“Sadie, refrain from involving yourself in this matter,” Ryder instructed her.
“What is the reason?”She heard Sadie retort, “The unfortunate woman is still attempting to acclimatise to her reintegration into the pack and is now virtually bound to you, as reported by the media.” It may seem as though you are compelling her to conform to your own objectives. “This is unjust, Ryder.”
Brianna found Sadie’s statement intriguing and contemplated whether it was sincere or merely an attempt to protect herself from Brianna, who was aware of her secret with Luca.
“I am not exerting pressure on Brianna, Sadie.”
“That is likely how Brianna feels.” <text”You do not always deserve to obtain what you desire simply because you are the Alpha Ryder,” the girl retorted before striding away towards the dining room.
Brianna contemplated the duration until Luca would pursue her to ensure she did not disclose their secrets to Ryder. Observed the man scowl following his sister.
“Were you aware that Luca intended to do it?”Brianna enquired, confident that the response would be affirmative. She understood that Luca could not have executed this without the Alpha’s consent; they had likely conspired together. Even if Luca proposed the idea, Ryder had to concur and authorise it.
He stood and awaited his response, his gaze appeared to dwell on his sister longer than required, and when he ultimately turned to face her, she discerned it was an affirmative.
His facial expression unequivocally conveyed guilt, rendering verbal confirmation unnecessary. She shook her head, indicating disappointment in the lack of time afforded to her. “You never intended for me to perceive that,” Brianna stated as she turned and departed from him. She was exceedingly irritated.
“Cease your pursuit,” she retorted upon hearing his footsteps trailing behind her as she approached the pack-house entrance.
“Brianna, please.”
No! “I desire solitude; please leave.” Indeed, she wished for isolation. A minor aspect of her genuinely longed for solitude. She had always despised solitude, yet had become so accustomed to it that she believed she had adapted. Exited the pack-house and walked away.
She halted after fifty meters and turned to glare at him; he continued to pursue her. “If you do not cease following me, I will allow Layla to confront you,” she declared flatly, “and if you believe she is unwilling or uninterested, you are mistaken.” You would be gravely mistaken.
“Brianna, I merely wish to ascertain your well-being.”
“Do I appear satisfactory to you?”She retorted, exasperated.
“Brianna!””
“Negative!”She shouted at him. “Please provide me with some space for just one minute.”
He blinked in response to her yelling, yet he failed to comprehend her intent; he cherished his pack life and was probably quite sociable with all.
For her, it had merely been a decade characterised by isolation and loneliness, culminating in her departure, leaving only Logan and Stella. Wherever she went, he was present. His unit was present. She required a moment of solitude.
Probably exceeding one minute. She recognised that he believed her presence within the pack implied that all was well. It was not, in fact.
She turned and walked away from him, though she would not venture far. If she intended to leave immediately, she would first need to return to the pack-house to retrieve Logan.
Ultimately, she did not hear any footsteps trailing behind her, proceeded into the woods, and continued onwards without a specific destination, guided solely by her instincts, noting the absence of others in the forest.
She found herself deep in the woods, directly outside her old cabin, which remained intact; she gazed at it for a prolonged moment. She then approached and pushed open the door, which creaked slightly before closing behind her with a familiar soft click. It appeared largely unchanged to her since her previous visit. It was somewhat dustier and had vines growing through a floorboard and out the window. The glass was fractured, and the plant had adapted to it.
She approached and seated herself on the old mattress, which had previously served as her bed for an extended period, and closed her eyes. The environment here was consistently tranquil, with only a single window allowing minimal sound infiltration; even the birds outside appeared subdued by the cabin’s presence.
No one had ever discovered her presence here throughout her entire residence. It was a section of the pack lands, yet its profound seclusion within the forest rendered it perpetually dim. She momentarily contemplated the former purpose of this location prior to its abandonment. This was not her initial contemplation. No information was discovered regarding it in the pack library. I was just present here.
The tranquilly of the secluded woods enveloped her, instilling a sense of peace and relaxation in her home. She began to feel rejuvenated and composed, with Layla also experiencing a moment of calmness. She reflected, somewhat melancholically, that it was home. Wolves were not solitary creatures, yet that was the only existence Layla had ever experienced.
Brianna had been solitary for six years prior to Layla’s arrival, and this modest one-room cabin had served as their refuge during times of distress or sorrow. She could not distinctly remember whether she had stumbled upon it or into it while fleeing from the pack house at the onset of betrayal; she had run into the woods and arrived here.
She turned and drew aside the dusty curtain, revealing her name etched into the wooden wall of the cabin beneath the window: ‘Brianna Layla Dieng lives here.’ Not that anyone had ever been aware of it. She glided her fingers over the letters, tracing the scratched indentations of the wood, which had been engraved into the wooden wall using Layla’s claw. If anyone were to discover this location, it is improbable that it would be the sole site they encountered. She must have inscribed her name into every recess of the cabin throughout her years of residence. Brianna could observe at least a dozen of them from this vantage point.
She had hoped that someone would enter this place and discover her, or at the very least, search for her here; however, such fortune did not materialise. Tears welled up; she had never truly belonged to this pack, yet she had yearned to do so, pondering whether any of the marks she left within the pack remained unnoticed by others.
She sighed and drew back the curtain, improbable given the numerous enhancements she had observed during her absence from this location. It is probable that they have all departed now.
Although it was probable that there was a basement in the pack-house, she speculated that it had not been renovated.
She closed her eyes and sat in silence, expelling all thoughts from her mind, allowing the tranquilly of the woods to envelop her; the only sound was the rustling of the trees in the wind.
“Brianna?””
