected smoothly. Her smile never faltered as she stepped closer, her stature casting an intimidating shadow. "Consider it part of the welcome activities. After all, first impressions are so important, don’t you think?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing down the anger and the humiliation. She had the authority here. I had none.

Nodding stiffly, I murmured, "Of course."

Her smile grew as she stepped back, letting me pass. "Thank you, dear."

---

The tea tray felt heavier than it should have as I carried it toward the leader’s office. My hands trembled beneath the polished silver, but I steadied them before I reached the door.

My wolf whimpered, shying away as I stood in front of the office. My fingers hovered over the handle for agonizing seconds, my chest tightening. The door finally creaked open under my touch, spilling me into the space I wasn’t prepared to face.

And then I saw them.

Derek was sitting on the office chair, with Natalie comfortably sprawled across his lap. His face was tucked against her neck, the image so achingly familiar that my mind blanked.

*No.* My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.

It was the exact pose he used to sit with me. The way his arms rested lightly, possessively against her waist. The way his lips brushed against the soft hollow of her skin—right where he would murmur his soft endearments.

*"My silver light."* I swallowed thickly, bile rising in my throat as old memories collided with the present.

Natalie giggled lightly, her voice soft and melodic as she whispered something too low for me to catch. Whatever it was made Derek’s lips curl with a faint smile before they pressed deeper into her neck.

My wolf wanted to howl, to tear apart the intimacy of the scene in front of me. My fingers trembled, clutching the edge of the tea tray so tightly that it threatened to topple.

"Miss Moonlight." Samuel's voice jolted me back to reality. He appeared from the corner, his sharp, gray eyes flickering toward me briefly before motioning toward the desk. "Leave it on the tray here."

My steps faltered. For a second, I thought my knees might collapse, but I forced myself to move forward. I kept my eyes away from them as I set the tray down. My heart raced, pounding so loudly against my ribcage I thought they'd hear it echo through the room.

Turning on my heel, I all but fled, my composure crumbling the moment the door clicked shut behind me.

Pressing my forehead against the cold wall outside, the tears fell freely. Quiet sobs racked my chest as I muffled the sound with my hand. My fragile pride shattered as their laughter echoed faintly from behind the door.

Every tender moment I shared with Derek was a shadow of what I was witnessing. A cruel replica of the life he was now eagerly building with Natalie.

I wasn’t special. I never had been. I was just a poor substitute for the woman he had always wanted.