Chapter 3

“Did you freeze the trust fund?” Jayla’s voice dripped with false sweetness as she spoke through the phone, though I could hear the edge of irritation beneath it.

“You said you were doing well in the pack and wouldn’t need it anymore, remember?” I replied, my tone steady despite the anger simmering inside me.

Cody was silent for a moment, caught off guard. In the past, money had never been an issue between us. I’d always valued him more than any financial matters, trusting him completely. But that trust had been shattered, just like the mate bond we once shared.

Then Jayla’s voice cut through the line again, saccharine and manipulative. “It’s okay, Cody darling, I don’t really need the necklace.”

“No way,” Cody said firmly, his tone shifting to one of determination. “The necklace suits you perfectly. We’re getting it.” He stepped away from the phone, his voice lowering as he addressed me directly. “Amelia, I know you’re upset about me keeping the pregnancy a secret, but this child is yours too, isn’t it? You should take responsibility for your own child. Even if the child isn’t physically yours, you still have the duty of a mother. If the child ever finds out, they won’t hold it against you and will understand, right? Now, release the trust fund, or I’ll be really unhappy.”

Before I could respond, he hung up, leaving me staring at the phone in disbelief. Ever since the rogue attack that left me temporarily disabled, every time Cody mentioned being unhappy, I’d panic and comply with his demands, terrified of being left abandoned and alone. But now, all I felt was a cold, seething anger at the absurdity of it all.

Not long after, I came across Jayla’s Instagram post. “All fed and happy today,” the caption read. In the photo, she and Cody were taking a mirror selfie in a hotel room. Cody’s hand rested on her stomach, while his other hand gently touched her head. The image was meant to be sweet, but to me, it was a slap in the face.

So, this prenatal checkup was supposedly for *our* future? I smirked, feeling the numbness set in.

Around this time, my resignation from the Blue Moon Pack was officially accepted. I packed up my belongings and went to the packhouse to retrieve what I’d left behind. When I arrived, I found several missed calls from Cody, demanding I release the trust fund. When I didn’t respond, he bombarded me with messages, accusing me of being heartless and neglecting the child.

Laughable. Where exactly was this child supposed to have come from?

Quietly, I walked to my locker. As luck would have it, I walked in on Cody with his arm around Jayla, surrounded by pack members offering congratulations. “Jayla’s only two months along, not very stable yet. Cody, you’d better take care of her, okay?” one of them said.

Jayla blushed and snuggled up to him, playing the part of the doting mate-to-be. Cody laughed, his voice full of pride. “I’d rather Jayla not tire herself out with pack duties, but with the upcoming patrols and no one else to fill in, I’ll have to see if there’s another suitable warrior.”

That “someone else” was me. Since Cody had used his connections to get Jayla into the warrior ranks, he’d regularly use the excuse that Jayla was his mentor’s daughter to get me to help her with difficult tasks. Initially, he’d sweet-talk me, telling me how supportive I was. But soon enough, he began to buy into Jayla’s claims that I was holding her back due to envy of her youth and beauty.

With Cody and Jayla’s rumors, everyone in the pack began to see me as someone with hidden motives. If not for my skill as a Gamma warrior, I’d have been pushed out long before the rogue attack.

As I gathered my belongings and turned to leave, I overheard a pack member congratulating them. “You two are perfect for each other. Cody, you’ve got the talent, and though Amelia was talented in the past, she’s not on the same level now. Jayla’s just right for you.”

How ironic. When Cody and I got together, he had been turned down by other packs for lack of skill, while I was already receiving recognition for my combat abilities. I was the one who convinced Justice to give Cody a chance, insisted he be my training partner, and worked tirelessly to elevate him to where he is today.

If I could turn back time, I’d never have given him a second thought.

With my belongings in hand, I headed to Justice’s office. Justice, the Gamma who had always supported me, greeted me with both excitement and regret. “Does Cody know your legs have healed?” they asked, their voice a mix of concern and curiosity.

I shook my head. “No, and I don’t plan on telling him. He’s made his choices, and so have I.”

Justice nodded, their expression softening. “You’re stronger than he’ll ever be, Amelia. The Silver Fang Pack will be lucky to have you.”

As I left the packhouse for the last time, I felt a strange sense of freedom. Cody and Jayla could have their twisted little world. I had a new pack to join, a new life to build, and no intention of looking back.