Chapter 5
As I let out a sigh, a sudden sting hit my forehead.
Jackson sat on the garden wall, proudly raising the modified air rifle. That Red Ryder I'd given him last Christmas, now loaded with silver-plated hollow points.
Jackson said, "Keep lurking around, and next time it won't be a pebble in your forehead. It'll be silver."
He was so proud of his deadly aim, completely forgetting I'd been the one who taught him how to sight a target, how to control his breathing.
Back then, my mother had placed Jackson, still a pup, into my arms. Every word had dripped with sincerity. "If you love him truly, he'll see you as his birth mother when he grows. He'll be your greatest support."
My pack had placed such high hopes in me. And I had foolishly let myself believe.
Yet ten years had passed. Between this father and son, one treated me like I was nothing, while the other chose an outsider.
"It's getting windy. Don't catch a cold," I offered one last reminder, turned, and went inside. I pulled the balcony doors closed, shutting my heart away with them.
The next morning, a black SUV rolled up outside. My mother rushed over, blocking my path.
She grabbed my arm as she did ten years ago, her nails digging deep into my skin as she begged, "Harper, Jackson's still a kid. He needs you.
"Your father and brother both rely on the alliance with Dominic. The younger generation of our pack survives on Blackwood hunting grounds. If Dominic severs the alliance, we'll become a weak pack, torn apart by northern rogue wolves."
I said, "You've said all that. But why have you never once asked how I'm doing? My wolf is dying."
My mother froze for a split second. Clearly, the question had never once crossed her mind.
The roar of an engine outside cut short the lecture she was about to deliver.
A woman with a stunning figure and flawless makeup walked in, smiling.
She radiated a cloying scent similar to the Jo Malone Wild Rose fragrance Celeste had favored in life, but it was too deliberate, almost synthetic, and sharp, clearly an attempt to mask her natural pheromones.
The moment the woman entered, Jackson threw himself into her arms excitedly. "Avery, I missed you so much."
Hand in hand, they walked right past me.
Along with the expensive perfume came the whispered gossip of the manor staff.
"That Harper is pathetic. Clinging to the manor, sucking up to Dominic and Jackson, and in the end, she can't even compete with an outsider."
"She made a scene about leaving yesterday, and look, she's still here today. Probably terrified Avery will steal her Luna spot."
Jackson lifted his small face, nuzzling into Avery's embrace again and again. "Dad's been waiting for you. Let's go find him together. I like you the most, Avery. You smell like Mom, and your voice is so pretty. Nothing like that country mutt."
I froze..
I grew up in the Montana wilds. When I first arrived on the East Coast, nothing felt right. The damp, bitter winters left me sick with one illness after another.
The manor staff mocked my rough manners and wouldn't even bring me medicine.
Only three-year-old Jackson stayed by my side, his face earnest. "Harper, get better soon. I like you. Your stories about wild horses are so cool."
How could I have imagined back then that the little shadow who trailed after me day after day would become the thorn in my heart.
Avery greeted me with a bright smile.
Every gesture of hers oozed the same gentle grace as Celeste. Word was she hailed from the neighboring elite pack, a pureblood, with gossip circulating that Dominic was considering her as his second mate.
Avery's words were pure provocation. "Harper, don't take a child's words to heart. After all, blood calls to blood. Some things you simply can't fight."
She lowered her voice so only I could hear. "Your dog screamed so pathetically. My Rottweiler played with it for ages before he finally tore out its throat. Pity Jackson wasn't there. He would have loved the show."
Her smile never wavered, but malice flickered in her eyes.
My fists clenched, nails biting into my palms.
I ignored Avery, turned, and helped my mother to her feet. "See? Dominic and Jackson never lack for caretakers."
Avery was nothing but an interloper of dubious origins. Yet with a face that bore an uncanny resemblance to Celeste's and artificially mimicked pheromones, she could waltz into the private study I was forbidden to enter and effortlessly steal the affections of father and son.