Chapter 26
The warriors escorted her into the pack, and to the alpha suite. The alpha quarters was gorgeous, extravagant, far more than any building in Silas’s pack. It annoyed Ana that Willow ended up here, in this wealthy pack.
Ana limped slightly behind them. She knew she looked like hell from the strange looks she was getting, but that was exactly what she wanted.
They led towards the garden area where Willow was waiting.
Willow looked nothing like before. She was glowing, she was beautiful and she looked so confident.
Ana felt like throwing up, but she controlled her facial expression.
Willow’s eyes were unreadable as she stared at her.
“Ana,” she said stiffly. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know,” Ana said softly. “I’m sorry.”
Willow raised an eyebrow. “Sorry?”
Ana lowered her gaze, adding just enough tremble to her voice. “I lost the baby, Willow. Silas… he beat me. He nearly killed me. They said I can’t have children anymore. My womb is gone.”
There was silence.
“I didn’t come here to start anything,” Ana continued. “I know what I did to you was unforgivable. But I need your help, and I didn’t know where else to go. I had to leave because the pack hates me.”
Willow didn’t say anything.
Ana finally added, “You were always kind to me, before everything happened. I…I know you can’t forgive me, but please…. Please help me. I am so lost and I have no one. Just hear me out, hear what I have to say.”
There was silence again.
Then Willow finally sighed. “I’ll give you ten minutes to talk. After that, you leave. Don’t expect anything more than that.”
Ana nodded, her eyes watering with tears. “Ten minutes is enough. Thank you.”
Internally, she grinned. Now, it was time for her to play her game and wait for the right time to strike.
She started talking softly. She talked about the pain, the betrayal, how Silas had turned on her, how she lost everything, how no woman should ever have to go through what
they both had experienced. Ana’s chest ached with pain at the remainder of what she had gone through.
“Losing a baby is horrible,” Ana said, eyes lowered, “It does something to your soul. You feel empty, like you failed at something you can’t even control.”
Willow’s jaw tightened.
“I’m not asking to be friends,” Ana said quickly. “I just need a place to rest, until I find my feet, that’s all.”
Willow didn’t answer immediately.
Ana swallowed, lowering her voice slightly. “You’ve moved on. You’re happy. I don’t want to ruin that. I just… I need to survive.”
Willow sighed. She opened her mouth to reply, but a firm voice interrupted.
“What’s going on here?”
Ana stiffened. Alastair had entered the garden, with a sharp and unreadable expression on his face. His arms were crossed as he glanced at Ana and Willow.
Willow stood quickly. “Alastair-she just… she just came to talk.”
Alastair’s eyes narrowed. “She came here?”
Willow nodded.
Alastair turned to the guards. “Why wasn’t I informed?”
“She begged for help,” Willow murmured. “She lost the baby, Alastair. She has no one.”
Alastair’s expression didn’t change. “And how is that your problem?”
Ana swallowed hard, staying quiet. She could already see her plan scattering. There was no seduction trick to play here, especially with Willow standing beside him.
“She’s not staying here,” Alastair said, his voice low. “Not even for a second.”
“Alastair…” Willow turned to him with even more pleading in her voice. “I know what you’re thinking, but please, just hear me out.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you defending her?”
“I’m not defending what she did,” Willow said “But I know how it feels to lose a child. I’ve lost more than one. And I know what that kind of grief can do to a person.”
“She just needs a place to stay for a few days, Alastair,” Willow added.
Alastair clenched his jaw slightly, but he didn’t argue further.
“A week, that’s all,” he said eventually. “Nothing more than that. One slip, one lie, and I’ll throw you out myself.”
Then he turned and left.
Ana exhaled slowly in relief. Alastair almost ruined her plan, but everything was going according to plan for now. She just had to make sure she was done with her plans in a week.
She was done with the difficult part. The remaining was very simple.
17.46
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.
