Chapter 157
TAMMY’S POV
It had started subtly. A laugh shared over breakfast. A moment of camaraderie during an afternoon walk. A surprising wave of kindness from people I’d once dismissed as beneath me.
I hated it. I hated how much I didn’t hate it.
I wasn’t supposed to be here, sitting in the living room with Sophie and Fatima, laughing over some ridiculous story Fatima was telling about a training mishap. I wasn’t supposed to enjoy these moments of ease, the way they treated me like I wasn’t an outsider or a threat.
But it was getting harder to keep up the act, harder to remember that I was here with a purpose—to secure the Alpha, to ensure my father’s plan succeeded.
“You’re quiet today,” Sophie said, nudging me with her elbow.
I forced a smile. “Just tired,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “It’s been a long week.”
Sophie nodded sympathetically. “Tell me about it. These twins of yours, Ayla, are a handful. I don’t know how you do it.”
Ayla laughed, her eyes lighting up in a way that made my stomach twist. She was so... warm, so genuine. It was no wonder the twins adored her.
“It’s not so bad,” Ayla said, shrugging. “They keep me on my toes.”
Fatima rolled her eyes. “They keep *all* of us on our toes. That boy, Logan, is going to be the death of me. Did I tell you he tried to climb onto the roof yesterday?”
“Again?” Ayla groaned, shaking her head.
The conversation flowed easily around me, and I found myself sinking into the comfort of it despite my best efforts to resist.
Later that afternoon, Ayla invited me to join her and the twins for a walk around the pack lands. I almost said no—I needed distance, space to remind myself of who I was and what I was here to do. But the hopeful look in her eyes made it impossible to refuse.
The walk was peaceful, the twins chattering excitedly as they raced ahead of us. Ayla smiled as she watched them, and for a moment, I saw her not as my rival but as someone who genuinely cared about others.
“You’re good with them,” I said, surprising myself.
Ayla glanced at me, her expression soft. “Thanks. They make it easy.”
We walked in silence for a while, the sound of the twins’ laughter filling the air.
“You’ve been... different lately,” Ayla said finally, breaking the silence.
My heart skipped a beat. “Different how?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her brow furrowing. “Softer. Like you’re letting your guard down.”
I forced a laugh. “Don’t get used to it.”
She smiled, but there was something knowing in her gaze that made me feel exposed.
That night, I sat in my room, staring at the ceiling as guilt gnawed at my insides. I hadn’t checked in with my father in days, and the weight of his expectations pressed down on me like a lead blanket.
He’d kill me if he knew how far off course I’d veered.
I was supposed to be working my way into Jake’s favor, not building bonds with Ayla and her friends. I was supposed to be focused on the mission, not second-guessing everything I’d ever known.
My father’s voice echoed in my head, sharp and unforgiving. 'You’re weak. Useless. If you fail me, you’ll regret it.'
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the memory.
The next day, Ayla found me in the kitchen, helping one of the workers prepare lunch.
“Tammy,” she said, her tone bright. “Want to come with me and Sophie to check out the new training gear? Fatima says it’s state-of-the-art.”
I hesitated, torn between the need to distance myself and the strange pull I felt toward her.
“Sure,” I heard myself say before I could think better of it.
The training grounds were bustling with activity, warriors sparring and practicing with the new equipment. Sophie and Fatima were already there, laughing as they tried out a particularly complex obstacle course.
“Come on, Tammy,” Sophie called, waving me over. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”
I rolled my eyes but joined her anyway, surprising myself by how much fun I had. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt... normal.
That evening, as I sat on the porch watching the sunset, Ayla joined me, her presence warm and unobtrusive.
“You know,” she said, her tone thoughtful, “you’re not as bad as I thought you were.”
I snorted. “Thanks, I guess?”
She laughed. “I’m serious. You’ve got this wall up, but underneath it... I think there’s a good person.”
Her words hit me harder than I expected, and I looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
“I don’t know about that,” I said quietly.
“Well, I do,” she said firmly.
We sat in silence after that, the weight of her words settling over me like a warm blanket.
As I lay in bed, my father’s voice echoed in my mind again. But this time, it was accompanied by Ayla’s.
'You’ve got this wall up, but underneath it... I think there’s a good person.'
I didn’t know who I was anymore, but for the first time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to being the person my father had shaped me to be.
The mission was clear, but my heart was pulling me in a different direction, and I didn’t know how much longer I could ignore it. I was getting tired of being my father's slave having to do everything he wanted just to make him proud. To make him see me as someone important, for years I have been trying, but no matter what I did, that man would never be satisfied. I hated him, yet I still wanted him to see me.
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