“You don't have to try so hard

You don't have to, give it all away

You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up

You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try,”

“A dog?” Ryder asked as if I had asked for a pet tiger instead of a puppy.

“Yup,” I nodded.

But he still looked at me incredulously making me annoyed.

“What!” I said, exasperated.

“No, nothing. I'm just not able to grasp how you'll take care of a little creature when you can barely remember to feed yourself.”

I don't know if there was humour in his tone or genuine worry for my mental health but I hit him nonetheless.

“Shut up.” I muttered. “I don't forget to feed myself, okay? I love food. I didn't grow this,” I tapped my tummy which has zero muscles by the way, “just like that.”

He rolled his eyes, “Yeah right. And all you eat is unhealthy junk food. You need to get a more nutritious diet.”

“Says the one who ate an entire box of chocolates this afternoon.” I retorted.

“But I work out,” he said.

I was about to say something back when Ryder suddenly halted in his place, and became silent. His eyes started widening as if he was hearing something shocking and it took me a minute to realise that he must be having a conversation with his wolf or to some pack member via mind link.

I stood patiently, even though I was curious to know what was happening.

Keeping the fact that I was trying to make my life normal again, I was well aware of why I was here.

In other words, I was outwardly trying to fix my life back together and I was trying to look for positive people. But I also didn't, and I couldn't forget about why I was here to begin with. Why I hadn't ran away and found a new life. Why I had decided to come back to this hell hole to torture myself by seeing the faces of the ones who betrayed me everyday.

And so, everything that happens in and out of the pack house holds great importance to me. I need to know what's going on with the alpha or the scumbag on Earth— Reece, in order to formulate a plan.

I didn't want to be too quick. I wanted to take my time and cook something up slowly. I didn't want to get caught in any manner.

“What happened?” I asked, trying to sound genuinely worried after sometime when I felt Ryder's mind link had finished.

He shook his eyes, looking worried himself.

“I need to go to the pack house.” He said. “But only once you reach home.”

“Alright.” I said, walking with him as we sped up, but my question was still unanswered.

“Tell me what happened,” I insisted again, not making it sound like I was fishing for information, but as if I was worried about this pack.

I wanted to scoffed at the mere thought. I didn't care about this place one bit. I won't cry a tear even if it burns to ashes.

Ryder sighed, “The Alpha had another fight with Reece. What else.”

My interest was picked up at this.

So the news was related to my dearest enemy afterall.

“Why?” I asked, sounding worried.

“I don't know, I'll have to go there to find out. All I know is that I'm getting tired of their bullshit. They fight almost everyday. And then I'm called to become the peacemaker. Even the beta has given up on those two and he refuses to talk to them about this. They have so many differences, sometimes I wonder even if Reece is his flesh and blood.”

My eyes shot up at his statement, and I turned to look at him. He looked really pissed.

Ryder is a really patient person to say the least. And to have pissed him to this extent, those two must have done some serious things.

Also, it was surprising to hear Ryder badmouth the Alpha. Perhaps because he's a really loyal person to the pack.

“You're saying that?” I said, my voice justifying the amount of shock I was in.

Ryder understood what I meant and sighed.

“Yeah, I mean, it might not totally be the fact that they keep fighting. It might also be my anger and disappointment towards them.

You know what, Livy, if it wasn't for the fact that I had promised my father that I will look after this pack and give my life for it if necessary, I would have left this place days ago. After what they did to you, and after how they're behaving now, I'm just shocked and flabbergasted.

Reece still has the guts to act entitled and like he did nothing. He never apologized to you, far from that, he never even accepted that he made a mistake and tried to cover up his sins by saying that he was saving his mate. None of the pack members bothered to meet you or ask you if you were okay. Alpha never acknowledged your bravery and everyone's acting like nothing happened. What kind of a selfish pack do we live in?”

I took a sharp breathe as his words hit me right in the senses. He had said everything I've ever felt and it felt kind of nice to know that he cared enough to feel that way.

“Can you take me to the pack house with you?” I said, changing the topic a bit.

I was glad that Ryder cared about me. But I couldn't get him to go against the pack. Because until the pack trusts him, he's my only and closest source to know what's going on in there.

“Sure.”

<><><>

“Why did you even want to come?” He asked, in curiosity and I shrugged.

