Helena's POV
My mother waits on the sagging porch of our deteriorating house. I shoulder past her, unwilling to listen to whatever excuse she plans to offer, but she blocks my path with determination I haven't seen in years.
"What have you done?"
Her shrill voice pierces through my skull, yet I refuse to acknowledge her question. Nobody in this forsaken pack deserves an explanation from me, least of all the woman who destroyed everything. I drag my suitcase from beneath my bed and start throwing clothes inside.
Her presence lingers in the doorway like a shadow. "I'm speaking to you."
I catch her stare while searching through my dresser drawers. The envelope from our front door catches my eye. Still unopened, still ignored. I grab it and stuff it deep into my bag before finally responding. "What needed to happen."
Fear crosses her features for the first time since Daddy's death. "You had options. You could have remained."
I snap my suitcase closed and whirl around to face her. "Absolutely not. He degraded me in front of everyone. That rejection became entertainment, and he branded me an Omega for their amusement. This entire pack has erased every sacrifice Daddy made, and I refuse to spend another second in this place."
My shoulder connects with hers as I push past, and she releases a broken whimper. "The world beyond here will destroy you."
My suitcase hits the floor with a thud as I spin toward her, arms spread wide. "Is that your definition of protection? Because I wasn't aware that keeping me safe involved spreading your legs for every available man in town."
"You'll comprehend when you lose your mate." Her words come out barely audible.
I let out a harsh laugh. "I just lost my mate because of YOUR choices. You didn't just demolish your own standing in this pack, you obliterated mine along with it. My chance at a fated mate is gone forever. Congratulations."
"Lena." She whispers the nickname Daddy reserved for me alone.
My hand shoots up to stop her. "That name is forbidden to you. Today, tomorrow, always."
She collapses onto her knees as tears cascade down her cheeks. If I believed for one heartbeat that her grief was genuine, I might have shown mercy. I could have stormed back to the pack house and demanded Alpha Leo reconsider. But her tears are hollow performance pieces, shed for her own benefit rather than mine.
"How will I survive without you?" The question sounds more like begging.
I lift my shoulders carelessly. "However you choose. You've always excelled at self-serving decisions."
She struggles to her feet and attempts what might generously be called a growl. Aria finds amusement in the pathetic display. My suspicions about my mother's dormant wolf are finally confirmed. She couldn't shift even if her life depended on it.
"The car stays here," she declares with false authority. "Your father owned it."
Acid burns my throat as I swallow hard. "I don't want it."
The lie tastes bitter on my tongue. Nothing in this world matters more to me than that car. Daddy and I spent countless evenings and weekends rebuilding every component together. He swore he'd transfer ownership when I reached sixteen, but death stole that promise before he could fulfill it.
Now she controls the title, and my hands are completely tied.
I abandon the house and summon an Uber through my phone. The front porch becomes my waiting station while her stare burns into my neck like a brand. Desperate for any distraction from her presence, I retrieve the envelope from my bag. My finger slides under the seal, and multiple photographs scatter across my lap.
I examine each image individually, and sickness spreads through my chest like poison. Every photo captures me from a distance, clearly taken without my knowledge. Someone wants me to understand that I'm being watched. But for what reason? As Alpha Leo so eloquently reminded everyone, I'm worthless and insignificant. What could possibly make me worthy of a stalker's attention? Maybe my mother accumulated debts with dangerous people.
I decide the mystery isn't worth solving and scatter the pictures onto the ground as my ride arrives.
The driver studies me with obvious suspicion but keeps his questions to himself.
Our journey to Donald's Diner passes in complete silence, broken only when I reach for the door handle. "Running from trouble?"
Something unsettling lurks in his expression, though he doesn't radiate danger.
"Moving." The half-truth rolls off my tongue easily. "Just collecting my final paycheck."
"I'll wait."
My head tilts as I analyze him more carefully. He appears close to my age with decent looks. Not the brooding, dangerous appeal of Alpha Leo, but more like the wholesome athlete from next door.
"That's unnecessary," I inform him.
He actually pouts. This grown man just pouted at me.
What kind of alternate reality have I entered? "I want to."
I look him over again with fresh eyes. He seems harmless enough, but appearances frequently lie. "Are you planning to murder me?"
His head falls back as laughter erupts from his throat. "Hardly. I drive for Uber."
My nose wrinkles as I weigh my limited options. "An Uber driver who gains women's trust before killing them?"
He extends his hand across the seat. "Asher."
I stare at his offered hand like it might carry disease, but politeness wins out. The moment our skin connects, electricity shoots through my palm like lightning, and I jerk away immediately. Aria releases a soft whine in my mind while I gape at the man watching me intently.
I don't allow him time to speak. If I do, I might say something completely mortifying. I bolt from the vehicle, abandoning my suitcase in his trunk without a second thought. He can keep everything.
Just as my fingers reach the diner's door handle, his voice carries through the open window. "I'll be right here waiting."
My jaw drops as I stare back at him in disbelief. That ridiculous grin spreads across his face, and I hate every part of it. He might not be a serial killer, but I have the distinct feeling he'll be my complete undoing.