“All right, stop crying now. Let me grab the first aid kit,” Asher said with a sigh as he gently patted my head, trying to comfort me.

He walked off, muttering to himself. “Look at you—tough on the outside, but always crying over the smallest things. What would you do without me?”

I stared down at the rash on my wrist, the angry red patches starting to spread. It was burning, and the itching was unbearable.

“What would I do without him?” I thought bitterly. Pfff!

For five years, I’d let myself believe in his love. But now, the truth stung more than the rash on my skin.

“But, Asher,” I whispered to myself, “I don’t want this sick kind of love anymore… I don’t want you anymore.”

That night, I couldn’t sleep. My body felt on fire from the allergy, and the whole night was filled with restless dreams of Celeste and the cruel laughter of Asher’s friends. When I woke up drenched in sweat, the ache in my chest was almost as bad as the reaction on my skin.

As dawn broke, Asher shook me awake, his usual playful smirk on his face.

“Rise and shine, Lois!” he teased, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.

I jerked away, glaring at him. “What are you doing?”

“Waking up my Snow White, what else?,” he replied, amused by my reaction.

“Ugh,” I muttered, wiping my face in disgust. “It’s the weekend, Asher! Can’t you let people sleep?”

He raised an eyebrow, his tone softening. “You’ve got hives all over, Lois. And you’re burning up. I’m taking you to the pack healer.”

“I’m fine;” I insisted, but he wasn’t having it.

“Humor me,” he said with a shrug, already pulling me out of bed.

Reluctantly, I got dressed, too tired to argue.

At the pack’s medical center, the sterile smell of antiseptic hit me as we walked through the corridor. Then we saw her—Celeste.

Wow.

She was limping slightly, her face lighting up the moment she saw Asher.

“Asher!” she called, smiling at him. “What a surprise!”

The warmth in his face was instantaneous, like he hadn’t seen her in years. There was genuine concern in his eyes as he rushed to her side.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it.

Celeste gave a weak smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, nothing too serious! Just a little mishap during a run with some of the warriors. Sprained my ankle, nothing to worry about.”

Her eyes flickered to me for a moment, then back to Asher. “You here for a check-up too?”

Asher hesitated, glancing at me briefly before answering. "Yeah, my friend 'little sister' here had a bit of a fever, so I brought her in to get checked out."

I was used to being called his ‘sister’ by now. Ever since Asher decided to keep our relationship on the down low, he’d introduced me as his friend's little sister—someone he was just looking out for. Only his closest friends knew the real deal.

“She’s staying with you, right?” Celeste asked with a knowing smile. “Of course, you’ve got to take care of her properly. You two go on ahead, I need to head over there."

She pointed toward the other clinic across the way.

Before I could process the sting of her words, Asher was already scooping Celeste into his arms. “Come on, I’ll take you to the clinic,” he said, completely ignoring me.

“Asher, I’m fine!” Celeste protested weakly, but she didn’t resist.

“Asher,” I said quietly, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice, “I’ll wait here.”

He didn’t even acknowledge me.

Watching him carry her away, I felt the last of my strength drain from my body. It wasn’t just in my head—when Celeste was around, his true feelings slipped out, clear as day.

I forced myself to smile, bitter and hollow, before turning to find the healer’s room on my own.

Inside, the healer frowned as she checked my condition. “You’ve had a severe allergic reaction,” she said, her tone serious. “Your skin is reacting badly to something, and your temperature is dangerously high. Your breathing’s getting shallow too. We need to get you on an IV with antihistamines and some painkillers to help with the swelling.”

I nodded numbly, her words washing over me like a distant echo.

Out of habit, my hand reached for my phone to call Asher. But just as I was about to dial, I stopped myself.

No. Not this time.

I slipped the phone back into my bag and gave a self-deprecating laugh. I was done relying on him. Done letting habit control me.

With shaky hands, I signed the paperwork and followed the healer to the IV room alone.

After finishing the IV, I felt more dizzy than before. The cool, sterile air of the pack’s medical center wasn’t doing much to help, and I swayed slightly as I took a step forward, my head spinning.

Asher still hadn’t come back. No calls, no messages. He’d said he’d check on me after the healer, but nothing.

I pulled out my phone, feeling the weight of the situation press on me. I had to call him, even though I didn’t want to.

When he picked up, I could hear the faint sounds of laughter and the soft hum of an Italian ballad in the background.

"Lois, I’m sorry," he said, his voice distracted. "I was going to come back, but Celeste... she had some trouble shifting back into her wolf form. I had to help her out."

I froze at the mention of her. “Asher, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”

A waitress’s voice cut through the call. “Your pizza is ready, sir. Please enjoy your meal.”

I clenched my jaw. It was clear he was with her, not me! He quickly covered the phone, but I heard it all.

“It’s okay. I’ll manage on my own,” I said, trying to sound convincing, though I knew he could hear the crack in my voice.

Just as I was about to hang up, Asher called out. “Lois, head home. I’ll explain everything later.”

Explain? What was there to explain? Another round of lies?

Wow.

Without a word, I ended the call and arranged for a ride back to the pack house. That night, Asher didn’t come home.

I lay awake, the faint sound of wind rustling through the trees outside rattling my thoughts. I picked up my tablet, trying to distract myself by sketching designs for a client.

But then I accidentally brushed against the chat app, and a new post popped up from Celeste.

A picture of a candlelit dinner table adorned with roses, captioned with:

“After half a lifetime away, I return to you. And here, the world feels warm again, just as it should.”

My heart sank. Only when I tried to log out did I realize the chat app was still open on Asher’s account.

I should’ve been angry. I should’ve felt something. But instead, I just felt numb. I quickly logged out of the app, not wanting to dive into their little world of flirtations and secrets.

