04 Closure

~Winter~

I heard slow footsteps heading in my direction and composed myself.

Brandon walked in, and I did not bother to greet him. He did not deserve my respect. I felt the pull he felt it too, it was in his eyes, but I refused to acknowledge it.

He seemed partially drunk in his wedding suit. He had dark circles and looked like shit. His buttons were opened, and his shirt rough. It was clear he hadn't slept at all. He should be happy after the show he gave the crowd yesterday. He should pat himself on the back.

Brandon’s eyes were misty and sad. He was broken. He moved close to me, to touch me, but I stepped away from him.

"Winter," he said almost in a whisper, emotions pouring out of him, but I was numb, his blue eyes misty, remorse filling his eyes as if he had a wake-up call but realised it was too late.

I didn't let his emotions get to me. I was the one that was humiliated and shattered, not him. I was the one marked and ruined for life. I was the trash that had been discarded.

"Winter," he said again.

He stumbled a bit, showing his drunken state. I could see he wanted to come to me but didn’t know how.

"I am sorry, Winter. I am really sorry. I had no choice," he said in tears and bowed his head.

“I had to put Hayland first. I had to put my people first,” he wept as if he was trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing. I just stared at him. His words meant nothing.

"Hayland was on the verge of financial ruin, and we were desperate for income. Nobody was willing to offer assistance because of the criminal history associated with Hayland leaders. I felt cornered, but that doesn't excuse my actions. I sincerely apologise for what I did to you," he confessed, and my anger flared. Regardless of the circumstances, I believed he had no right to do what he did.

"Please, Winter, forgive me. I love you, I still love you. I was in a tight spot these past weeks," He said, and I raved mad.

"Don't you dare use that word with me when you do not know the meaning, Brandon. I trusted you. I gave you everything I had. It was not much, but it was all I had. My love, my trust, my body and soul, Brandon. You promised me nothing would ever come between us that we are meant for each other. You marked me with your scent as assurance. Since the moon willed it, then it is set in stone. I followed you blindly. I was a fool for you. A fucking fool, Brandon," I said, my tears falling too. The memory of our time together flashed through my mind, and I felt like a fool.

"Did you even mean those words, Brandon? Was I another conquest for you? Is that what this was? A game? A fucking game?" I asked him, and he sighed.

"Lesley offered to help a week ago, but she had conditions. It was a business deal, but she had conditions. She wanted to hurt me and you. She never took our break up well. She claimed I humiliated her for you, and she did not forgive me for it. She wanted me to be with her instead. I had to put the well-being of my people first," he said, and I chuckled, tears still spilling down my cheeks.

"Yeah, right. Putting their well-being first involves humiliating me in public. Belittling me and treating me like shit because I am not from around here? 'Let's hurt Winter Crayton, the outsider; she isn't one of us'," I asked him, and he bowed in shame.

"So she said you should humiliate me, and you agreed? You agreed to fucking treat me like that? As if I meant nothing? As if I didn't matter to you. As if nothing we had mattered to you?" I said, and he moved closer and pulled me in his arms. He held me tight. I was in tears. I fought the bonds residual, hating that it was there, hating that it remained and a fire could be ignited from its embers.

"Please, Winter, please understand. An alpha without a pack is nobody. Please," he pleaded with me, breathing in my scent, but he had rejected me, so it should have no effect on him, but it did. He felt the residual too.

"Get your hands off me, Brandon," I warned him, and he reluctantly stepped away. He still looked at me with ownership in his eyes, but no one owned me, especially not him.

"Consider it from this perspective. You retain ownership of the orphanage and can continue running the bakery. I know you love the children, and you get to care for them this way. I assure you, I'll find a solution for us to be together. I cannot bear to let you go. Though I may have partially rejected our bond, it's not the end, Winter. I love you. Every word I spoke, every moment we shared, holds deep meaning for me. Please don't leave me," he pleaded. So he knew it was a partial rejection. How was that even possible? Was it possible? Could a rejection be partial? I was so mad that I slapped him.

“Free me, Brandon. Finish what you started!” I ordered, and he refused. Tears streaming down his cheeks.

“I can’t. I love you, and I promise I will find a way, Please, Winter, Mon Amour,” he pleaded, using his term of endearment for me.

