Olivia’s POV

Axel’s gaze dropped to the floor, avoiding mine entirely. The pain that gripped my chest felt like a sharp blade carving into me. The way he looked at me—or rather, the way he didn’t—was unbearable. It was as if I were nothing more than a stranger standing before him.

I knew why.

It was all because of her.

“Hey, Olivia. It’s been so long,” she said, her voice soft, almost melodic. “How have you been?”

Her beauty was as angelic as ever, with a kind of innocent radiance that I couldn’t help but envy. Bitterness and insecurity surged through me as I tried to muster a polite smile.

“I’m fine,” I replied simply, my voice steady despite the storm raging within me.

My eyes darted toward Axel, desperately searching for his. I wanted to find even a flicker of recognition, some sign that he still cared, but there was nothing. He didn’t even spare me a glance. It was as if I didn’t exist to him anymore.

Without another word, I turned and walked toward Theo’s room. When I found him, I didn’t bother to hide my unease.

“Is it alright if you eat without me tonight?” I asked, my tone curt. “I need to go somewhere.”

Theo frowned, confusion flickering in his eyes. “Where are you going?”

I avoided his gaze, knowing he wouldn’t understand, “I’ll just go to my friend,” I lied.

“You know you can’t share the news about Alyssa’s return with the pack yet,” he reminded me, his tone serious. “She’s the best hunter we’ve ever had. Her disappearance was devastating for everyone. The fact that she’s back—it’s a big deal for us. I thought we’d never see her again. So, let’s wait for my announcement.”

He kept talking, his voice steady and insistent, but his words barely registered. I wasn’t interested in the ceremony or the pack’s plans. I needed to get out of there before the weight of my emotions consumed me.

“I’m leaving,” I said simply, cutting him off mid-sentence as I turned to go.

“Olivia—” Theo’s voice followed me, but I ignored him, closing the door behind me as I stepped into the hallway.

As I walked toward the front door, I passed Axel and Alyssa in the living room. They were seated together, and something about the way they looked so comfortable in each other’s presence made my steps falter.

I stopped, forcing myself to speak. “Theo will handle the dinner. I won’t be joining you.”

Neither of them responded right away, but Axel glanced at me briefly, his expression unreadable. That single glance was enough to twist the knife deeper into my chest.

Without waiting for a reply, I turned on my heel and left.

I marched away from our territory, my footsteps echoing my frustration. None of this was fair.

The pain clawed at my chest, raw and relentless. How could he discard me so easily, like I was nothing to him? How could he cast me aside without a second thought? I was the one who stayed by his side when he needed someone the most. I was the one who picked up the pieces when his world fell apart.

I couldn’t stop the memories from flooding back. I remembered the moment vividly, as if it had happened just yesterday. Axel, the Beta of our pack, second only to my brother, the Alpha. Everyone admired him, respected him, looked up to him. But I had seen a side of him that no one else had. I had seen him broken.

That day, he sat before me, his face buried in his hands, his shoulders trembling.

“She left me,” he whispered, his voice cracked and uneven. “I don’t know why she rejected me.”

Tears had streamed down his face, and seeing him like that shattered something inside me. He was supposed to be unshakable, the Beta, the second strongest in the pack. But in that moment, he was just Axel—vulnerable, hurting, and utterly lost.

Without thinking, I reached out to him. “It’s okay,” I murmured, my voice soft, soothing. “I’m here for you, Axel. You’re not alone.”

He looked up at me then, his tear-filled eyes meeting mine. For a moment, the world seemed to still. His expression softened, and before I could fully process what was happening, he leaned forward and kissed me.

The kiss was unexpected, and it left me frozen. But what could I do? I had been madly in love with him for as long as I could remember. And now that Alyssa was gone, he suddenly saw me.

I let him in.

From that day on, we spent so much time together—secretly, of course. My brother could never know. Theo was fiercely protective, and I knew he’d never approve. So, we kept our connection hidden, sneaking away from the pack and the prying eyes of my brother.

But recently, things had changed.

Axel started pulling away.

“Leave me alone!” he said one day, his tone cold and detached. “I don’t want to deal with this right now.”

He pushed me away, over and over, as if everything we had meant nothing to him. As if I meant nothing to him.

