Nevea

I never thought packing my stuff could be this hard. Every item I shoved into my suitcase felt like tearing pieces of my life with Kai. The life I had imagined would last forever.

I bit back tears when I stared at the empty closet. I couldn’t believe this was happening. How had we come to this? We were supposed to be together for life. But instead, here I was, about to leave. I wiped my tears. Now was not the moment to be weak. I was worth more than this.

My phone vibrated, and it was Ivar. He seemed unfinished with his lecture.

“Nevea, please don’t make any rash decisions. I’m sure Kai will fix this. He is just a little busy. Give him time to make it up to you.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Fix this? How could he? Where was he? He canceled without thinking twice. He didn't even think of me. And I have to understand him," I hissed and ignored Ivar.

I shoved the last shirt into the suitcase, trying to forget about the supposed mating ceremony. I had dreamt of walking down the aisle with the entire pack watching. But today, when it was supposed to happen, Kai's eyes went to Claire, who faked another injury. I couldn't count how many times she had done it and how blind Kai was about this.

"Damn them!"

I zipped the suitcase, grabbed my luggage, and went out. I never told anyone, not even Nana Lolita, who loves me a lot. The Uber I booked was already outside waiting. I rushed to stuff my things inside the car's trunk and went inside, instructing the driver to leave. I stared out the window with a heavy heart as each passing street reminded me of the life I left behind. I had fought for so long, but now I was done. I was taking back control, even if it hurt.

When I arrived at my old apartment, I stared at it before going in. I had lived here less than a year, and it felt like home, comforting but painful. I wished to become the old me, full of hope and love for Kai.

I dragged my suitcase, and its weight felt lighter compared to what was in my chest. When I reached the bedroom, the small space felt foreign to me, but I welcomed the change. As I unpacked, I tried to push thoughts of Kai from my mind, but they kept creeping back in.

Just as I was setting up my bed, my phone vibrated again. I hesitated before picking it up, thinking it would probably be Ivar or Claire. But when I saw the name on the screen, my heart raced.

It was Kai.

My breath was wailing as I read through the message.

"Nevea, please. Can we talk? I need to see you."

I stared at the screen, my heart pounding. Did he really think he could just fix things with a simple message? After everything?

I was shaking when I was typing my reply.

"I don’t think it’s a good idea right now."

Before I could even put the phone down, it rang, and Kai was calling. I hesitated, my finger hovering over the decline button, but something stopped me. I took a deep breath and answered.

“What do you want, Kai?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Nevea, it shouldn't go this far. Let's talk about this, please," he said with a mix of desperation and warmth.

“Why? So, you can cancel again? So, you can tell me how much you care while still prioritizing Claire?” My voice rose, anger flaring up again.

"No! I wanted to explain... I know that you are hurt. I understand it. This is not because of Claire. I am an Alpha, and I'm responsible for every pack member's safety. She is my responsibility."

I scoffed, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me.

"Kai, she's always injured. Don't you find it a little odd?"

"Come on, Nevea! Anything can happen during training. You will always get hurt as you learn new fighting skills. Injury is all part of learning. Any child could understand that," Kai said with irritation.

"Are you trying to say that I am childish? And Claire getting injured all the time is not behaving like one?"

"No, it's not like that. You have every right to be upset. We have been preparing for the mating ceremony for months. But you know we can never predict what will happen. Luckily, Claire's injury was not that bad. She will heal in a day or two. We could schedule again the mating ceremony. What is a day or two delay?"

“I can’t do this right now,” I finally said, my voice trembling.

“Nevea, please! I just need you to hear me out. Can we at least meet? Just to talk?” Kai pleaded.

“Talk? About what? About how you chose Claire over me? You know what? I'm done hearing excuses."

“It's not an excuse! I just need a moment to explain everything. I thought you’d understand my position of being an Alpha. This isn’t just about us.”

“Right. Because your responsibilities are clearly more important than our relationship. I get it, Kai. But that doesn’t change how I feel.”

He sighed, and I could hear the frustration in his breath.

“You’re right, it doesn’t. But I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to do what was best for the pack. You know I care about you, don’t you?”

“Do I? Because it sure doesn’t feel that way. You keep saying you care, but your actions tell a different story."

Kai was about to argue about his responsibilities. He couldn't stop. I felt like a child he had to lecture because I couldn't understand what it was to be Alpha. I ended the call without asking for permission. Kai called again, and I didn't pick up. Instead, I turned off my phone.

Kai

Laughter and chatter made the house lively and full of energy. Ivar's birthday party drew the entire pack together, and it felt good to see everyone enjoying themselves. As I scanned the house, I found Nevea standing at the bar, engaged in conversation but not entirely present. It didn't matter, I was glad that she came.

