章節 17: Crossroads of Fate

Stephanie's Point of View

The hallway outside Azaria's room felt impossibly long as I paced back and forth, my thoughts a chaotic whirlwind that refused to settle. The events of the past few weeks had turned my world upside down, and I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into an abyss of uncertainty. How had it come to this? One moment I was just a maid, content with my place in the world, and now I was caught between two powerful forces, each pulling me in opposite directions.

I pressed my back against the wall, sliding down until I was sitting on the cold marble floor. I buried my face in my hands, feeling the sting of tears that refused to be held back any longer. My relationship with Azi, my Luna, was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was intense, passionate, and terrifying all at once. She is my fated mate, the one destined to be mine, and the pull toward her was magnetic, irresistible. Whenever we were together, every touch, every glance felt like a spark igniting a fire deep within me. Her presence was both a comfort and a challenge, awakening parts of me I didn't know existed.

But it wasn't just the physical attraction. Azi is kind, compassionate, and treats everyone in the pack with respect, regardless of their rank or species. She sees people for who they were, not what they could do for her, and that made her special. It made me love her, not just as a mate but as a person. Yet, this love was scary. It was all-consuming, and I feared losing myself in it. Being with her felt right, like I was where I was always meant to be, but at the same time, I was terrified. Terrified of the intensity, of the unknown, and of what it would mean to leave everything else behind.

Then there was Ethan, my Alpha. The relationship I had with him was nothing like what I shared with Azaria. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, always teetering on the edge of control. With Ethan, I felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. He could be charming, persuasive, and there were times when he made me feel like the most important person in the world. But just as quickly, his mood could shift, becoming cold, demanding, and manipulative.

He plays on my insecurities, made me believe I was helping him, that I was somehow saving the pack by being with him. I wanted to believe it, needed to believe it, but deep down, I knew it wasn't true. I was just a pawn in his game, a tool he used to get what he wanted. And yet, I stayed, afraid of the consequences if I didn't, afraid of what he might do to me, or to Azi, if I tried to leave.

I let out a shaky breath, wiping my tear-stained face. How could I be so foolish? How could I let myself be torn between these two worlds? The weight of my choices was crushing, and I didn't know which path to take. I wanted to be with Azaria, to explore what it meant to be her mate, to see where this bond could lead us. But I was afraid. Afraid of the repercussions from Ethan, afraid of leaving the only life I had ever known, and afraid of the unknown future that lay ahead.

But today, in Azaria's room, something had shifted. Her words were like a knife to my heart, cutting through the fog of confusion that had clouded my mind for so long. She was right. I had been playing both sides, trying to keep my life with Ethan while holding onto my connection with her. I thought I could manage it, thought I could somehow keep the two separate, but I was wrong. The pain in her voice, the desperation in her eyes when she spoke of needing to know if I was truly hers—it broke something inside me. I knew I couldn't keep this up. I couldn't keep hurting her, hurting myself, by staying in this limbo.

I stood up, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I knew what I had to do. I needed to make a choice. I needed advice. I need help choosing the path that would bring me peace, the path that felt right in my heart. My steps were heavy as I walked down the hall, each one bringing me closer to the door I needed to face. My hand trembled as I raised it to knock, my knuckles barely brushing against the wood before the door opened.

I stood there, my eyes red and swollen from crying, looking up at Adah. She stared back at me, her face a mixture of surprise and concern. "I think I've fucked up sis," my voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan's Point of View

The sound of my fists slamming against the desk reverberated through the room as I struggled to contain my anger. I had been pacing for what felt like hours, my mind racing with the image of Azaria and Stephanie together in my office. How could she? How could they both betray me like this? My thoughts were a tangled mess of rage, betrayal, and confusion. I had always known Azaria was strong-willed, but this—this was a step too far.

"Ethan, you need to calm down," Marcus, my Beta, said cautiously, his voice steady as he tried to reason with me. "Losing your temper won't help the situation."

"Calm down?" I spat back, glaring at him. "How am I supposed to calm down when my wife, my Luna, is sleeping with another woman in my own damn office?"

Alpha George, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, finally spoke up. "Ethan, Marcus is right. We need to approach this with a clear head. This isn't just about you and Azaria anymore. It's about the pack, about the alliance meeting tomorrow, and about our reputation."

I turned to face him, my blood boiling with frustration. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't understand what's at stake here? But what do you expect me to do? Just sit back and let her make a fool of me?"

Alpha George sighed, leaning forward in his chair. "No one is asking you to do that, Ethan. But we need to be strategic. Azaria's actions have given us an opportunity. We can use this to our advantage."

I frowned, my anger momentarily replaced by confusion. "What do you mean?"

Marcus exchanged a glance with Alpha George before speaking. "Alpha, you could divorce her. You have every right to. She broke the vows, not you. If you play this right, you can pin the blame on her, make it look like she's the one who betrayed the pack, not you."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "And what good would that do? I'd still lose her. I'd still lose everything."

"Not necessarily," Alpha George interjected. "If you divorce her, you can claim that she's unfit to be Luna, that she's a danger to the pack. You can justify removing her from power and keep control. The Elders will side with you, especially if you present it as protecting your pack from a traitor."

The words hung heavy in the air, and I felt a flicker of temptation. It was a logical plan, one that would allow me to maintain my position and save face. But the thought of losing Azaria, of letting her go—it made my chest tighten with a pain I couldn't ignore.

"No," I said finally, my voice low but firm. "I won't do it. I won't let her go that easily."

Marcus looked at me, his expression a mix of frustration and pity. "Alpha, this is your chance to get out, to be free of her. She's clearly made her choice, and it's not you."

"I don't care," I growled, my fists clenching at my sides. "I won't let her win. I won't let her take everything from me."

Alpha George stood up, walking over to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. "Ethan, sometimes the hardest thing to do is let go. I know you care about her, but you have to think about what's best for you and the pack."

I shrugged his hand off, turning away from him. "No! I will own her until she dies. She's far too important to me to release over this...this tantrum."

With that, I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me. My heart was pounding, my mind racing with anger and frustration. I wouldn't let Azaria go. I couldn't. She was mine, and I would do whatever it took to keep her, no matter the cost.

As I made my way down the hall, my mind was already spinning with plans, strategies to keep her under my control. I wouldn't let her win. Not now, not ever. She would see that I was still the Alpha, that I was still in charge. And she would learn what it meant to betray me.

But deep down, beneath the anger and the resolve, there was a flicker of something else. A fear, a doubt. What if I couldn't control her? What if she slipped through my fingers like sand?