A storm of emotions swirled within me-shock, denial, confusion, understanding, and finally, white-hot anger. They tore through me, twisting my insides and setting my senses on fire. The plate I held slipped from my trembling fingers, clattering against the counter. My skin stung from the heat, but the pain barely registered.
Leonardo had heard me that day-heard my desperate calls for him to stop. He had come, searching for me. The weight of this revelation hit me like a punch to the gut. If he’d come months ago, I might have run to him without hesitation. But now? Now, I wasn’t so sure. Why had he come here, to Carlo’s pack? Surely, it wasn’t out of concern for me.
Then it struck me-Carlo. The realization was like a slap, leaving my mind reeling. He had insisted I take that mission to the Black Shade Pack, saying no one else could handle it, that I was the best choice. Now I knew why. He’d sent me away, timed it perfectly for Leonardo’s arrival. Betrayal bit deep, sharp and icy, sinking its fangs into my heart. I had a right to know if Leonardo was coming, no matter what he thought my reaction would be. I didn’t need Carlo’s protection, and I certainly didn’t deserve his lies.
Fueled by that betrayal, I stormed out of the kitchen, my mind fixed on one goal: finding Carlo. I had to know why he’d lied, why he didn’t think I could handle the truth. I was stronger now-he should have known that.
I nearly collided with Chiara as I sped down the hallway. She stumbled back, shock coloring her face as she took in my furious expression.
“Did you know?” I demanded, my voice breaking with barely-contained rage. The words tore from my throat unbidden, but I didn’t care. Anger was my compass, my anchor. “Did you know Leonardo was coming?”
Her eyes went wide, and she froze, holding up her hands in a feeble attempt to calm me. My heart hammered in my chest, my blood a torrent of anger. I wanted the truth-just a simple yes or no.
“Answer me, Chiara!” I snapped, the words like the crack of a whip. “Yes or no?”
“No,” she stammered, shaking her head with frantic urgency. “Not until he showed up. I swear, I didn’t know.”
“Where is Carlo?” I growled, feeling Blue, the wolf within me, raging alongside my fury. Her loyalty to Carlo was tainted by the sting of his deceit. I could feel her turmoil as keenly as my own.
Chiara barely managed to squeak out, “The meeting room,” before I tore past her, not caring if she followed or not. I was a force of raw emotion, hurt and anger blending into something both unstoppable and dangerous.
I threw open the double doors to the meeting room with a force that made them slam against the walls. Every head in the room snapped to look at me, but I only had eyes for Carlo. His expression fell, a look of pain and guilt flashing in his grey eyes. He waved his father and Beta Tommaso away, the two men brushing past me with curious, wary looks.
“Ella-” he began, stepping back as if he could sense the storm about to erupt.
“Why?” I interrupted, the word crackling with the force of my fury. The air felt electrified, my skin buzzing with the sheer intensity of my emotions.
His face crumpled, a pained frown settling there. “I didn’t want you to get hurt,” he said quietly, his eyes pleading for understanding.
“Don’t lie to me, Carlo,” I spat, each word hitting him like a blow. “You don’t get to decide what I can or can’t handle. I had a right to know.”
“You’re right.” He nodded, his regret palpable. “I know you did.”
“What did you say to him?” I demanded, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl.
My body trembled, barely holding in the anger that writhed like a living thing beneath my skin. It felt like if I let go, I’d destroy everything in sight. My nails bit into my palms as I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay rooted. If I released this storm inside, I feared it would tear everything apart.
“I told him you were busy, that you didn’t want to see him,” Carlo admitted, his voice tight with nerves. He looked unsteady, for once lacking his usual calm. I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes, and that only made me angrier.
At my sides, my hands shook uncontrollably, my anger fading into shock as I caught the way Chiara and Vito were watching me-like I was a stranger, like they didn’t know what I was capable of. The heat inside of me slowly dissipated, replaced by an unsettling hollowness.
“I didn’t know it would hurt you like this, Ella,” Carlo said softly, still holding himself apart as if unsure whether I would explode again. “I was only trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need your protection,” I said, my voice suddenly hoarse, almost broken. “Not if it comes with lies.”
I turned and left the room, my steps rapid and unsteady. Anger still trembled through my limbs, but it had been dampened by the stark realization of what I’d almost done. I’d nearly lost control, nearly let the rage consume me. The sensation was unlike anything I’d felt before, more intense, more dangerous.
I kept walking, moving blindly down the street until my fury ebbed and my shaking subsided. I stopped in front of a house-weather-worn and familiar. The porch sagged, and the paint had long since peeled away, revealing the bare wood beneath. Yet it called to me, tugging at something deep within that still ached.
It was the house Mom and I had lived in when we first came to this town, the place where the pain of the past hadn’t been so overwhelming, where Mom had begun to heal, to smile again. The last place I had felt truly safe.
My feet carried me up the steps without a second thought, the worn boards creaking under my weight. I gripped the rusty doorknob, hesitating. What was I hoping to find here? I didn’t know, but I felt a compulsion-a sense that this was exactly where I needed to be. I promised myself that if the door was locked, I would walk away. If not, I would go inside.
The knob twisted easily under my hand, and the door swung open. Inside, the house was frozen in time-exactly as we’d left it. A coffee stain ran down one wall, and shards of a shattered mug still lay scattered across the floor. As I stepped inside, a strange calm settled over me, a fragile relief that felt like coming home after a long and painful journey.