Emily/Shenaya’s POV
I paced around in my suite, staring at my phone. I’d been distracted for days now, I was unable to shake off the fact that I hadn’t seen Andrew ever since that night he kissed me. The week had been hectic but at times like this, Andrew was always there for me for the preparation of the Paris Fashion Week. Ethan had travelled out of the country for an important business meeting but he would be back before the event. Aiden had gone back to Rome to check how things were going over there. He couldn’t let them be vulnerable, but he had been sending roses and sweet notes from Rome.
After pacing for what seemed like an eternity, I finally mustered the courage to dial his number.
The phone rang twice before Andrew picked up.
“What’s up?” Andrew’s familiar voice echoed through the phone, he was as casual as ever.
I immediately felt a mix of relief and annoyance. I couldn’t hide the irritation in my tone.
“Where have you been? Are you mad at me?” Andrew’s pause on the other end was short, but it felt like an eternity.
“No, of course not,” he said, though his voice lacked its usual warmth but wasn’t convinced yet, I sat down, clutching the phone tighter.
“You sound like you’re lying, Andrew. What’s going on?”
Andrew sighed heavily, the sound made me feel guilty even though I was pretending to not know what was going on.
“I’ve been away for a business. Things I needed to handle. It wasn’t intentional, Shenaya.” His voice softened. “I wasn’t avoiding you. Trust me. But I’ll be there for you at the show. You’ll see me soon, I promise.”
Despite his reassurances, calling me Shenaya left me unsettled but instead of pushing further, I just nodded to myself and smiled faintly.
“Okay,” I said quietly. “I’ll hold you to that. Paris Fashion Week is important, and I want you there.”
“You got it,” Andrew replied with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. We exchanged a few more pleasantries before saying goodbye.
As the call ended, I sat on the bed, staring at the bouquet Aiden had sent earlier. I knew I was going to forgive him eventually but I’m enjoying the attention right now and I intend to hold on to that for now.
“Em, we are late!” Lilah’s voice brought me out of my reverie, her heels clicked dramatically on the marble floor. “Model selections don’t wait for anyone, not even Paris’s finest!”
Lilah, my best friend, stormed into the room like a force of nature. Lilah was always impeccable, dripping in elegance and confidence, her presence commanding attention without uttering a word. The confidence she has is the exact opposite of what an Omega wolf should have.
“I needed that entrance,” I admitted, grabbing my bag and slipping into my shoes.
“Everything okay? That wasn’t your mysterious Aiden on the phone, was it?” Lilah raised an eyebrow.
“No, it was Andrew.” I rolled my eyes and linked my arm with hers as we walked out.
“Andrew, huh? And let me guess… still pretending you don’t care about Aiden sending you daily love notes from Rome?” Lilah shot me a knowing smirk.
“I’m trying not to. And Andrew… he’s just been distant lately. I didn’t want to believe he was avoiding me because of a meaningless kiss.” I groaned
“You’ll figure it out, darling. But for now, we’ve got models to select. Let’s focus on that.” Lilah squeezed my arm to give me a warm but teasing smile.
We made our way to the modeling agency. Lilah had a way of lifting my spirits, and for the first time that day, I felt a little bit relaxed.
As we drove through the city on our way to the agency, something unusual caught my eye. A lone figure walked slowly and seemed lost in their world. The figure crossed the express without waiting for the traffic light. As we got closer, I realized with shock who it was. Lucy – Aiden’s sister.
I stepped on the brakes just in time to avoid hitting her.
“Oh my Goddess, Lucy!” Lilah screamed. Lucy barely flinched, clearly distracted, and wasn’t on her mind, her face was pale and drawn. I quickly jumped out of the car, my heart racing with concern.
“Lucy, what’s wrong? What are you doing out here?” I asked her while shaking her to bring her back to her senses.
Lucy blinked at me trying to adjust her eyes but her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
“Shenaya?”
I just nodded and didn’t bother to say anything else to her, I took Lucy’s arm and guided her back into the car. Lilah and I shared a worried glance before driving to a nearby cafe for some privacy. Lilah also knew Lucy since we both worked for the Caesar family as Omega wolves.
We found a secluded corner inside the cozy cafe we found around. I ordered tea while Lucy sat quietly, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to hold herself together.
“Talk to me,” I urged gently once they were settled. “What’s going on?”
Lucy looked at me with haunted eyes. I could see the toll of struggles etched across her face.
“It’s… Alenjro, my mate” She hesitated, as if afraid to say the words aloud. “He’s been treating me abusing me.”
My heart sank. I knew Lucy’s mate, Alenjro back then before she moved and he was a sweet man.
“What did he do?” I asked and leaned forward with concern.
Lucy sighed shakily with a broken voice as she spoke.
“Ever since I couldn’t give him a pup, he’s been cruel. He belittles me every chance he gets. He’s supposed to be my Delta mate, but… he treats me like an Omega. He hates that I’m an Alpha female. He wants me to be… submissive.” She paused, her eyes filling with tears. “I can’t take it anymore. I feel so trapped.”
“Lucy, why didn’t you Aiden, or anyone? You don’t deserve that. None of this is your fault.” My stomach twisted in anger. If anything, Lucy didn’t deserve to be treated like trash. He is an amazing person and she has helped me in the past more than once or twice.
“I didn’t want to burden anyone and I didn’t know what to do.” Lucy looked down while she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
“You’re not a burden,” I said firmly. “You’re an Alpha Female, You are LUCY CAESAR the sister of Alpha Aiden Caesar, you’re strong, Lucy.” I reached across the table and took Lucy’s hand, squeezing it gently while trying to remind her who she was “You’re coming with me. You’re staying at the pack house and I won’t let you go back to him.”
Lucy looked up at her with gratitude, her eyes shimmering. She didn’t say anything, she just nodded.
“Forget about him for now. Let’s focus on you,” I said “You deserve so much better.”
We skipped our model hunt because I couldn’t leave Lucy alone, I brought Lucy back to the pack house.
Lucy didn’t deserve all of this. She was the one who gave me this trip to Paris where I found my family and if not because of anything, that alone is a reason to help her and bring her out of this problem. As for Alenjro, I will think of the most painful way to make him suffer.
It isn’t easy for an Alpha wolf to surrender and be submissive. It goes a long way. I was able to live like an Omega because I was raised that way. She was raised to be an Alpha, so her not being in command would make her wolf angry, trapped, and weak. That was simply why she was losing her mind.
I should call Aiden and let him know the situation of things with his sister