"Don't ever use that word with me, Brandon. Don't you ever. You must think I am a fool. You must think I am stupid to say we can still be together. How Brandon? It is over. The emptiness we both feel right now is the sign we need to know it is over," I said, crying.

"We could have handled the issues together. We could have fought for Hayland's survival. I would have been by your side through it all. You didn't have to do that to me. You said horrible things. Things that were supposed to be between us, and then you went ahead and belittled me. People laughed, Brandon, people fucking laughed at me!" I said and wiped away my tears.

"It was part of Lesley's conditions. If I didn't do it, she wouldn't agree to help. I wanted to tell you in private, but she said our deal would be off. She said I humiliated her when I left her for you. I didn't know you would take it this hard. You usually don't let things get to you. I didn't think you would hurt this bad," he said, and I could not believe his shit.

"You mattered to me, Brandon, so yes, your words and treatment will hurt, and it cut really deep, so deep that it will leave a scar, a fucking unhealing scar! A reminder that I was stupid to fall in love," I said, and he was silent.

He could see the repercussions of his actions.

"I had no choice. I regret it, I swear, but Lesley is the only one who can help Hayland right now. Beta Armstrong left her a fortune. The fortune can help my people and keep our lands. Please understand. I will find a way to be with you. I will pay her back and leave her. Come next bluemoon, I will claim you. Please don't leave me," He said, and I was shocked and angry.

Angry that he would think I had no morals and I will agree to fuck a married man.

"I do not do married men, Brandon. Besides, before you, I never imagined I would settle down. I guess this was the sign I needed to know that settling isn’t for me. Thanks for the scent, by the way; I would achieve my goal of remaining single easier," I said, and he held my wrist.

"Give me time. I will fix it. We will be together. I promise." He said, and I yanked my hand away from his.

" How can you make that promise when you do not even own yourself anymore? It is anything that Lesley says now. She has a big bucks. You will do whatever she wants because she owns you. You are her bitch. She bought you, and you sold yourself at my expense. I guess I dodged a bullet," I said, my heart-wrenching.

I honestly wished he had said those things and done those things of his own volition. I would have had some respect for him, but after learning his reasons, I was disgusted. I was repulsed.

I stepped away, but he pulled me back into his arms and kissed me. I struggled to get out of his arms. I slapped him and then wiped him off my lips.

"Please…" he started, but we were interrupted by Lesley.

She was in her nightgown when she walked in. She looked well-rested and relaxed. Brandon was repulsed by her presence and wanted to get away from her.

The bitch smiled at me.

"I see you couldn't stay away?" She told me and smiled. "Now you know how I felt when you took him from me," she added, smiling victoriously. "Well, as you have heard all he said. He had no choice. I gave him no choice, Winter. It was quite presumptuous of you to think I will let a riff-raff take what is mine. I was meant to be Brandon's Luna and not you. You can never be anyone's Luna. You are a bloody nobody, and it is best you crawl back into the hole you came out of. Both you and your clueless friend. Brandon was mine before you came into the picture. I only took back what belonged to me. You thought you could fuck your way…" She continued, and Brandon interrupted her.

"Enough Lesley. You got what you wanted. Leave her be." He said in my defence.

"I won't leave her be until she knows her place and you treat me with some respect and stay the fuck away from her. Barging in here, and you grabbing her and making her promises, promises you won't be able to keep, by the way, because I own you and everything that has to do with you. Hayland will survive because of me. You better get that into your head. Without me, your neighbours would swallow you whole. Do not get it twisted, Brandon. I am the one in charge here," she said, and then looked at me and smiled.

"Go fuck someone of your class and leave my mate the fuck alone," She said and then called on the Kappas.

I had been humiliated once. Couldn't allow it again.

I raised my hands, showing no need and walked out of the office.

Pamela was in the living room in tears. It seemed she had heard everything that had happened.

I had gotten my closure regardless.

It wasn't me. It wasn’t my fault. There was nothing wrong with me.

That was all I needed to know, and I got it.

I needed to look into the future with hope and optimism. I needed to heal and move on, but never again will I allow my heart to mislead me. As for the Orphanage, it seemed our days in Hayland were numbered.