Chapter 30

Levi’s POV

I took Avery to her favorite restaurant. The evening wouldn’t end on a good note, but I could at least try to make it somewhat worth it for her no matter how disappointed and upset I knew she would be.

We sat from each other at a small table in a room that was reserved for more high profile diners. Alphas were like celebrities to pack members, and sometimes it was hard to get any privacy in public. I really didn’t want this encounter being leaked to any tabloids. Everyone would figure out the eventual engagement was at least postponed for now, but I’d prefer it happened in the least messy way possible.

“So,” Avery said with a coy smile after we ordered. “What’s the special occasion? It’s not everyday that you bring me here.”

She definitely thought that I would propose to her. Most likely, the news I had wouldn’t be received well, but I had no choice. I had to end it.

The table was covered in a white cloth with a small candle enclosed in a glass between us, illuminating her in a warm light. There was light classical music playing in the background. It was a peaceful environment, so much so that I almost hated to ruin it.

“We need to postpone the engagement,” I said. There was no reason to drag it out and get her hopes up anymore than they already were.

The smile immediately melted off her face as she reddened with anger. “What?” Her tone was louder than I was comfortable with. I looked around to make sure that we weren’t drawing any unwanted attention. It may be more secluded in this area of the restaurant, but we weren’t the only ones.

“Avery,” I said as a warning. “You have to understand that I have a lot that I’m trying to figure out right now. It’s not fair to either of us to push through with this when I’m so distracted.” And unhappy, but I didn’t say that.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “You have got to be kidding me.”

I opened my mouth, but snapped it shut, grinding my teeth so that I didn’t snap at her. I knew she was upset and didn’t deserve that, but I wished that she would at least try to understand. “There’s just been a lot going on.”

“What? Harper? You need to move on.”

Hearing her name only made me more frustrated. I couldn’t help the way I felt, and maybe I hadn’t been dealing with it in the best way, but I was doing my best. I couldn’t play games with Avery and let her believe in a reality that wasn’t real.

I opened my mouth, but she cut me off before I could say anything else. “You know what, Levi? You’re a worthless alpha who can’t do anything right lately. You let that…little girl distract you and ruin everything good in your life when you’ve always done everything for her and she’s always been nothing but an ungrateful brat!”

Rage bubbled inside of me, but I could see that Avery’s outburst was starting to draw the attention of everyone else in the room, exactly what I didn’t want or need. The anger in me demanded that I set her in her place and point out that everything she said was wrong. She didn’t know Harper, and it was disturbing to hear what Avery thought about her.

Before I could make up my mind about what to say to her, she abruptly stood up, sending her chair clattering to the floor behind her. That definitely drew all of the attention to us, and there was no way to escape it. She picked up her water glass and threw it in my face before stomping out of the room.

The aftermath of Avery’s temper tantrum was overwhelming. A lot of people were displeased knowing that she disrespected an alpha in such a way, but I brushed them off, refusing to take any action against her.

On one hand, I understood that she was upset. But overall, I thought that she could’ve been an adult about the whole ordeal and handled it a lot better. I didn’t think I would be able to forgive her for all of the horrible things she’d said about Harper.

No matter how complicated it was, and how much her rejection hurt me, I knew that not a single word Avery said had been true.

After talking to a million people that only meant the best but were only making the whole situation worse, I went home. But I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was more lost than I’d ever been in my life.

I wandered aimlessly around the pack house until I stood frozen outside of Harper’s bedroom door. All I wanted was to knock and her answer with a smile on her face. I wanted to talk to her, knowing that she was safe with me. The thought of her being in Mason’s clutches still made me sick.

Why didn’t she want me to help her? Why wasn’t I good enough for her?

Sighing, I turned the doorknob and walked inside. It wasn’t like she would ever be inside again, it was only her room in a past tense.

Everything was just as she’d left it. When she left, I ordered everyone that they weren’t allowed to change anything, just to make sure that they came in and made sure it was clean for when she came back.

A white and purple bedset, perfectly made. Her desk with little trinkets perfectly arranged. Her lacy curtains were even still parted how she liked it, so that she could always look outside.

I remembered how blank and empty the room looked before she moved in. We’d remade it a few times over the years as she grew up. I’d always wanted to make sure that it was a perfect space for her, one that she always felt safe and comfortable in. I had always wanted her to feel at home, but I guessed I didn’t do a great job of that in the end.

She wasn’t safe. I knew that, and it killed me. I should’ve done something, fought harder, to show her that I would protect her. But she’d rejected me so many times that a part of me thought it wasn’t right to force it on her. It would’ve been worth it to make sure that she wasn’t being abused. I’d been so stupid.

Worry gnawed at my stomach, but I didn’t know what to do about it. How could I fix everything?

I’d always cared about Harper, but I didn’t think losing her would feel like this.

After a while, I decided that I needed to go to bed. Sitting and letting anxiety wash over me wouldn’t help anything.

I walked in and saw Avery laid out on top of my bed in red, lacy lingerie. She smiled when she saw me, completely opposite from how she’d been a couple of hours ago.

Stopping dead in my tracks, I raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She crawled off the bed and sauntered over to me, running a finger down my chest. “I know you didn’t mean what you said earlier. I know you’ve been really stressed, so let me make you feel better. You’ll forget about everything”

Avery sank to her knees in front of me, both of her hands reached for my belt. I captured both her hands in mine to stop her. The idea of forgetting, there was a small piece of me that found that appealing because it was almost too much, but it wasn’t worth it.

The sight of her in front of me, wanting me, used to do so much for me. I realized at that moment that beyond all the drama, I just didn’t want her anymore. There was no sexual attraction like there used to be.