Chapter 1
"Mom, I've decided to study abroad," Charlotte said, her voice steady with determination.
Wynter Kelley, a respected Healer in their pack, couldn't hide her joy on the other end of the call. "That's amazing news, Charlotte! I'll get started on the paperwork right away."
As the excitement faded, Wynter asked, "By the way, have you talked to Beta Atlas about this? It's a pretty major decision."
"He's been really busy lately. I'll tell him when he has some free time."
After hanging up, Charlotte leaned heavily against the doorframe, her heart burdened with emotions. Atlas Lynch, her father's old friend and the Beta of their pack, was a man she'd secretly admired for three years. Ten years ago, after her parents' divorce and her father's tragic accident, Wynter couldn't return because of visa issues. Atlas had been the one to extend a helping hand.
He had crouched down, his commanding aura softened as he looked at her with gentle eyes, asking, "Little one, would you like to live with your uncle?"
From that day forward, the stern Beta always had a little girl in a Victorian-style dress by his side, laughing. Though he wasn't much for words, he enveloped Charlotte with unwavering affection, making her feel like the brightest star in town. But three months ago, his warmth vanished when she confessed her feelings to him.
On her eighteenth birthday, Charlotte had ordered matching charm bracelets, one for herself and one for her 'uncle.' When she confessed, she had imagined countless scenarios of Beta Atlas's delighted reactions, but the reality was a harsh rejection.
"Charlotte Bennett, how can you have such inappropriate thoughts? I'm your uncle!"
"But you're just my father's friend; we share no blood relation."
Beta Atlas's chest heaved with anger, his gestures emphatic. "I watched you grow from a little girl. I've witnessed every significant moment of your life, even buying your first training bra. To me, you're closer than any blood-related niece."
"What kind of monster would fall for his own niece?"
Since then, Beta Atlas avoided Charlotte like the plague. Yet she persisted, writing letter after heartfelt letter, which he never read. To extinguish her hopes, Beta Atlas, who had never dated anyone, even started seeing another woman. He held hands, hugged, and kissed Gamma Carolina right in front of Charlotte—everything she had longed for was effortlessly given to another.
Reflecting on this, silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes, gathered herself, and knocked on Beta Atlas's door, planning to tell him about her plan to study abroad. But as she entered his room, she saw his usually buttoned-up shirt hanging open, revealing his toned, muscular frame.
His face was flushed, veins visible on his neck and forehead, eyes clouded with restrained desire. Upon seeing Charlotte, he mustered all his strength and shouted, "Get...out."
Charlotte froze, understanding instantly—he'd been drugged. Panic surged as she realized Gamma Carolina was out for the day, leaving just Charlotte and Beta Atlas alone at home.
Frantically typing on her phone, she searched for remedies to counteract the effects of the drug. But before she found anything, she saw Beta Atlas on the floor, visibly suffering. Her inner conflict was brief; she cast aside all dignity and pride, offering herself as his cure.
Beta Atlas, despite his condition, used all his energy to push her away. His voice was filled with contempt: "Get...out."
Sweat poured from him, his voice weak but insistent: "I want Carolina."
Charlotte stood in disbelief. Just then, Gamma Carolina returned. She swung her purse and it struck Charlotte's head, breaking the skin, blood instantly streaming down.
"Didn't he make it clear? He wants you to leave!"
Charlotte clutched her wounded head, her eyes burning as she looked at Beta Atlas. He would rather endure the torment of the drugs than touch her? Humiliated, she retreated to her room.
That night, even with her pillow over her ears, Charlotte could hear every gasp from the next room. Each sound was a knife, slicing through her heart.
She clenched her hands so tightly her fingertips turned white, the noises scraping against her soul. For a moment, she hoped it was all a ruse to make her give up. But the fervent sounds of Beta Atlas with Gamma Carolina starkly reminded her that his feelings were real.
The wound on her head continued to bleed, but Charlotte felt no physical pain—not with the agony in her heart overshadowing it a thousandfold. Eventually, the sounds stopped, and with it, Charlotte's love for Beta Atlas died.
To love him any longer would be cruel.