Ashley’s POV
“Don’t look at me like that, don’t pity me!” he snapped, his voice rising as he stood up abruptly. “You’ve heard my story, now do your work and finish those designs. And they better be good.”
He turned to walk away, but I reached out and grabbed his hand, my grip tight with concern. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through,” I said softly, my heart heavy with sympathy. “I had no idea… you’ve endured so much, and-”
“Don’t pity me!” he shouted, cutting me off, his anger flaring. “I don’t need your pity! I’m not that weakling anymore. I’m an Alpha now, ruthless, and you should be afraid of me, not pity me!”
“I… I don’t fear you,” I whispered, my voice trembling with both certainty and sorrow. “You shouldn’t be feared, Steven. You should be understood. You’re not ruthless; you’re… you’re broken. Damaged.”
“I am not damaged!” he shot back, his fists clenching at his sides as his eyes burned with defiance. “I’m stronger than you think. Stronger than you can ever imagine.”
“This isn’t about strength, Steven,” I said, my voice soft yet firm. “It’s about your emotional well-being. You’re broken on the inside, and no amount of physical strength can fix that.”
“I’m not broken!” he yelled again, his voice raw with frustration and pain. “I’m strong, both physically and emotionally. I’m never weak. Weakness is a crime, one that puts everyone around you in danger!”
“It’s not a crime to be weak, Steven. It’s okay to be weak sometimes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, hoping he could hear the truth in my words.
“My father was weak!” he said bitterly, his gaze darkening with old wounds. “He didn’t make himself strong, and look at how that turned out. He bonded with a powerful wolf like my mother, and he was killed easily. His weakness cost him everything.”
“Is that why you treat me like this?” I asked, my heart aching as the question left my lips. “Is it because you think I’m weak, just like your father?”
“Finish your work,” he said coldly, his voice final. “I’m done here.” He turned and walked into the bathroom, leaving me standing in the silence of his hurt and anger.
—
Freya’s POV
“Today was fun,” Freja said, a smile tugging at her lips as she leaned back against the couch, and I nodded in agreement, my own smile appearing reluctantly.
“It’s been so long since we hung out with Steven and Liam like that,” I said, my voice thoughtful. “It kinda reminded me of when we were kids.”
“Yeah, the four of us,” Freja said, her voice softening with nostalgia. “We used to run around the house, chasing each other. Good old days.”
“What do you think would’ve happened if Liam’s parents hadn’t betrayed Steven’s parents?” I asked, my thoughts heavy. “How do you think we would’ve grown up?”
“Well, for one, Steven would still be that innocent, carefree kid,” Freja said, her voice filled with a quiet sadness, and I nodded, feeling the same ache in my chest.
“Yeah,” I said, my voice tight with emotion. “All the running, the pressure, the pain… it changed him slowly. I mean, our father died, and my mate… my mate died. I was broken, shattered, and we all leaned on Steven. He had to stay strong for us, for all of us. He witnessed so many deaths… his father, our father… he saw the vultures feeding on his mother’s decapitated head. He saw Owen die, too. And still, he stayed strong. He had to stay strong for us.”
“What if… what if we’re responsible for the person he is now, Freya?” Freja said quietly, her voice filled with regret. “Back then, we were so focused on our own pain, on our own grief, that we never saw how badly Steven was hurting. He buried his grief to support us, but we were never there for him.”
I nodded sadly, the weight of guilt pressing down on me. “That’s in the past now,” I said, trying to offer some hope. “We know better now. From now on, we’ll always be there for him. And we’ll teach him… remind him that it’s okay to be happy.”
“It’s not just about being happy,” a voice interrupted, and we both looked up to see Luna descending the stairs, her face serious.
“We have to teach him that it’s okay to be weak,” Luna said, her voice filled with determination. “He’s been carrying this belief that he has to be feared in order to be respected and obeyed. We need to show him that being ruthless isn’t the answer.”
“Luna…” I began, but she raised her hand, cutting me off.
“He told me,” Luna said, her voice trembling. “He told me everything that happened to him, and… I feel so guilty. I always thought the worst of him, but now I see… I see how much he suffered. I feel so bad for him.”
Tears filled her eyes, and Freja and I went to comfort her, wrapping our arms around her.
“You’re right, Freya,” Luna sniffed, wiping her tears. “He transformed into this monster to protect the ones he loves. But now, we have to help him. You saw him this morning, right? That innocent kid is still in there, buried deep, yes. But he’s still there. We have to bring him back. We need to do it quickly. The priestess told me… only Steven’s light can defeat the darkness that the Demon Wolf will bring. We have to bring him back to the light, and we need to do it fast.”
