Chapter 2: A new beginnings

Evania's POV

  Caleb’s words were a death sentence for me, a cruel end to everything I had ever hoped for. He didn’t care. He didn’t care about me. 

  I couldn’t breathe. The world seemed to tilt on its axis, spinning out of control, and I felt like I was going to fall apart.

  Without another thought, I turned on my heels and fled. I didn’t stop to grab anything. I didn’t even look back. 

  I ran, my feet pounding against the earth, my heart a mess of rage and heartbreak. I could still hear the voices of the pack behind me, the whispers, the murmurs, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to be here anymore. 

  I ran into the woods, the cold air rushing past me, and my thoughts were a jumbled mess.

  How did I end up here? How did I come to this? 

  I had caught Caleb in bed with Madison. I had caught them betraying me, and yet I still stood by him. I still gave him a second chance, and this was how he repaid me. This was how he humiliated me. 

  A lone sob escaped my lips, and I collapsed to my knees, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I was nothing. I was nothing but a discarded piece in their twisted game.

  I didn’t know how long I stayed there, curled up on the forest floor, my chest heaving with silent sobs. I was alone. Alone in a world that had once felt like it was mine, only to be ripped away. 

  The pack was no longer my family. Caleb was no longer mine. I had nothing.

  I collapsed to the ground, my knees sinking into the damp leaves, as my chest tightened as though the world had turned against me. 

  Each ragged breath felt like a struggle, and the ache in my heart was unbearable. Everything hurt—more than I thought was possible. The trees blurred as tears clouded my vision. 

  Just then, I heard the snap of a twig and froze, my heart pounding in my ears. My body tensed, every nerve on high alert. 

  “Was someone following me?” I turned and scanned the woods. 

  “Evania.” 

  I flinched and spun around, fists clenched.

  But it wasn’t a threat; it was her. 

  “Aunt Prestige?” I whispered, relief flooding my veins as she emerged from the shadows, her face lined with worry.

  She stepped closer, her eyes soft yet determined. “I couldn’t let you go alone. Not like this.” 

  Her arms wrapped around me, and I crumbled, the dam breaking as sobs wracked my body. 

  She held me, solid and grounding, whispering words of comfort that I couldn’t quite hear over the roar of my grief. 

  “It’s not fair,” I choked out, my voice a broken whisper. “I did everything right. I loved him, and he—he chose her.” 

  Prestige’s grip tightened, her voice firm. “That boy doesn’t deserve you, Evania. And Madison… she’s no cousin of yours.”

  I pulled back, wiping my face with trembling hands. “I can’t stay. I can’t watch them together.”

  “You won’t,” she said, her gaze fierce. “We’re leaving. Together.” 

  Shock flared through me. “What? But—” 

  “No arguments.” Her tone left no room for debate. “I can’t sit by and watch my daughter become a nuisance, taking what’s rightfully yours.” 

  “You’re my niece, and you matter more to me than some ridiculous pack rules.”

  Her words hit hard, a balm to my battered soul. I nodded, too drained to argue, and let her guide me deeper into the woods. 

  The trees thinned as we approached a small, weathered hut nestled in a clearing.

  It looked old, worn by time and the elements, but there was a quiet strength to it—a sense of peace. 

  “This was my home,” Prestige said softly, pushing the door open. “Madison’s father and I lived here. He wasn’t allowed in the pack because he was human, like you.” 

  I swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling in my chest. 

  “He loved us,” she continued, her voice thick with emotion. “But one night, rogues came. He didn’t stand a chance and got killed.” 

  My heart ached for her, for the pain etched in every word. I reached out, squeezing her hand. “I’m sorry.” 

  She smiled sadly. “It’s okay. I’ve made peace with it.”

  The silence stretched between us, heavy and full. But then she gave me a gentle nudge. “Come on. Let’s clean this place up. It’ll be our home now.” 

  For the first time in days, a small smile tugged at my lips. “Okay.” 

  We worked side by side, scrubbing and sorting, filling the space with laughter and memories. 

 ***

 I sank onto the edge of the cot, letting out a long breath. The room was small but okay. It had a bed, a chair and a window overlooking the trees. It wasn't much, but it was mine.

 I stood and crossed over to the window, my reflection ghostly in the glass. The forest stretched out, dark and quiet, but at the same time, it was peaceful.

 Then I saw it. A black car, maybe twenty metres away, half-hidden behind a cluster of pines. My stomach tightened as I stared, waiting for movement, for someone to step out.

 But there was nothing.

 Before I could even think of calling for Aunt Prestige, the car pulled back. Slow and deliberate as it reversed into the shadows and disappeared like it had never been there.

 I stood frozen. My mind raced through possibilities. What was a black sedan doing just a few metres away from Aunt's Prestige's hut? Could those be rogues?

 I quickly drew the curtain and stepped back, my pulse thudding in my ears. I wanted to wake Aunt Prestige, but what would I say? A car was parked outside and then left? It sounded paranoid and crazy.

 I sat back down on the cot, my hands clasped tight in my lap. The silence of the hut pressed in around me.

 I told myself it was nothing but I didn't believe it.

 And I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching us.