Episode 4

Decisions

knock, knock

A soft knock was heard on the door.

"Mariela, I brought you some coffee. How is she?" Luna asked.

"It wasn't necessary. She's strong; she'll be fine," my mother replied.

Her voice had a hint of reproach, and her tone was cutting, as if she wasn't welcome here.

Luna was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"I hoped to spend some time with her and comfort her," Luna said.

"I don't think that's a good idea," my mother cut her off before she could say anything else.

"Mariela, we're family," Luna said.

"Maybe if you had asked to speak with my girl yesterday and not today, when your son..." my mother sighed before continuing, "broke my baby's heart, I would have allowed it. I think that today, there are priorities to rethink. My priority will always be my daughter's well-being. You, better than anyone, know the consequences of what rejection in the pack means. They won't see her the same way; my little sea won't have the same protection as before, and I can't do anything about it. The least I can do for her, at this moment, is to have her surrounded by the right people."

"Mariela! You know I love her like a daughter," Luna retorted, and my mother laughed a little. She had never been rude to Luna, her best friend.

"Are you sure of your words? Are you sure you love her like a daughter?" my mother pressed.

"Of course! Do you doubt it?" Luna assured again.

"Do you love her enough to fight for her right to be Luna of this pack? Sara, you are my Luna, and I will always respect you as such, but my pup is my breaking point. No one, ever, will be above her, not even the Alpha and you. So please, I hope your family stays away from her."

After saying these last words, my mother simply closed the door.

Despite everything I'm going through, my parents' love is something that comforts me. At least I'm sure that two people love me above all else. Although I can't deny that it also saddens me. We're talking about a friendship that has lasted a lifetime and that, from one moment to another, is simply about to break. The most difficult thing about this situation is that we are not talking about just any two families, but about the two main families. This makes me think of Patrick, who, although I know he chose to be loyal to his alpha, it still hurts. It consoles me to think that maybe he struggled internally with the decision.

After a long and heavy night, I heard my brother arrive. The first rays of sun began to filter through the room, and with them, my decision.

The door opened slowly, and with it, a mixture of smells. My brother had entered my room, and I had no doubt that he had been with Alex all this time.

"How is she?" he asked softly as he entered.

I sighed and decided to relax a bit; otherwise, my parents' concern would remain the same, and they hadn't rested all night.

"You know, just look at her," my mother replied. "Patrick, your father needs to talk to you. We need to find a way to protect your sister," my mother said seriously.

"I'll go right now; then I'll stay with her so you can rest," my brother replied, and the truth is that I didn't want him near; his betrayal wasn't as serious as Alex's, but it still hurt.

"Don't worry; I'll stay here; you go to your father."

I heard my brother leave and go downstairs to my father's office. I couldn't hear the conversation and realize that everything I had been thinking about during the night was true. I had caused problems for my parents and was nothing more than a burden to them. They were thinking about whether it was a good idea to send me to another pack and for my mother to go with me, while my father left the position of beta and gave it to Patrick. All of this hurt me, so I decided to stop listening. I knew that not having a wolf made me weak and a burden to my parents. It was up to me to fix this mess; I didn't want to hurt my parents anymore.

I stopped pretending to be asleep, turned around, and watched my mother, who was happy to see me awake. Her hand caressed my head, and although I don't like it when they play with my hair, right now I'm loving that show of affection.

"My little sea, we will soon overcome this, and it will only be a bad memory," she told me while kissing my forehead.

My mother was an excellent mother, a strong, confident, and courageous woman, and right now, she was being fragile, even though she pretended to be strong. It broke my heart to make her feel like this. I snuggled up again, and my mother understood what I wanted. She stood behind me and hugged me, comforting me with her warmth. A while later, I heard the door open and saw him enter, so much so that I almost cried again.

"Good morning, my little sea. Mom told me you were awake, so I didn't hesitate to come. Are you hungry? I could prepare my famous recipe," my father joked. I just shook my head.

"It's okay, princess, everything will be fine, and I'll take care of it," my father announced and gave me a kiss. I couldn't stop tears from escaping my eyes.

I knew what my father was capable of, and I also knew that my dad wouldn't rest until he saw me happy, but... at what cost?

"Dad, Mom, can I stay with her for a while?" Patrick said as he entered the room.

My mother was about to deny it, but I reassured her by taking her hand and giving her the closest thing to a smile.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and I just nodded.

"Okay, honey, it will only be for a while, then your mother and I will come back, and you'll have to eat, understood?" my father said, and I nodded.

"Good," they both said and gave me a kiss before leaving the room.

"You know, little sea, I don't know what to do."

I knew my brother would be going through this. On the one hand, there was his family loyalty, but on the other hand, his loyalty to the pack, to his position, to his friendship. All of this was falling on his shoulders, like a great weight.

I couldn't help but reach out and take his hands. Tears streamed from his beautiful eyes, unable to stop them.

"I'm supposed to be the one comforting you, and yet, you're the one doing it," my brother blurted out.

"I wish I could change his mind. By the goddess, I tried. I did everything I could, but I didn't achieve anything. He's obsessed with power. I told him that there are different types of strength, that even if you don't have physical strength, you are good at others. He didn't want to listen to me."

It was then that I understood where he had been all night, all that my brother had tried to do for me. I couldn't help but sit down and hug him. Since the rejection, it was the first time I felt a little warmth in my heart.

Suddenly, I felt him tense up, and I knew why, so I quickly moved away from him.

"No, Mare, I'm staying with you," he told me, and I denied, pushing him to leave.

"Okay, but I'll go get Mom," he told me, and I denied.

"No, let them rest. They must be exhausted; they didn't sleep all night. Anyway, I'll sleep a little longer. When they rest, they'll come," I told him through the link.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and I nodded.

Once I heard my brother leave, I stood up and quickly went to check that my parents were asleep. Once verified, I took out a large suitcase and filled it with things, mainly things that represented sentimental value for me. I couldn't take everything, so I looked for the most essential things. Once the suitcase was ready, I went downstairs quickly and put it in my car, and then I returned to the kitchen. I didn't have an appetite, but I knew I had to eat. I looked for the most necessary things that could help me. Once the pantry was looted, I also took it to the car. The last thing I needed was to leave a note for my parents. This was the most difficult part of this decision taken.

Dear parents and brother...

I love you, and I know you love me, but I need this. I need to leave and get away from everything, in my own way. Please don't destroy your lifelong friendship for me; that would hurt me more than the rejection itself. Don't worry about me; I'll be fine, and when the time comes, you'll hear from me. Please don't look for me; let me heal. With love, Marely, your little sea.

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