—
Ashley’s POV
I returned to the room and went back to work on the designs. I was nearly done when I heard the door creak open.
Steven emerged from the bathroom, looking as if he were about to walk out, but I called out to him.
“Wait,” I said, my voice soft but firm.
He stopped in his tracks, turning to face me with a sharp look. “What is it now? Do you plan on blackmailing me with the project again?” he asked, his tone a mix of exhaustion and annoyance.
I focused on the laptop, putting the finishing touches on the designs. “And… I’m done!” I exclaimed with a small, proud smile.
“Let me see,” he said, his voice gruff as he quickly grabbed the laptop from my hands.
I watched him closely, my heart racing as he scanned the designs. “So? What do you think? Will your clients like it? Will the fashion world accept it?” I asked, my nerves creeping in.
He was quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable as he studied the work.
“Well,” he finally said, “It’s not bad.”
I couldn’t hide my excitement. “Come on, it’s great! You know it is. I’ve never created something like this before. I worked so hard on it. The least you can do is say something nice.”
“What? Stop making that face, will you?” he grumbled, but there was a hint of a smile in his voice, and I couldn’t help but beam at him.
“All you need to say is, ‘Good job, Luna. You did great. I’m proud of you.’ What’s so hard about that?”
“It’s not for me to decide how great you did,” he said, his voice gruff. “The clients will see the designs tomorrow. If they like it, then…”
“Then you’ll give me what I want?” I interrupted eagerly, not able to contain my excitement.
He sighed, rolling his eyes. “Yes, Luna. I’ll give you what you want.”
“Great!” I said, practically bouncing with excitement. “You’d better keep your word!”
“I’m an Alpha. I never go back on my word,” he said with a smirk, then turned and walked out.
“Great!” I exclaimed happily, watching him leave. Who knew I could feel so good over something as simple as completing a design?
—
Steven’s POV
I woke up early the next morning, ready for my workout with Liam.
“Think you can race me to that end faster than I can?” Liam asked with a challenging grin, and I shrugged nonchalantly.
“Who knows?” I replied, the competitive fire already sparking in me.
“Oh, don’t underestimate me, Alpha,” Liam said, his eyes glinting with mischief. “The goddess gave you strength, but I’ve been working hard.”
“Enough talk,” I said, getting into position. “Let’s get this over with.”
We took off at the same time, moving with the speed of wolves, and I reached the finish line long before Liam even came close.
“Damn it! I thought hard work always pays off,” Liam muttered, frustration lacing his voice, and I couldn’t help but chuckle under my breath.
“Train harder next time,” I said, a smug smile playing on my lips.
“Next time? Oh, there won’t be a next time, Steven,” Liam said, defeated. “I give up. I can never beat you.”
“You know you can never beat me, yet you went up against me yesterday!” I teased.
“Oh, you’re still mad about the phone, huh?” he said with a smirk.
“I asked you to give it to me, but you disobeyed,” I pointed out, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Because Freya asked me not to!” he defended himself.
“Do you hold Freya higher than me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, you’re not as pretty as she is,” he said, shrugging casually, and I stared at him, taken aback.
“So, you’ll do anything she asks because you think she’s pretty?” I asked, disbelief in my voice.
“Pretty much,” he said, giving me a lazy shrug.
“Do you love my sister?” I asked, my voice hardening.
He hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “What… I…”
“Stay away from her, Liam,” I warned, my voice cold. “Her heart was broken once when she lost the one she loved. I won’t let anyone else weaken her again.”
“What if I become stronger?” he challenged, his gaze locked onto mine. “What if I beat you in a race? Will you let me claim her then?”
“Bold of you to even suggest that,” I said, shaking my head in mock disbelief. “Fine, get stronger and beat me. Then I’ll consider your ridiculous ‘love’.”
“You just gave me the right motivation, Steven,” Liam grinned, and I couldn’t help but shake my head in disgust.
“This is exactly what makes you weak-love,” I muttered under my breath.
“Love doesn’t make you weak, Steven. If anything, it makes you stronger. I’ll prove it to you when I win,” Liam said with a grin, and I snorted.
“Don’t talk like you’ve already won. You haven’t beaten me yet,” I said, walking back toward the mansion, ignoring the way his words lingered in my mind.