The next morning, I arrived at the pack’s office, feeling drained but functional. I handed my resignation to my manager. When she learned I was getting married, she smiled wistfully.

“You’re going to be missed, Lois. You’ve been one of the best members on the team.”

I smiled back, unsure what to say. “Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

The office buzzed with talk about my upcoming wedding, and my colleagues insisted on throwing me a farewell lunch. I couldn’t say no, so I agreed and made a reservation at the small Italian restaurant Asher and I had always gone to.

It was one of the few places I could count on, and the food was good.

About halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom. But as I turned the corner, I nearly ran into Celeste.

She looked surprised but greeted me with a friendly smile. “Lois! Didn’t expect to see you here.”

I gave her a polite smile, but I didn’t want to stick around. We weren’t close enough for small talk.

But she didn’t seem to feel the same way.

“Actually,” she said, stopping me before I could leave, “I noticed something last time we were here. Does Asher always scrape the cheese off your pizza before giving you a slice. Do you not eat dairy?”

The word ‘always’ made me pause. I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “I... I actually like cheese,” I admitted, feeling sick to my stomach.

Celeste smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “I know. He’s always said you didn’t like it because I’m lactose intolerant. It’s a habit he has... for ME.”

It was like a punch to the gut.

I had always thought Asher did it because he was looking out for me. I didn’t mind it—it was his little habit. But now, I realized the truth. He never did it for me. He did it for *her.*

Celeste tilted her head, a sly smile curving her lips as she watched me from across the table. The warm glow of the Italian restaurant didn’t soften the sharpness in her eyes.

"You know…" her voice light and airy, "I’ve always thought we looked alike. Almost like sisters, don’t you think?"

Celeste’s grin widened, a little too smug, like she was already two steps ahead in some game I didn’t know we were playing. It wasn’t just a smile—it was the kind of look that made my wolf growl low in the back of my mind. She was plotting something. I could feel it.

Still, I didn’t flinch. I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction.

"Must just be your imagination," I added casually and left her. My wolf didn’t trust her, and honestly? Neither did I.

***

The night dragged on, the lively chatter around me a background hum as I tried to focus on anything but Celeste’s smug presence. When I excused myself to step outside for some air, I didn’t expect trouble to follow.

I barely made it to the alley behind the restaurant before Asher found me. He stalked toward me, his golden eyes dark with anger.

"Lois!" he said sharply. "We need to talk."

"About what?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

His jaw clenched, and before I could react, he slapped me. The crack of it echoed in the narrow space, leaving my cheek stinging and my heart pounding.

"Asher!" I gasped, stepping back in shock. My wolf growled, the sting of betrayal cutting deeper than the slap.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded, his voice low and furious. "Why did you fucking push Celeste? She’s hurt, Lois! You knew her damn ankle was twisted, and you still—"

"I didn’t push her," I snapped, my voice shaking. "What are you even talking about?!"

Before I could say more, Celeste appeared at the end of the alley. She was limping, her face twisted into a picture of helplessness. Damn her! Her shirt had a faint splash of what looked like wine on the sleeve, and she clutched the wall for support.

Asher rushed to her side without hesitation, his hands hovering protectively. "Celeste! ! You shouldn’t have followed me out here," he scolded her gently. "I told you I’d handle it."

Celeste gave him a small, brave smile, and the way he looked at her made something inside me break.

"It’s okay, Asher…" she said softly, her voice trembling like she was holding back tears. "I-I don’t think Lois meant to. Maybe it was an accident…”

My wolf snarled inside me, her anger mirroring mine. The scene was so perfectly staged it made my stomach turn!

"If her brother finds out you hurt her," Celeste added, sighing dramatically, "it might mess things up between your packs. You wouldn’t want that, would you?"

At the mention of my brother, Asher’s expression shifted, just for a second. But then he straightened, his voice turning hard again.

"Her brother trusted me to look after her," he said, his tone like ice. "That means it’s my job to deal with her when she’s out of line."

I let out a bitter laugh, unable to hold it back anymore. "Deal with me? For what, exactly? Even in pack law, you need proof before punishing someone. Don’t you think it’s a little unfair to just jump to conclusions and hit me without knowing the full story?"

Asher clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing. "You knew there were no witnesses nor CCTV’s in the restroom. You fucking thought you’d get away with it? Huh!"

"Asher," I tried to keep my voice steady, "y-you’re really going to believe her over me?"

Celeste stepped closer, resting her hand on Asher’s arm, her face full of fake concern. "Lois, you know I’ve always wanted to be friends with you," she said sweetly, through her eyes practically glowed with satisfaction.

Asher glanced at her, his expression softening like a fool. "She wouldn’t lie about this," he said quietly, his tone absolute.

My wolf growled, furious, but I just scoffed, glaring at both of them. "Of course, she doesn’t," I snapped. "She’s way too good at playing the victim for that!”

Five years! Five years of building something I thought was real, and he didn’t even hesitate to take her side.

Wow.

Celeste reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "Asher, please," she said, her tone all soft and sweet. "Don’t fight over me. I don’t want to come between you two."

I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and raw. "Too late for that."

"Lois," Asher said sharply, his golden eyes flashing with warning.

I shook my head, backing away. "I’m done, Asher! You’ve made it clear where you stand, and it’s not with me."

Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked away, ignoring Celeste’s murmured protests and Asher’s frustrated shout.

I didn’t go back inside. Instead, I paid the bill at the front desk and sent a quick message to the group chat:

"Something came up. Enjoy the rest of the night—it’s on me."

As I stepped out into the cool night air, the weight of it all crashed down on me. Asher wasn’t just a Gamma in my pack. He was supposed to be my partner, my anchor. But tonight proved something I’d been too blind to see.

I was holding onto someone who had already let go of me.