“I don't know, I felt like I should.” I replied vaguely and he gave me a weird look.

“Alright,” he murmured as we reached the gates of the house I had once lived in for a short time before living the hardest days of my life.

I gulped, feeling a little anxious to go inside. I hadn't thought of it before but I'll be seeing all those people inside whom I have been trying to avoid.

Katherine, she had been trying to contact me, had apologized and was trying to get me to forgive her since the time I had returned. But I haven't forgiven her. I don't think I can. As much as I appreciate what she's done for me— I feel like you need to heart to forgive. And I didn't feel like I had one anymore.

Chance, he had not bothered me since the day I asked him to let me go, and I was kind of glad about it. But at the day of Patricia's funeral, he looked like he wanted to say something to me, and like he wanted to stand next to me, but he didn't. I was afraid that one day he'll stop controlling himself and will come to talk me again.

I know it sounds silly but I'm afraid that if he seems to genuinely apologetic again, my body will decide to grow a heart back and I couldn't afford it at this point.

I had to hold onto to the hatred because it gave me strength.

The doors of the pack house were open when we entered inside and before you even entered, you could hear the father and son duo arguing right in the centre of the living room.

“—you have created enough mess and I'm done with this rebellious and reckless phase of yours. I told you that they were important people, why did you do that?” Alpha said, in an angry voice with his palms fisted as he glared at his son.

Reece seemed angry too, but there it was shameless one. Like the kind of anger that is looked down upon because the person who's showing it, doesn't deserve to be angry.

“So is it my fault that his daughter just couldn't help herself and tried to flirt with me the entire time?”

“I don't know what you take as flirting, Reece, but you certainly didn't have to use her the way you did and then break her heart after that!”

Reece rolled his eyes as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing ever.

“Break her heart? Oh please, she made it clear about what she wanted and in all honesty, it suited me. I never made an indication that I wanted to get emotionally attached. And also, why is everyone treating her like the damsels in distress and me as the villain here?” Reece said, frustratedly.

As much as I tried to, there conversation was not making complete sense to me, so I asked Ryder.

“What's going on?” I asked him, whispering. Normally, everyone would have still heard, but right now they were more interested in those two than us two.

“Some Australian alpha wanted to meet our alpha for a deal that meant a lot to us, and ‘cause of bad health, he asked Reece to fetch them from the airport and talk to them. Reece being Reece messed everything up by technically having a fling with the Alpha's daughter and then dumping her the next day.”

I scoffed internally at how typical of Reece it was. It was just in his playboy tendencies. And he couldn't help it, right?

But then again, I can't call the girl innocent before I know her. But all I know is that Reece is still a jerk.

He hasn't learnt anything.

“Don't raise your voice at me, young man, I didn't raise you up for you to talk to me like this.” The alpha said, growling.

Everyone in the room bowed in submission and gave in to the power except the Luna who was practically in tears at the corner of the room, Reece and me.

I didn't bow because I didn't feel like it. I didn't care if it was breaking of rules.

“Whatever.” Reece said.

I’m pretty sure that the Alpha wanted to say more but I guess that he knew that there was no point arguing with him, so he sighed.

“I have guests coming up from Phillipines, this Friday. And my orders are that you will in no shape or form, meet them or greet them. I don't want you to be near them. They must not know that I even have a son who lives here, you understand me?” He said.

Reece was obviously mad at his statement and felt insulted.

“What do you mean by that? You don't want them to know that you have a son? What am I then? How can you hide the future alpha from important people?”

“I. Don't. Care.” Alpha said, authoritatively. “And these are my orders. If I see you talking to them, or going near them until I ask otherwise, I will take the crown of future alpha away from you. Remember Reece, I have the choice to choose someone else too. You're the future alpha, not the Alpha.”

Those words must have hit the nerve because in a second Reece was seething.

But he couldn't say anything because the Alpha was right. Reece had to stop acting entitled and actually behave like he deserved the title.

“Fine.” Reece growled, glaring one last time at his father before he stomped up the stairs to his room.

The door of his room closed with a slam and I almost shuddered.

Oh well, that was a show.

At first, I didn't think the that information was really helpful to me, but little did I know.

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THE WINNERS FOR THE ONE SHOT COMPETITION WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN A SEPERATE CHAPTER THAT I'LL POST IN A DAY OR TWO.