Chapter 7

I was just trying to get through the day, holed up in the packhouse's common area, trying to focus on some maps that needed reviewing. It was routine work, usually enough to keep me grounded, but today my thoughts were slipping. My mind kept drifting to the upcoming Mateship Ceremony, the stranger who would soon be my mate, and the friendships I'd left behind, some fading, some broken beyond repair.

The murmur of conversation outside barely registered until I heard a voice, a voice so sweet it made my wolf bristle.

"It's just... she looked at me with so much anger," Sharon's voice trembled through the thin walls, feigning vulnerability. "I don't know what I did wrong."

My stomach twisted. Sharon, really? I'd turned her down for coffee earlier, and now she was spinning some sob story about me? Unbelievable. My grip tightened on the edge of the table as her words kept coming.

Kayden's voice came next, low and coaxing. "Hey, Sharon, it's okay. Malinda's just... going through something. It's not about you."

"No, it is my fault," Sharon whispered, wrapping her words in just enough guilt to hook anyone listening. "Maybe she's upset because... well, I'm just a weak, abandoned omega. Maybe I remind her of... something she hates."

My wolf growled inside me, my instincts sharpening with fury. I could practically see her: those wide, innocent eyes, delicate fingers clasped together, her head bowed as if in silent prayer. A helpless, pure little lamb. As if she weren't the one spinning lies.

I couldn't take it anymore. I pushed my chair back and stood, striding into the hallway with purpose. There she was, flanked by Kayden and Francis, standing close, protective glances thrown her way. Sharon's eyes went wide as she took in my presence.

"Sharon," I said, my voice cutting through the air, calm, but laced with steel. "If you've got something to say about me, say it to my face. Don't make up stories behind my back."

Sharon dropped her gaze to the floor, her lips trembling like a child caught in a prank. "I... I didn't mean to make you upset, Malinda," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

Kayden stepped forward, brow furrowed, his expression unreadable. "Malinda, come on. This isn't necessary. Sharon didn't do anything."

"I'm not accusing her, Kayden. I'm just asking her to be honest." My tone was controlled, even though my wolf was pacing restlessly, itching to tear through Sharon's pathetic act.

Sharon winced as if I'd struck her, her trembling fingers pressing against her lips. "I... I got scared, Malinda. You glared at me earlier, and I was just trying to be friendly." Her eyes shone with fake tears, her voice quivering with false vulnerability.

Francis laid a hand on her shoulder, his expression hardening as he turned to me. "Is it really necessary to make her feel like this, Malinda? Sharon's been nothing but kind to you."

A harsh, humorless laugh almost slipped out. Kind? Sharon's "kindness" was manipulating everyone around her, playing the weak, innocent omega to perfection, securing their sympathy with every well-timed sigh and tear.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered, sweeping my gaze over them, disgust and disbelief written across my face.

Kayden's voice dropped to a low growl. "Malinda, you're being unfair. Sharon's done nothing to deserve this."

I met his gaze, frustration rising in my chest like a wildfire. "And what exactly have I done, Kayden?" I snapped. "Since when did standing up for myself become a crime?"

He hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing his face as he glanced at Sharon, who shrank into herself, looking down. "You've just... been distant," he finally said, his tone softer than I expected.

Sharon spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's my fault, isn't it? Ever since I joined the pack, I feel like there's this... tension between us. I don't want to be the cause of any rift. If my presence bothers you, Malinda, I'll... I'll leave. I don't want to be a burden." She sniffled, letting a tear roll down her cheek.

My wolf's anger flared to life. I fought to keep my expression neutral, but Sharon was laying it on thick, making herself out to be the victim as if I'd personally orchestrated every hardship in her life.

"No one's asking you to leave," Francis murmured, his voice soft as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, a reassuring smile on his face. "You belong here, Sharon. We won't let anyone make you feel otherwise."

A cold, hard feeling settled in my chest. They'd always been there for her, always quick to defend her, quick to ignore the truth staring them in the face. Sharon glanced at me, her voice breathy, hopeful. "I just want things to be better between us, Malinda. I want us to be... friends."

Friends? Sharon, who had wormed her way into their affections, twisted truths to make me out to be the villain, and now had the audacity to stand here and talk about friendship?

"Friends?" I arched an eyebrow, folding my arms, my lips curling into a humorless smirk. "Funny, Sharon. I don't recall friends manipulating everyone around them."

Sharon gasped, her face crumbling with what seemed like genuine shock. She pressed her hand to her chest, eyes wide, tears shimmering. "I would never do that," she cried, her voice trembling. "I... I don't understand why you think so badly of me, Malinda."

Kayden's gaze hardened as he stepped closer to me, placing himself between Sharon and me, like he was shielding her. "Enough, Malinda. She doesn't deserve this," he warned, his voice low and controlled.

My jaw clenched, anger twisting with hurt and frustration. I opened my mouth to respond, but the words got stuck. Every accusation, every defense, every instinct to fight back felt pointless. I could see it in their eyes, they had already made up their minds. Sharon was innocent, and I was the aggressor. They couldn't see past the lies she had spun, trapping them in her web.

I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to calm down, to swallow the storm inside. "Believe what you want," I said, barely above a whisper. "But don't expect me to play along."