Kallie pulled me back to my desk, whispering, “Alia, did you see her? That was Beta Kaelen’s fiancée!”

“That moonstone amulet around her neck, he gave it to her yesterday! They say it’s a priceless family heirloom that enhances a werewolf's power!”

“But this is so unfair! You’ve given five years to this pack. We all know how capable you are. He just handed your promotion to someone else like it was nothing!”

I nodded distractedly. I was already planning to leave. Layla’s arrival just made it painfully clear how little I meant to Kaelen.

Holding my withdrawal application and handover documents, I knocked on Kaelen’s office door.

“Come in,” he said, his voice cold.

I placed everything on his desk.

Kaelen’s face grew darker as he scanned the papers. Finally, he looked up at me, a scornful smirk playing on his lips.

“Alia Thorne, yesterday I actually thought you’d grown up, that you were done throwing childish tantrums. I guess I was wrong.”

With that, he hurled the stack of papers right at my face.

I dodged to the side, then bent down and picked up the scattered documents one by one.

He was still shouting. “Is this because I gave away your promotion? Layla’s strength and talents align with mine. I trust her abilities, so I gave her the Chief Strategist position. What right do you have to throw a fit?”

I stacked the papers neatly and placed them back on his desk, my voice calm. “I’m not throwing a fit. I’m quitting the Stone Creek Pack.”

Layla’s talents align with yours? Do you even know what my talents are?

I was of Alpha blood, born with a rare healing gift. But for Kaelen, I suppressed my own powers, forcing myself to learn combat and strategy, the things he excelled at. All my efforts to keep up with him, all these years, were apparently worthless in his eyes.

Kaelen looked down at me from his desk. “Don’t you know your own worth? I’ve already reassigned you to work under Layla. You’ll learn a thing or two by watching her.”

I laughed. “My time is valuable, too. I’m done learning things I have no interest in.”

“Fine! Then get the hell out! We’ll see which pack will ever take you after this!” Kaelen shot up from his chair, glaring at me like a beast ready to tear me apart.

And with that, I turned and walked out of his office.

My six years with Kaelen? A total waste. But I would never again orbit around him, and I sure as hell wasn't going to orbit around Layla.