HALFDAN’S POV
Never in my life had I felt so completely embarrassed. Watching Camilla being dragged out of the hall left me frozen in place, unable to move or even say a word.
I couldn’t understand what had happened between her and Astrid that led to such intense hatred, but one thing was certain: the entire situation was making me feel deeply sick inside.
Alpha Dane’s stare was fixed on me, silently reminding me of how foolish I had been the night before when I stood outside Astrid’s door, crying and begging for another chance.
And now, with this happening, I couldn’t help but wonder; could things possibly get any worse?
I swallowed hard, feeling a painful lump in my throat that was a mix of fear, anger, and panic.
As I turned toward the entrance, I saw Camilla lying on the ground outside, groaning in pain. Her body was clearly bruised from what had just happened.
A part of me thought it might have been for the best that I wasn’t the one to drag her out; I might have done something even worse.
I walked right past her without saying a word, heading straight for the car.
She followed and got in beside me, staring at me the whole time, but I didn’t have the energy to deal with whatever twisted plans she might be cooking up in her head.
For all I knew, she was determined to bring me down with her.
The drive back was filled with a heavy, uncomfortable silence that weighed on me more with each passing second.
I kept thinking how much I regretted coming with her. If I had just left her to handle her own problems, I could have avoided this overwhelming shame.
How could I have been so blind? Camilla had tried to take Astrid's life not once, not twice, but three times, and yet I kept letting myself be fooled by her.
Why did I keep giving in to her schemes? When would she stop playing these dangerous games? When would she understand that not everything was hers to take? She even had the nerve to say she wanted the pack, something that never belonged to her in the first place.
Her greed had no limits, and I was starting to realise that I couldn’t put up with it any longer.
My eyes stayed focused on the road, my hands steady on the wheel, but my mind was far away, replaying Astrid’s words over and over: “You have my ex-husband… What do you want?” She had become so much stronger, no longer letting her emotions control her when it came to me. She was right; I belonged to her right?
And yet, I had been foolish enough to get mixed up with Camilla , a mistake I knew I would regret for the rest of my life.
When we got home, I went straight to the closet and began to undress, not saying a word. I could feel Camilla ’s eyes on me, watching my every move. She seemed nervous, maybe even scared by my silence.
“Please, Alpha Halfdan, talk to me. Say something,” she begged, her voice trembling as she stepped toward me, her movements slow and careful as if she were afraid I might lash out.
I turned to face her, struggling to keep my frustration from showing. My patience was wearing thin, and it took everything in me not to explode right then and there.
“Why aren’t you speaking to me? Why aren’t you yelling? Don’t you have questions? Don’t you want to know why I did it?” Her desperation was obvious; her voice rising, her eyes searching mine for any sign of a response.
But I was too exhausted, too fed up, to entertain her anymore.
“For goodness’ sake, Camilla, why drag me into your mess? Haven’t you done enough?” I finally snapped, my voice filled with the anger I had been holding back.
“You didn’t involve me in your twisted plans, but yet I’m just as miserable as you are. How could you do this? How desperate do you have to be to try and murder Alpha Safiya’s daughter;your own cousin, for crying out loud!” The words came out in a rush, years of frustration and disbelief spilling over.
Her eyes went wide in shock, and for a moment, I thought she might back down, might finally realise the seriousness of what she’d done.
But she didn’t. Instead, she stood her ground, her eyes still pleading, as if she thought there was some way to explain the unforgivable.
“You still think you have a chance with Astrid? Stop kidding yourself, Halfdan. You should love me. You belong with me,” she declared, her voice strong, as if she believed that simply saying the words would make them true.
I stared at her, disbelief and frustration boiling over.
“What is wrong with you, Camilla ? Why are you so obsessed with things and people? Besides, you claimed you were pregnant; that’s the only reason I stayed with you. But yet, you don’t act like a pregnant lady. You don’t even look like one!”
I finally blurted out, letting all the doubts that had been eating away at me spill into the open.
The room went silent, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife. I saw a flicker of fear flash in her eyes, a moment of vulnerability that she quickly tried to hide.
But instead of addressing what I had just said, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her with a force that made the walls shake.
I sighed heavily, leaning back against the closet door, feeling completely drained. I had been trying so hard to do the right thing, holding back my anger and frustration for the sake of the baby she claimed to be carrying.
But now... now I wasn’t even sure if there was a baby at all. Camilla ’s behaviour had been all over the place, unpredictable and erratic, and I was reaching the end of my patience. How much more could I take before I broke?
I walked out to the main entrance, where Beta Drake sat, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
He seemed to be wrestling with something in his mind, but as soon as he saw me, he straightened up.
“Alpha Halfdan,” he greeted me with a nod, his voice respectful but carrying a hint of concern.
I approached him, my expression serious. “Beta Drake, I won’t make this harder on you than it already is. I appreciate that you didn’t follow through with her plan, that you had the sense to hold back.”
I paused, letting my words sink in before continuing. “But I need your help with something more important. I believe Camilla is up to no good again.”
“I'll do anything to correct my wrongs, Alpha Halfdan!” He bowed slightly as he emitted.
“I need you to keep an eye on Camilla, to watch her every move, and report back to me as soon as you can. I need to know what she’s planning next,” I said, my voice firm and filled with resolve.
“I will do just that, Alpha Halfdan!” Beta Drake nodded, his face showing that he understood the task I was asking him to take on.
There was an agreement between us; he knew how serious this was, and so did I.
As much as it pained me to have to spy on someone I once trusted, I needed to know the truth about what Camilla was up to.
I couldn’t afford any more thrilling surprises, not when so much was at stake. The time for doubts and hesitation was over; I had to act before it was too late.