Hope sparked inside her, though she was still afraid. Could it really be that simple? Could she truly reject Cedar after everything they had been through?
"But what about the pack?" Lavender asked. "What about everything Cedar said? If I reject him, it’ll destroy everything. The pack that he had united for the greater good will fall. He always says, I'm the heart of his pack, and without me, they will crumble."
The healer shook her head gently. "The pack will adjust. It’s not your responsibility to keep everything together. You were never meant to carry that burden alone."
Lavender inhaled deeply. She had spent so long thinking she had to fix everything that she had to stay by Cedar’s side for the sake of the pack. But now it was clear. Cedar was only after the welfare of the pack. And not her.
Cedar had only been drawn to what she could contribute, not to what she truly needed.
How come she realized this now, after all this time?
Dr. Dahlia smiled as if reading her thoughts. "I know this isn’t easy, but I believe in you, child. Do this for yourself. For your future and for your own happiness."
Lavender clenched her fists, feeling her healing power pulse through her veins. "I won’t let him control me anymore."
The healer’s gaze softened, and she placed a hand on Lavender’s shoulder. "When you are ready, you will have the strength to reject him.Your wolf will have the strength to challenge the alpha's dominance and stand independently."
Lavender stood tall. She could do this. She would do this.
That night, as she lay in her bed, her mind was clearer than it had been in weeks. Cedar’s presence in her life, his power over her, no longer felt as absolute.
Tomorrow, she will train harder. Tomorrow, she will take a step closer to achieving her freedom. And when the time came, she would reject him with all the strength she had.
Lavender stood in front of the mirror, staring hard at her reflection. The woman who looked back seemed familiar yet different. Her eyes held a fire she hadn’t noticed before. But underneath that strength was the same aching wound Cedar had carved into her heart the day he brought Fern into their lives.
Every day felt heavier than the last. Fern’s presence in the packhouse was like a thorn lodged deep, impossible to ignore.