Chapter 7
By the next day, Ashveil Pack’s gossip was spreading like wildfire.
Kael and Riley were officially a thing.
I was walking by with my Americano when I caught Riley on her tiptoes, fixing Kael’s tie, her
cherry–red nail polish flashing like a neon sign.
“Kael-” she purred, voice dripping with honey, “How about we hit my favorite steakhouse tonight
to celebrate?”
Kael’s eyes flicked over her shoulder, locking onto mine.
He flinched, like he wanted to step back, but Riley looped her arms around his neck, pulling him
closer.
She glanced back at me, flashing a smug, winner’s grin.
My phone buzzed with group chat notifications, blowing up with messages:
[Heard Riley rolled up this morning in Kael’s car!]
[Swear I saw hickeys on her neck!]
[Is Talia okay…?]
I swiped the chat away, my mind flashing back to last month’s department dinner. Riley had raised
a glass of wine, smirking. “I can’t stand hanging with Omegas–they’re always so extra, you know,
whining over nothing.”
She’d practically draped herself over Kael’s chair, her voice loud enough for the whole table. “Alphas and Betas are just more fun. No glass hearts to tiptoe around~”
The other women exchanged knowing looks, their smiles tight.
The next morning, Riley posted a pouty selfie on her IG: [Guess I got iced out by the girls again.
Gotta love being real and getting shade for it~]
The photo showed a latte, captioned with a winking emoji–courtesy of Kael’s “sorry you’re sad”
coffee run.
Late that night, I curled up on the couch, venting to my parents.
Chapter 7
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Mom was arranging flowers, her shears snipping through a rose stem. “I’ve seen her type before, sweetheart,” she said, clipping off a thorn. “Steer clear of Riley, or she’ll drag you down with her.”
“Talking crap behind someone’s back isn’t cool, you know.”
Kael’s voice cut through from the entryway.
He stood there, holding a bag of peaches David had sent over, his eyes cold as frost.
The living room went dead quiet, only the snip of Mom’s shears breaking the silence.
Looking back, that was probably when he started seeing me as some petty gossip, a jealous nobody running her mouth.
Riley, though? To him, she was the “real deal,” his untouchable white knight.
I swiped the coffee stain off my cup’s rim.
Bitter as hell.
It hit me later–way too late.
Somewhere along the line, Kael and Riley had built this “bond.”
Riley was a wizard with PowerPoint, her slides sleek and polished, animations so smooth they
made Kael’s dreaded data charts look like art.
Me? When I used to edit his reports, I’d nitpick. “This logic’s off.” “That color scheme’s giving me
a headache.”
Riley didn’t do that.
She’d lean in close, her hair brushing his arm, batting her lashes. “Kael, I turned your bar chart
into a slick animation. Like it?”
His ears would flush, just like they did years ago when I’d sneak a kiss on his cheek.
It was glaringly obvious during our last team–building event–pool at a local bar.
I’ve never been great at billiards, fumbling every shot. Riley, though? She cleared the table like a
pro, earning cheers and fist–bumps.
Kael’s buddies slung their arms around him, razzing, “Riley’s your match, man! Way better than
that high–maintenance princess!”
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I accidentally saw their private texts once.
Riley sent a dramatic crying emoji: [Talia totally snapped at me today.]
Kael’s reply: [Ignore her. Probably just PMSing.]
Later, at the pack meeting after they went public, Riley plopped right onto Kael’s lap, twirling his
tie. “We’re the real deal, you know. Not like some people, clinging to childhood crushes and playing stalker.”
She shot me a look. “You’re not jealous, right?”
Kael didn’t push her off.
He just stared at me, his eyes unfamiliar, like he was sizing up someone he couldn’t stand.
That’s when it clicked.
Childhood sweethearts didn’t stand a chance against a whirlwind romance.
Eighteen years of loyalty lost to three months of sparks.
A few pack members snuck glances my way, their eyes a mix of pity and nosy curiosity.
After all, everyone in Ashveil Pack knew: Talia, the girl who used to light up for Kael, was now just
the backdrop to his shiny new love story.
Chapter 7
