Chapter 155
The packhouse was alive with energy as Jake returned. His presence brought a sense of reassurance and authority that everyone seemed to crave in his absence. The air seemed to buzz differently when he was around, and as much as I hated to admit it, I felt it too.
I caught a glimpse of him as he strode through the main hall, nodding curtly at the pack members who greeted him. He paused briefly to speak to Sophie and Fatima, who were waiting with updates about everything that had happened while he was gone. His expression was as stoic as ever, but his eyes softened slightly when Lily and Logan ran up to him, their little legs moving as fast as they could.
I stayed back, watching the scene unfold. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to greet him—I just didn’t know how to. After everything that had happened before he left, the tension between us felt like a physical wall.
Tammy’s return to her old self was almost immediate. Whatever kindness or vulnerability she had shown during Jake’s absence seemed to evaporate the moment he walked back into the packhouse.
I spotted her in the dining room later that morning, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in hand. She was laughing at something Joseph said, her voice high and grating. The sight of her made my stomach churn.
When she caught me staring, her laughter stopped, and her eyes narrowed. The corner of her mouth twitched upward in a smirk as if to say, What are you going to do about it?
I shook my head and turned away. It wasn’t worth the energy.
The day passed slowly. Jake was busy catching up on pack matters, and I spent most of my time with the twins. Lily and Logan were bundles of energy, dragging me from one activity to the next.
It was after lunch when I spotted Tammy again. She was standing near the training grounds, speaking quietly to her father. The sight of them together made my chest tighten. Joseph’s posture was rigid, and his face was set in a hard line. Tammy, on the other hand, looked small—shrinking under his gaze.
As I drew closer, I noticed something that made my breath catch: a dark bruise on Tammy’s forearm. It was faint, like it was already fading, but it was unmistakable.
I stopped in my tracks, unsure of what to do. Tammy glanced up and saw me. For a moment, our eyes locked. She quickly pulled her sleeve down, covering the mark, and looked away.
Something in me twisted. I knew she wouldn’t want to talk about it, but I couldn’t ignore what I’d seen.
I found her later that afternoon in the library, sitting in one of the armchairs with a book in her lap. She didn’t look up when I entered.
“Tammy,” I said softly.
She sighed, closing the book with a snap. “What do you want, Ayla?”
“I saw the bruise,” I said, cutting straight to the point.
Her eyes flickered, but her expression didn’t change. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t do that,” I said, stepping closer. “Don’t pretend everything’s fine when it’s not.”
She stood, her movements sharp. “Why do you care? You don’t like me. You never have.”
“That doesn’t mean I want to see you hurt,” I said firmly.
Her gaze wavered, and for a moment, I thought she might open up. But then she shook her head and looked away. “You don’t know anything about me, Ayla. Or my father. Just... stay out of it.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and I felt a pang of sadness.
“I’m just trying to help,” I said softly.
“I don’t need your help,” she snapped. “Just leave me alone.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she was already walking away.
The encounter left me unsettled. Tammy’s behavior was erratic, and the bruise on her arm wasn’t something I could ignore. I debated telling Jake but decided against it—for now. If Tammy didn’t want to talk, there wasn’t much I could do.
Still, the image of her shrinking under Joseph’s gaze stayed with me. There was something deeply wrong between them, and it made my skin crawl.
Later that evening, I found myself in the kitchen, making tea to calm my nerves. Jake walked in, his presence filling the room.
“Hey,” he said, his voice low and rough.
“Hey,” I replied, avoiding his gaze.
He leaned against the counter, watching me as I poured the tea. “You’ve been quiet today.”
“I’ve had a lot on my mind,” I admitted.
“Anything I should know about?”
I hesitated, my hand tightening around the mug. “I saw Tammy with a bruise on her arm. She brushed it off when I tried to talk to her.”
Jake’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. “What kind of bruise?”
“It looked like someone grabbed her too hard,” I said quietly.
He nodded, his eyes narrowing. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Jake...” I hesitated. “Do you think Joseph would hurt her?”
He didn’t answer right away. When he finally spoke, his voice was grim. “I don’t know. But if he is, I’ll handle it.”
His words brought a small measure of comfort, but the tension in my chest didn’t ease.
The night ended quietly, but my thoughts were anything but. Tammy’s bruise, her reluctance to talk, Joseph’s cold demeanor—it all swirled in my mind, leaving me restless.
I don't know why I cared so much but I needed to help her . something inside me told me she wasn't this bad person she always portrayed. Her father on the other hand I didn't trust him not even a little bit and I was a victim of cruel parents ,a cruel step mother . I knew she was being hurt by that man.
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