Chapter 58

It was hard to leave his room after that last night, harder than I wanted to admit. We never even talked about it again. I threw myself into work like it was the only thing keeping me breathing.

Each morning I volunteered for the harshest drills, the longest guard rotations, anything that would leave my muscles screaming and my brain too fried to think about him. I practiced hand drills until my fingers blistered and bled, cleaned the armory twice over, ran logistics until the numbers blurred on the page. The recruits learned to steer clear of me when I was shouting orders, my voice cracking with rage I wouldn't aim at anyone but myself.

Richard did the same. He trained until sweat soaked his clothes, his hair plastered to his forehead. He fought with such ferocity that even Nathan looked rattled afterward, the two of them bloody-knuckled and silent. I watched from a distance, my breath short. When our eyes locked it was like striking flint to steel, too hot, too dangerous. I'd turn away first, always.

One morning, I was supervising a drill with live ammunition, refusing to call it off despite warnings from the junior trainers. Richard appeared at the edge of the field like a storm cloud.

“Cancel it,” he said, his voice low and lethal.

I didn't look at him. “No.”

He stalked closer. “You’re going to get someone killed.”

“It’s controlled,” I snapped.

“Bullshit. You’re exhausted. You’re not thinking straight.”

I whirled to face him, rage rising so fast I almost couldn’t see straight. My voice came out raw. “What the hell would you know about thinking straight? You’re training like you’re trying to break yourself in half. You’re snarling at everyone who gets within ten feet. Don’t pretend you’ve got it all together when you clearly don't.”

His expression froze, lips parting like he wanted to answer, but no words came. The truth hung between us, too heavy to dodge.

His eyes went cold. “End it. Now.”

“Make me,” I spat.

The recruits stopped dead. The silence was thick and awful. Richard's nostrils flared as he closed the last few feet between us. His hand shot out and grabbed my arm hard enough to bruise. I yanked away so violently I nearly fell.

“You want to get yourself killed? Fine. But not them. Not here.”

My voice cracked. “You don’t get to own me!”

He recoiled like I'd struck him. His jaw ticked. Then he turned and barked at Nathan to shut it down. He didn’t look back at me.

I stood there shaking so badly my teeth rattled. When the recruits finally shuffled off, avoiding my gaze, I left the field and didn’t come back for hours.

Later that afternoon, I locked myself in the planning room. My hands trembled so hard I couldn’t hold a pen. My stomach turned at the memory of his eyes, furious and pained at the same time. My wolf howled inside me, torn between wanting to tear his throat out and wanting to crawl on top of him.

That night there was a full House strategy meeting. Jenny made sure Elsa sat right beside her at the head table. I forced myself to take my usual seat, spine straight even as my whole body ached from drills.

Jenny's voice was syrupy sweet. “I think it’s time we formally recognize Elsa’s role. She’s already been helping us with strategy.”

Richard didn’t even glance at me. His face was stone.

I cleared my throat. “Helping how? She hasn’t seen any of the defense files.”

Elsa crossed her legs slowly. "I don’t need your files to see how badly this place is run. My job isn’t about files anyway, it’s optics. The Pack needs to see that I’m involved again, that I’ve returned to support my daughter, that Richard and I can sit at the same table without tearing each other apart. I'm here to project stability, professionalism... and family unity. That’s what people want to believe in right now."

My wolf snarled. “We’re not a corporation.”

Her mouth curled. “Exactly. That’s the problem.”

Jenny looked at Richard. “Father? Objections?”

He drummed his fingers once. Stopped. “None.”

I felt like the floor dropped out under me. My mouth went dry. My heart twisted up into a hard little knot. Simon was the only one who even tried.

“We should table this,” he said. “At least let the other senior staff weigh in—”

Jenny cut him off with a sharp smile. “We’re trying to avoid a war. We don’t have time for debates.”

My chair screeched as I stood up. “I’m not staying for this farce.”

Richard didn’t even blink. He didn’t move to stop me. So I walked out, head high, heart breaking.

The next morning, I arrived early, hoping to get my seat back at the briefing table. Elsa was already there, sipping coffee like she owned the place. My stomach turned at the sight.

“Morning,” she chirped.

“You’re in my seat.”

She didn’t look up. “Oh, I know. It’s more convenient for me.”

My fingers curled into a fist. I didn’t trust myself to speak. I caught Emma’s apologetic gaze, but she didn’t say a word. When I sat two chairs away, Jenny launched right into the meeting without even acknowledging me. Every time I opened my mouth Elsa interrupted, talking over me with a smile that dripped poison. When I forced my voice to cut through hers, she waved a hand dismissively.

“That’s not realistic, Amelia.”

Richard said nothing. His gaze slid over me like I wasn’t even there.

By the time the meeting ended, my vision was blurry with rage and humiliation. I waited until the room cleared before trying to speak to him. He didn’t even look at me. Just turned and left, Elsa gliding after him with her tablet in hand.

I didn’t go back to my apartment that night. I wandered the streets until my feet hurt, the cold air scraping my lungs raw. My phone buzzed again and again with Simon’s messages. Where are you? Are you okay? I didn’t answer until the sun went down and I couldn’t stand the thought of walking anymore.

Do you want to join me in my suffering? I typed. Just so I wouldn’t scream alone.

He picked me up in his old truck. He tried to be cheerful. “Hey. You okay?”

I didn’t answer.

He swallowed and started driving. “I thought we could get tacos. Or ice cream. Whatever you want.”

“I don’t care.”

He exhaled. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks.”

He gave me a pained look. “Don’t take this wrong, but you’re scaring people. Richard told me about the drill fight.”

My stomach twisted. “Of course he did.”

Simon glanced at me. “He’s worried, you know.”

I barked a harsh laugh. “Funny way of showing it.”

We didn’t speak again until he parked at a food stand. He paid for my tacos without asking. We sat on the tailgate in silence, chewing slowly while cars rumbled past and neon signs flickered.

Finally he cleared his throat, too casual. “So…is this a date?”

I choked. “What? No.”

He flushed. “Right. Yeah. I mean—it’s fine if it is. But if it’s not—”

“It’s not.”

Silence fell hard. He picked at the corner of the box. “Okay.”

My chest ached. “Simon…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to hang out. I just didn’t want to be alone.”

He shrugged, not looking at me. “I’d rather you call me than sit alone crying.”

My throat closed. “I wasn’t crying.”

He didn’t call me on it. Just bumped his shoulder against mine. “Eat your damn taco. I’m not leaving you alone tonight.”

So I did.