One-Way Ticket Out of the Alpha’s Pack Chapter 08

One-Way Ticket Out of the Alpha’s Pack Chapter 08

In the spring semester of my freshman year, I rank first in my major and receive a personal invitation from the Alpha King to join the Royal Warrior Program.

The day the college releases the rankings, Mom sees my name on the school website.

She posts a screenshot in the family group, then sends one directly to me.

[Mom is so proud of you.]

I stare at those words and suddenly remember the day my high school graduation results come out.

I rank first in the entire school then too.

I’m chosen to give the student speech, and I’m even the only she-wolf in the entire pack to earn an S-Rank on the Warrior Assessment.

But Victoria has just returned to the pack, and everyone’s attention is on her.

Mom gives me a quick word of praise before asking me to postpone the celebration dinner.

That dinner never happens.

I don’t bring up any of it.

I simply reply with two words: [Thank you.]

It’s the first time I’ve responded to her in months.

She doesn’t take the opportunity to call me or ask me to come back to the pack.

She only sends a smiling emoji.

In May, the college begins selecting students for the National Collegiate Mathematical Modeling Competition.

Nicole and I form a team and spend an entire month in the lab preparing for the finals.

Technology competitions in the werewolf world aren’t much different from those in the human world.

The only difference is that the major pack territories prioritize providing resources to elite students selected by colleges.

The night before the finals, the computer in the lab suddenly crashes.

I stare at the error messages flashing across the screen, my forehead damp with sweat.

Then I sense a familiar scent.

Brandon is standing downstairs outside the lab.

He’s holding a brand-new laptop.

He says Dylan told him my computer had stopped working.

“It’s already set up.”

He holds it out to me, “Use this.”

I don’t take it, “The lab has backup equipment.”

“The backup isn’t powerful enough for the data processing.”

He falls silent for a second, then lowers his voice.

“Eva, I’m not trying to use this to get you to forgive me. I just want to help you. Just this once.”

I look at him for a moment.

In the end, I let the equipment supervisor inspect the laptop and register it as a temporary loan.

After the competition ends, I return it to him in front of the supervisor.

No favors owed. No excuse for him to use it as a reason to get close to me again.

Brandon stands in the hallway, holding the laptop and watching me.

“Do we really have to be like this?”

I stop, “Like what?”

“Like everything between us has to be settled down to the last detail.”

I look at him.

“Maybe we never kept things clear enough before.”

“You helped Victoria move into college because she was more vulnerable.”

“You helped set up her dorm because it was her first time living away from the pack.”

“You stayed quiet when they used my tuition because you thought I could handle it.”

I pause.

“In your eyes, there’s always a reason for someone else to come first.”

“But because I’m the responsible one, even as your mate, I’m always the one who can wait.”

His eyes slowly turn red, “I know I screwed up. I really do.”

“Knowing you were wrong doesn’t mean you can undo what happened.”

He tightens his grip on the laptop, “Then what do you want me to do?”

“Nothing.”

I look at him calmly, “Just accept that we’re over.”

When the competition results are announced, our team wins first place.

The college holds an awards ceremony for the winning students.

My parents and both my brothers come too.

They don’t tell me beforehand or ask to sit in the front row.

When I walk onto the stage to receive the award, I see them sitting in the very last row of the auditorium.

Mom keeps wiping away her tears.

Dad holds his phone high, carefully recording every moment of me receiving the award.

Dylan and Anthony don’t rush over the moment I step off the stage like they used to, ready to carry my certificate or arrange dinner for everyone.

They simply wait for me by the exit.

“Do you have time to grab dinner with us?”

I glance at the team group chat, where everyone is already making plans for dinner.

“Not tonight.”

Dylan immediately nods, “Okay. No problem. Maybe next time.”

It’s the first time he doesn’t get angry when I say no.

As I’m leaving, Victoria stops me.

She takes a bank card from her bag.

“There’s sixty-eight thousand dollars in here.”

“I saved part of it from my part-time jobs. I sold the piano for the rest.”

She looks at me, her voice growing quieter.

“That tuition was spent on me. I should pay you back.”

I don’t take the card.

“Mom and Dad already paid it back.”

“But I was part of it too.”

Her eyes turn red, “I knew they were going to use your money that day. I was scared I wouldn’t be able to stay in school, so I didn’t stop them.”

She sniffles, “Afterward, I kept telling myself it wasn’t my fault. But the truth is, I was just afraid you’d blame me.”

I look at her for a long time, “I did blame you.”

Her fingers tighten around the card, “But it doesn’t matter anymore.”

I push the bank card back into her hand, “Keep it.”

Then I look at her.

“Just don’t use someone else’s sacrifice to make yourself feel safe again.”

I turn and walk toward my teammates waiting for me.

No one follows.

They’re finally beginning to understand.

A real apology isn’t about forcing me to accept it.

It’s about finally learning to let me say no.