Chapter 61

Kayla

The bell above the door chimed softly as I stepped into the small boutique, shaking the snow off my boots and rubbing my hands together for warmth. The air inside was nice and toasty, filled with the scent of vanilla and pine, and the faint sound of holiday music drifted from the back of the store.

I stepped further into the store, offering a smile to the cashier as I passed. My fingers trailed absently over a stack of soft wool sweaters, lingering just long enough to feel the texture. I didn’t really need to buy anything, but it just felt nice to get out of the house for a bit.

I knew I should have been home right now. I had work to do, things to address with Bluemoon.

But the second Nicholas had stormed out, leaving that unbearable silence in his wake, I had grabbed my coat and left without so much as a second thought. I just needed some space, even from Jade and Emma. I needed air. I needed something—anything—that wasn’t his negative energy swirling around me.

But it wasn’t just Nicholas that was getting to me. Everything felt like it was caving in all at once.

The guild was still breathing down our necks, that interview with the representative had left me feeling uneasy, the whispers about Bluemoon’s instability were growing louder with every day I stayed away, and the gnawing fear that I was in over my head with all of this just kept getting worse by the moment.

Suppressing a sigh, I glanced down at the pile of scarves and gloves near the register. Of course, I wasn’t just here to shop leisurely; I was shopping for Grace. I figured I could at least do something useful, so I’d decided to step out to pick up some warm clothes for her to change into in that awful, cold guild hall basement.

“Need any help?” A young woman appeared from behind the counter and smiled at me.

“No, thanks. Just looking.” I managed a thin smile, but it faded the second she turned away. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be nice, but I just felt too tired to put up my facade.

With that, I turned and grabbed a thick grey scarf from the rack, then another in a deep blue color—I wasn’t sure why I felt it was necessary to give Grace some variety in color since it was just for utility, but I couldn’t help it. The poor girl was locked up in a cell, for Goddess’ sake. Maybe a little extra color would do her some good, in whatever small way.

And maybe I shouldn’t have been complaining about my life when that was her reality. Hopefully not for long, though; if there was one thing I knew about Nicholas, no matter how abrasive he could be, it was that he kept his word.

The gloves came next, lined with soft fur on the inside, and I tucked them under my arm as I wandered further into the store. I picked up a couple pairs of socks, too, and a beanie to keep her head warm.

But it was as I was thumbing through a rack of jackets when I felt it—the prickle of someone’s gaze on the back of my neck, causing my hairs to raise.

I froze, my fingers tightening around the fabric as I turned. A woman was standing a few feet away, staring at me like she had just seen a ghost. Her dark hair was pulled into a tight braid, and the faint shimmer of a Bluemoon pendant glinted at her throat.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Kayla?” She practically barked my name.

I blinked, caught off guard by the hostility in her voice. “Yes?”

“You have got to be kidding me.” She took a step closer, the anger in her expression hardening into steel. “You’re out shopping? Now? While your pack is falling apart?”

My heart sank. “It’s not like that,” I started, hugging the clothes tighter against my chest. “I haven’t abandoned Bluemoon—”

“Haven’t abandoned us?” she snapped, cutting me off. Her voice rose, already drawing the attention of the few other customers scattered around the store. “Then where the hell have you been? We’re barely holding on, and you’re here buying scarves and sweaters? Are you using Alpha Nicholas’s money to do it, too?”

I swallowed hard, feeling oddly guilty even though I knew I didn’t need to be. “I’m not shopping for myself,” I tried to explain. “I’m getting things for someone who needs them. And I haven’t forgotten about Bluemoon—”

“But you left,” she interrupted, her eyes flashing dangerously. “You disappeared the second things got too hard for you. And now you expect everyone to believe you still care?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. The heat of shame crept up my neck, burning under the fluorescent lights. She was wrong about everything—I knew that. I was doing my best to keep Bluemoon together, trying like hell to keep the guild happy so Nicholas could remain as acting Alpha until I could figure something out.

But I didn’t tell her that. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to. I just… couldn’t.

“I haven’t given up on Bluemoon,” I finally managed, my voice quieter this time, but she wasn’t listening.

“You’re not fit to be the leader of Bluemoon!” she shouted, her voice trembling angrily. “You’re a wolfless, spineless child. Anyone else would be better than you!”

The store felt suffocating. I could feel the stares boring into me, the murmurs that followed, and no matter how hard I tried to explain, the words got stuck in my throat. I wasn’t running from Bluemoon. I never had. But standing there, beneath the weight of her glare, I suddenly felt like I had already lost.

Then, without warning, the air shifted. It was subtle at first, but heavy, almost electric. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I instinctively glanced toward the entrance. For a split second, I thought it was Nicholas. The presence was strong enough to fill the room, commanding in a way that made my heart stumble.

But it wasn’t him.

Noah stepped through the door, his gaze sweeping over the store before locking onto the woman standing in front of me. He didn’t say a word, but his dark expression alone was enough to send a chill down my spine.

The woman stiffened, her eyes flickering nervously to Noah. For a long moment, no one moved. Then, as if deciding it wasn’t worth the trouble, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the store without so much as another glance in my direction.

Once she was gone, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“You alright?” Noah asked, stepping closer. His voice was calm as ever, but there was an edge to it—something sharp lingering beneath the surface.

I had a feeling he didn’t just come here to shop, and if the way his eyes had locked onto me the second he’d walked into the store was any indication, then he had been looking for me. But why? What had Nicholas told him?

“Yeah,” I muttered,shaking my head as if that would somehow dispel the tension. “Thanks for that.”

He studied me for a moment, his brow furrowed slightly as if he wasn’t entirely convinced. But he didn’t push it, thankfully.

There was a pause after that, and for a second, I thought he might actually say something reassuring. But instead, he glanced toward the door, his jaw tightening.

“I’m actually glad I found you,” he said, his tone dropping as he jerked his thumb toward the exit. “I have to tell you something important. Come with me?”

I paused, furrowing my brow. “What is it?” I asked.

Noah’s face darkened, and he glanced around as if he were afraid of being overheard.

Finally, he murmured, “It’s about your father.”