I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong. I tried to hold on, tried to make him see that I was still here for him, but he kept shutting me out.

And now I knew why.

It was because of her.

His first love.

The moment she came back, it was like I had never existed. Like all those moments we shared, all the secrets, the kisses, the promises—they all vanished the second she returned.

I shook my head, forcing myself to hold back the tears. I needed to keep it together, stay strong. But before I could get far, I was startled when I felt a hand grip mine. Before I knew it, he had spun me around, pulling me face-to-face with him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded, his voice low and furious. "Huh, Olivia?"

There, standing before me, was Axel—his eyes burning with anger, his grip firm on my arm as if he intended to keep me from running away.

Olivia’s POV

"Let go of me!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the clearing. Thankfully, there weren’t many wolves around to hear the commotion. If there had been, this would have spread through the pack. And I knew it would reach my brother. That was the last thing I wanted—to reveal our secret.

"No. I’m not letting you go until you snap out of it!" he growled, his voice firm and unyielding. His golden eyes, glinting faintly under the moonlight, locked onto mine. "I don’t like the way you acted earlier, dismissing Alyssa as if she didn’t matter."

I frowned, disbelief washing over me. "What are you even talking about?" I snapped. "I only walked away so I wouldn’t cause any trouble for you two. I-Isn’t that what you wanted?" My voice cracked. "Because she’s back now, right? She’s the reason you’re suddenly shoving me aside like some useless scrap! Like I meant nothing to you!"

He said nothing, but the anger in his eyes was impossible to miss. It burned like fire, intense and unforgiving. His jaw tightened as if he was restraining himself from saying something he’d regret. Then, without warning, he pulled me closer.

The way he looked at me—it was different. His gaze was cold, detached, like I wasn’t even the same Olivia he used to care for. Not the Olivia he would take on midnight runs through the woods when the pack turned their backs on him. Not the Olivia he leaned on when he needed someone.

To him, I was now a stranger.

"Shut up, Olivia," he hissed, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through me. "Whatever happened between us, whatever we had—you need to keep quiet about it. If your brother finds out, it’ll cause problems for the pack. You know that."

His words hit like a punch to the gut, but he wasn’t done.

"And as for Alyssa and me," he continued, his voice softening for a moment as if he were speaking a sacred truth, "I’ve loved her. Always."

It felt like he’d ripped my heart out and crushed it in his hands. My throat tightened, tears threatening to spill as I struggled to break free from his grasp. I shoved him hard, putting as much space between us as I could.

"Y-You’re unbelievable," I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Don’t—don’t expect me to come running back to you when she breaks your heart again." I whispered…this was my breaking point.

I turned to leave, but his final words stopped me cold.

"I never expected you to."

And then, the dagger.

"Because I only used you."

There it was. The truth. The word that shattered me into a thousand pieces.

"W-Why?" I finally managed to whisper after a long silence, my voice trembling. My chest felt heavy, as if my heart had been smashed repeatedly. The pain was unbearable, like it was being crushed over and over again.

"W-Why did you use me?" I asked, my voice breaking. "Why didn’t you tell me the truth? Why now—only now—when she’s back?! Why?!"

My cries turned into shouts, raw and desperate. I didn’t care who could hear me anymore. Let the pack talk; let them know my pain.

But before I could scream again, he grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward him. His grip was tight, so tight that pain shot up my arm, and I knew it would leave a bruise. His eyes glared into mine, filled with fury and frustration, as though he wanted to silence me, to make sure no one would overhear.

"Because you are worthless," he spat, his voice cold and venomous.

The words hit me like a blade to the chest.

"You are worthless, Olivia. You’re weak. You’re pathetic. And I can’t be with someone who doesn’t even have a wolf."

He shoved me hard, and I fell to the ground, the dirt cold and unforgiving beneath me.

"I don’t care if you’re my best friend or the Alpha’s sister. I don’t care if you’re in love with me," he continued, his voice unrelenting, every word a dagger. "I cannot be with someone who can’t even fight for herself."

My breath caught in my throat… my whole body was trembling.

"I love Alyssa," he said, the final blow. "Because she’s strong. She’s one of the fiercest hunters in the pack. She’s everything you’re not."

And just like that, he turned his back on me and walked away, leaving me on the ground. Broken. Devastated. Alone.