"Isn’t it you and Alpha Haynes supposed to be here with the delegations from other packs? This is important for alliances your previous pack could not even give. Please, participate in this. Hurry up and come over. Everyone’s waiting for you." He ended the call abruptly, leaving me with little choice but to comply. His text followed quickly, telling me which villa they were using.
Reluctantly, I made my way to the southern part of the territory, where the delegations were being hosted. The villa was grand and designed to impress. A wolf guard led me to the private room, and as I approached, I heard voices inside.
"Luna Aeliana has quite the temper, doesn’t she? We had to call her again and again before she finally agreed to come. She might have thought she was still some princess from Bloodmoon Pack, but Shadowveil is different. Can you believe it? After the grand banquet incident for Leila, Alpha Haynes has humbled himself, yet the Luna still won’t give him the time of day. She’s really spoiled back in her own pack; she thought we would tolerate her here." Beta Ark’s voice was unmistakable, his words biting and filled with disdain.
Leila’s soft laughter followed. "Girls are like that, a bit of a temper is normal. Luna Aeliana is just too insecure, not quite trusting Alpha Haynes. She’ll come around eventually."
"Honestly," another voice chimed in, "you and Alpha Haynes are a better match. If it weren’t for your focus on your dreams back then, you’d be the one by Alpha Haynes’s side now! I still remember visiting Shadowveil Pack in the past, and you two really were a match made in heaven! I was shocked when I found out Alpha Haynes... well, you know."
The truth hit me like a physical blow. So, this was it. This was why Haynes was so forgiving, so tolerant of Leila’s every whim. She wasn’t just a childhood friend; she was the one he had always wanted, the one he had never truly let go of.
The door creaked open from behind, and I stiffened, turning to see Haynes standing there, his expression unreadable. "Why are you still there? Go on in," he said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. "Don’t just stand there."
I met his gaze, the weight of everything I had just heard pressing down on me. "What do you want me to go in for?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "To hear you announce your new romance?"