Nevea was probably tired. She had been busy these days with work, and Ivar mentioned she was not in the mood for a party. But here she was. That was Nevea - always doing the right thing and putting others before herself.

“Hey, Alpha Kai!” Claire called, pulling me from my thoughts. She looked at me with those hopeful eyes.

“Could you please help me with these prawns and crabs? I can’t peel them with my arm like this.”

I hesitated for a moment because I thought of talking to Nevea. I glanced at her, and she was still talking to one healer. I would talk to her later. I couldn't leave Claire hanging.

“Sure," I said, moving to sit beside her.

“Thanks! You’re a lifesaver,” Claire responded with a bright smile.

I picked up one prawn and crab and began peeling them. This part of being an Alpha sometimes could suck, but it was a good thing that I needed to do this with Claire. Other members sometimes could be demanding.

“You’re always so kind to me, Alpha Kai. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she said, leaning at me.

“It’s nothing. Just doing what I should."

As I continued peeling, Ivar joined us, holding two drinks in his hands. He handed one to me and shot a knowing glance at Claire.

“You really know how to make a guy feel useful, huh? What a gentleman," he teased.

I chuckled and handed another peeled prawn to Claire.

“Just helping a pack member who needs it.”

Ivar leaned against the table and glanced at Nevea, standing alone now. She had been holding her drink since she came, and it remained untouched.

“Hey, Kai, why don’t you peel some prawns and crabs for Nevea? I'm

sure, she would appreciate that, too."

I frowned. I didn't come here to be peeling plates of seafood. Nevea could easily do it by herself.

“Nevea’s fine. She’s just taking a break,” I said, trying to convince myself.

Ivar raised an eyebrow.

“You really think so? She doesn’t look so happy.”

“Of course, she’s fine. She understands I’m here for Claire because she’s hurt. It’s not a big deal," I said with a forced smile while glancing at Nevea, who looked irritated.

Claire darted her gaze between us. She looked more concerned and worried than earlier.

“I hope I’m not causing trouble between you two. I wouldn’t want Nevea to feel like I’m coming between you. After all, she is your mate, Alpha Kai. She also deserved some attention from you," Claire said softly.

“No, you’re not,” I replied quickly, but doubt crept in. I caught Nevea’s eye, but she quickly looked away.

“She knows I’m just helping.”

I felt an odd tension as I handed some crab meat to Claire.

“You’re such a good Alpha, Kai. It’s nice to see you take care of your pack.”

I shrugged, dismissing the praise.

“It’s just what I do. You’re part of the pack, Claire. It’s my responsibility to make sure everyone is okay.”

Claire looked at me, smiled, and leaned close again.

“Still, you make it look effortless.”

I couldn’t help but smile, but my gaze went to Nevea. She had moved away from the group and crossed her arms as she watched us. I felt a pang of unease but brushed it off. She had to understand this was just part of being Alpha.

As the main course was served, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with Nevea. She had never been this angry this much. She behaved differently, and I couldn't understand why she made things difficult.

“Nevea, want some prawns?” I called out, trying to break the ice.

She looked up, her expression neutral.

“No, I’m good, thanks,” she said, her voice steady but distant.

Before I could respond, Ivar chimed, “Come on, Nevea. You can’t just stand there! Join us. Kai’s practically the seafood king over here!”

Nevea smiled politely but shook her head.

“Really, I’m fine. I think I’m going to head home,” Nevea insisted.

“Already? It’s still early” I asked, surprised.

“I’ve got work tomorrow. Tell Ivar happy birthday for me,” she replied. She looked at me, but her eyes lacked that warmth they used to.

“Wait, let me walk you out,” I said, immediately standing up.

“There’s no need. I’ll be fine,” Nevea said quickly, her voice firm.

I felt a tightness in my chest.

“Nevea, come on. We barely got to talk tonight. Can’t you stay a bit longer?”

“I can't. I really need to go,” Nevea said with a hint of frustration.

And just like that, Nevea headed towards the door without looking back. I watched her leave and felt my stomach twisted. What was going on with her?

Claire looked at me still with worry and concern that she looked like she was about to cry.

“She seems upset. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine,” I replied, but my voice lacked conviction.

“I can’t help but feel like I’m causing problems. I'm sorry that I had another injury yesterday. I didn't mean to come between you two. I'm sure she was deeply hurt that your mating ceremony got canceled. I would feel the same way, too.”

“You’re not. Nevea knows that. It’s just... she’s tired, I guess. I’ll just text her."

I pulled out my phone and quickly typed: “Nevea, let me know when you get home. We need to talk.”

I hit send, but the message wouldn’t go through. I frowned and tried calling Nevea, but it went straight to voicemail. I stood there, staring at my phone in disbelief. Nevea blocked me.