The Unnecessary Decision

Zara’s POV

“Broken Doesn’t Mean Defeated”

“You can’t sleep at the stream.”

“You have to go home,” I whispered to myself, pulling my knees closer to my chest as the wind cut through my thin dress.

But where was home now?

Home used to feel like Darren’s arms. His laugh, his  promises. Even though we never had a house together, it still felt like I belonged somewhere, as long as he was by my side.

Now he was engaged to someone else, now I was just… me. I’m alone, wolfless, no one by my side now. No one to defend me. Just me. 

I stood up slowly, my body aching from the cold rocks I’d sat on all day. My head spun a little from crying too much and sleeping too little. Still, I dusted off my dress and made my way back to the pack’s quarters.

Maybe I should’ve stayed by the stream. As soon as I stepped into the pack, eyes landed on me. Whispering started.

“There she is. The slut.”

“Darren’s little toy.”

“She thought he’d choose her? Please.”

I kept walking, pretending their words didn’t sting. But then something hit the back of my head. A rock.

I stumbled.

Before I could react, a girl called Mira shoved me hard from behind. I turned quickly, ready to defend myself, but there were already four of them. Laughing. Grinning. Hungry to see me fall.

“You’re not welcome here anymore, Zara,” Mira said, stepping closer. “Trying to seduce the future alpha? You think that makes you powerful?”

“I didn’t seduce anyone,” I muttered, trying to back away.

“Liar.” Another voice, Wendy, the Gamma’s  daughter. “You’re just a desperate omega with no wolf. No class. No shame.”

They rushed me, they were all using their fists, nails to scratch my body.  I tried to fight back, I really did. I scratched, I screamed, I bit one of them. But there were too many. Too strong. I felt a sharp pain in my ribs as someone kicked me hard. My face burned from a slap that landed square across my cheek.

By the time they left me alone, I was lying on the ground, bruised and bleeding, my lip split, and my chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. No one helped me. Not even the elders passing by.

I lay there for a while, staring at the sky. Tears mixed with blood. For the first time, I didn’t just feel pain, but I felt empty. When I finally stood up, something inside me had shifted. There was no going back. Not after this.

I was done trying to prove myself. I limped to my small room, the one I’d lived in since my parents died when I was nine. A small wooden bed. A shelf. A cracked mirror. It wasn’t much, but it had held memories. Laughter. Safety.

Now it felt like a cage. I packed what little I had, a threadbare blanket, a pair of shoes, a loaf of bread I’d saved from yesterday. Then I opened the wooden box beneath my bed. Inside was the only thing that still made me feel close to my mother: a gem-inlaid pocket watch. Gold around the edges, with a tiny moon carved at the center.

She used to say, “Whenever the world feels too big and cruel, hold this and remember, you’re not just someone’s daughter. You’re someone.”

I held it against my chest, breathing in deep. I didn’t know where I’d go, but anywhere had to be better than here. But before I left, a part of me still… wanted to see Darren.

Just one last time.

I didn’t want to say goodbye. I didn’t want to beg. I just needed to see if he ever really loved me. Or if it was all fake. So I snuck through the trees and crept toward the alpha mansion. Their garden stretched out behind the building, with torches glowing faintly. The wedding preparations had already begun, flowers being set, chairs being placed. The whole pack buzzed with excitement.

I crouched near the wall, keeping low. That’s when I heard voices.

“…I’m just asking because I saw the way you looked at her,” Lily said, her voice sharp but shaky. “You still care about her, don’t you?”

Darren sighed. “It’s not like that. She was just… comfort.”

“Comfort?” Lily snapped. “She’s in love with you.”

“She’s a wolfless orphan,” Darren said coldly. “I could never make someone like that my Luna. You know that.”

My heart dropped.

“She’s beneath you,” Lily added, calmer now. “But I still want her gone. I won’t feel safe if she’s here.”

There was a pause. Then Darren said, “I’ll handle it. I’ll make sure she leaves.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

“Tonight,” Lily demanded. “Or the wedding is off.”

I didn’t wait to hear more.

I stumbled backward, my whole body trembling. My breath caught in my throat. It wasn’t enough that he betrayed me. Now he was plotting to drive me out like I was trash?

I turned and ran. Back to my room, I ran back  to the truth. They never saw me as one of them. Not even Darren.

That night, while the pack buzzed with celebration, laughter, and music in the distance, I tied my small bag over my shoulder. I tucked the pocket watch into my pocket. And without a sound, I slipped through the back of the quarters and into the forest.

No one saw me leave. No one would care if I didn’t come back. I didn’t know where the road ahead would lead. I had no wolf. No powers. No family. No pack.

Just pain, and just me. I kept walking, even when the woods grew darker. I didn’t stop, even when my legs began to ache. I walked until I couldn’t hear the drums of Darren’s wedding anymore.