The poison

Before I could unleash my fury, Nicholas's expression hardened. His voice carried the weight of an Alpha’s authority, commanding the room. "Sofia," he said coldly, "those flowers aren't for you."

With one swift motion, he took the bouquet from her grasp with an assertive gesture and turned to me, handing them over with a tenderness that only I, his Luna, had the privilege of seeing.

"They’re for my mate," he declared, his piercing eyes locking onto mine with the intensity of his wolf.

Sofia's face flushed with humiliation, but I couldn't hide the satisfied smirk tugging at my lips. Yet, what came next surprised me.

She wasn’t deterred because within seconds she turned towards Nicholas with her eyes glimmering with a cunning light. 

 "Nicholas, Nic... nic. I’m so sorry to interrupt your private time, but... the flower is for me, right? Remember back in high school, you used to bring me lavender flowers, during the full moon. Remember those nights? Back in the packhouse, before she came into the picture?"

My heart stopped. Nicholas's jaw tightened as he looked from me to Sofia, as though weighing the value of her words.

Seriously? Was he actually considering her? Those flowers were mine. I was his fated mate, the Luna of this pack. It wasn’t a question of who deserved them.

“Renna,” Nicholas said calmly, his voice laced with authority, “let her keep it for now. I’ll get you something even more special tomorrow, I promise.”

I couldn’t believe my ears, my fury rose again. "You are unbelievable, Nicholas!" I snapped at him, the power of my own Alpha blood simmering just below the surface.

Sofia’s turned to me, lips curved into a smirk of triumph and her eyes glinting with mischief. 

She knew exactly how to manipulate him. She knew how to play her cards, using her past with Nicholas like a weapon. Only I could see through her charade, while Nicholas remained blissfully blind.

“I can’t stand this,” I said, my voice tight with frustration. “You two can have the house to yourselves. I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight” I stormed off toward the car ready to leave. As expected, Nicholas was at my side in an instant, his expression shifting to guilt. 

"Renna, I’m sorry. You don’t have to lose your temper over this. She’s... pregnant, and I heard pregnancy hormones can affect women’s behavior a lot.. She’s... she’s just a pack member. She’s been through a lot, and her emotions are unstable. She means nothing compared to you.”

My fists clenched. 

I wanted to scream, asking him if I wasn’t pregnant too. But instead, the bitter realization hit me. Once again, my chance to reveal my own pregnancy had been thwarted by Sofia.

"I don’t care about your excuses," I whispered. "I’m leaving." I tried to step around him, but he quickly blocked my path.

“I’m tired of this,” I continued, my voice trembling with suppressed anger. “Why is it always about her feelings? What about mine, Nicholas? Or did you forget I’m your mate?”

He sighed, stepping closer, his hands outstretched in surrender. "Please don’t go, Renna. Let me make it up to you. How about I make dinner tonight? You hate cooking this late, and I’ll even do the dishes.”

I sighed, my frustration waning just slightly. I hated cooking at night, and I’d never enjoy the food at a hotel. I didn’t want to leave Nicholas alone with Sofia either.

Before I could respond, Sofia's voice rang out, dripping with condescension.

“Why would you offer to cook, Nicholas? Cooking is a domestic task meant for women alone. I’ve been cleaning the house all day and putting away these outdated decorations. I’m so exhausted, I couldn’t even lift a pin. As for you, Nicholas, being the Alpha , you deserve a break. Renna, though... She’s so energetic. She can make dinner for all of us. After all, cooking is for women, especially Lunas. Isn’t that right, Renna?”

My wolf bristled at her audacity. The only thing stopping me from shifting and showing her exactly who the Luna was, was Nicholas stepping in front of me.

“That’s enough, Sofia,” He growled, his voice laced with dominance. “Do not disrespect my mate. She isn't here to serve you.” His tone was shatp.

Sofia’s face fell, but she quickly recovered, her voice turning saccharine. “I wasn’t being disrespectful, Alpha. I was just stating the truth.”

"I can’t even believe this, Nicholas. You’ve changed since you got your mate. You’ve forgotten the bond we shared."

"Things are different now," Nicholas's voice softened, though the Alpha edge still remained. "I’m sorry if I hurt you, but my mate comes first. That bond doesn’t matter anymore so....."

I didn’t wait for him to finish, spinning on my heel and walking off. Disappointment washed over me. One moment, he was defending me, and the next, he was trying to pacify Sofia. I couldn’t understand him.

While in the kitchen, I began preparing my dinner, my movements mechanical as I gathered the ingredients for macaroni, chicken, and cheese.

A few minutes later, Nicholas joined me, looking apologetic. "I want to help with dinner, Renna."

I ignored him, focusing on chopping vegetables until I felt his arms wrap around my waist. His scent, earthy, wild, and undeniably him—calmed my raging wolf, though I refused to let him see it.

“You’re still mad,” he murmured, his lips brushing my neck in a way that made my resolve falter.

“Stop,” I said, though the word lacked strength.

He chuckled, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. “You know you’re the only one who matters, right?”

“Then prove it,” I challenged, meeting his gaze. “What’s going on with Sofia? Why is she still here?”

Nicholas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “When we were younger, Sofia saved me. She stood up for me when no one else did. I owe her my life, Renna. That’s all there is to it.”

I searched his eyes for any hint of deception but found none. Finally, I nodded. “Fine. But if she crosses me again, Nicholas, I won’t hold back.”

Dinner was tense, but it wasn’t until Sofia dramatically claimed I had poisoned her with milk—despite me not using any—that things spiraled further.

“Enough!” I roared, my wolf rising to the surface. The room went silent as both Jared and Sofia stared at me.

“Sofia,” I said, my voice steady but filled with power. “You forget your place. This is my pack, my home, and my mate. If you cannot respect that, you are no longer welcome here.”

Nicholas smiled, his charming self returning. "Now, let’s finish up dinner. I’ll handle the rest. You just relax. And I’ll do the dishes, I promise."

I couldn’t help but laugh softly, the tension finally easing between us. Even after all that, Nicholas still managed to make me smile.

An hour later, the meal was done, and we sat down at the table. I was focused on my food, not looking up when Nicholas said, "I’ll go get Sofia."

Sofia entered a few moments later, sitting opposite me with a haughty air. "This smells nice. I hope it tastes just as good," she said, uncovering her food.

We ate in silence, but suddenly, Sofia let out a strangled sound, her face contorting as she stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. She rushed out of the room.

"What the—" I started, confusion flooding me, before Nicholas instantly stood up and followed after her.

They returned moments later, Nicholas looking worried and Sofia pale.

“What happened?” I asked, my gaze flickering between them.

Sofia’s voice was dripping with accusation. “You tried to poison me, didn’t you? First at the pavk's restaurant, and now here. What did I ever do to you?”

I frowned. “I didn’t poison you. Nicholas was with me the whole time. We used the same ingredients.”

“Milk! You added milk to the macaroni. I’m allergic to milk!” Sofia screeched.

Nicholas's expression faltered, but I stood up, frustration bubbling.

"Sofia, I never added milk. I don’t even cook with milk. This is a milk-free recipe, and you’ve known that for years. Why am I even explaining myself to you?, you already said that I poisoned you", 

With that, I turned and left the room, my patience finally running out.