Hard Truths

ESME'S POV

It hadn’t even been a full week since Mom’s death anniversary and now I was standing over another grave. My father’s. The irony was almost cruel to be honest.

The sun burned weakly through the gray clouds, soft enough that the cold air still bit against my skin. I watched as they lowered the casket into the ground, people whispering, crying, murmuring prayers under their breath. It all felt far away, like I was watching through glass.

Cole’s father’s casket lay beside my father’s. The pack’s Beta and Alpha buried side by side. The entire pack had shown up — hundreds of people dressed in black, their faces somber, their voices hushed. Some sobbed openly. Others stared blankly like I did, their minds elsewhere.

I should have felt something. Sadness, grief, maybe relief but all I felt was numb.

My father… Should I even call him that? He never really was one. He treated me like an obligation, like I was something he regretted bringing into the world.

I didn’t cry because I couldn't.

Nolan stood at the front, accepting condolences, people patting his shoulder, offering comfort, calling him “Alpha” already. I stood off to the side, silent, invisible. It was better that way. No one expected anything from me and I had nothing left to give.

When the ceremony ended, I turned away before the last handful of dirt hit the casket. I climbed the stairs back to the pack house, my footsteps echoing through the long hallways. The luggage I’d packed days ago still sat in the corner of my room, untouched.

Dad had said I’d be leaving after Cole’s engagement — leaving to live with Mom’s sister, Theresa. Now that he was dead, I knew Nolan would make sure that still happened. He’d been waiting for an excuse to get rid of me.

Half-sister or not, he’d never seen me as family.

I pushed open my door and froze.

Someone was sitting on the edge of my bed.

Cole.

My heart jumped to my throat. His head lifted the moment I entered, his dark eyes finding mine. He looked… different. Tired, maybe. But still so damn composed, like even grief couldn’t shake him.

“You haven’t shed a single tear since your father’s death, Esme,” he said quietly, his voice cutting through the air.

I blinked. “Should I?” I replied after a beat. “I can’t force what isn’t there. You should know that.”

He studied me for a long moment, his jaw tight. The silence between us thickened until I looked away.

I swallowed hard and said softly, “I’m sorry about your dad, Cole. He died alongside mine. I know it’s not going to be easy for you.”

A humorless smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. God, even now, he was unfairly handsome. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, his shirt rolled at the sleeves, veins showing faintly beneath his skin.

He stood up and walked toward me, his movements slow but deliberate. “Shouldn’t it be the opposite?”

My brows furrowed. “What?”

“I mean, shouldn’t I be the one telling you it’s not going to be easy henceforth?” he said, stopping a few feet away. His voice was low, rough. “You know Nolan’s not going to let you stay here. He’s going to turn into a cold beast against you.”

“I know.” I let out a tired sigh. “But it’s not like he’s ever been any better than that anyway. I’ll manage.”

Cole took another step closer, and another, until my back brushed against the wall. His eyes were on me — sharp,. I could feel the air change between us.

“Manage?” he said quietly. “You always say that, Esme. You always pretend like you’re fine. Like you don’t care about anything.”

I stiffened, my pulse quickening. “What are you doing, Cole?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned closer, his hand lifting as if to touch my face but stopping short. I could feel the heat of his body even from that small distance.

“You should be mourning,” I whispered, my voice trembling slightly. “Not… this.”

His gaze dropped briefly to my packed luggage in the corner. “You’re leaving anyway,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Aren’t you? Going to stay with your aunt?”

I swallowed. “Yes. Tomorrow.”

Something dark flickered in his eyes. “Of course. Nolan gets what he wants, as always.”

There was a pause — long enough for me to hear my own heartbeat.

“I don’t understand you,” I said finally. “Why are you even here, Cole? You have an entire pack to think about now. You should be at the gathering, not in my room.”

He exhaled, his voice low. “Because I needed to see you.”

My stomach twisted. “See me? Why?”

He didn’t answer right away. His hands curled into fists at his sides. “You think I don’t notice how you act? You pretend you don’t care about your father’s death, but I see it, Esme. You’re not numb. You’re hurting so much you don’t even know how to feel anymore.”

“Stop.” My voice broke slightly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” His voice rose just a little — not loud, but sharp enough to make me flinch. “You’ve been pretending all your life. Pretending his words didn’t break you, pretending his hatred didn’t cut you open every single time he looked at you like you were nothing. But I saw it.”

I looked away, blinking hard. “Why are you saying this?”

“Because you’re about to leave and I don’t know if I can let you go.”

I froze.

He realized what he’d said and took a step back, dragging a hand through his hair. “Forget it.”

“No,” I said quickly, my voice shaky. “What do you mean by that?”

He looked at me then. The kind of look that made me forget how to breathe. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.”

He let out a low breath, his eyes darting briefly to the door as if to make sure no one was around. Then he said quietly, “You don’t understand what’s coming, Esme. After what happened to the Alphas, things aren’t going to stay peaceful. People are scared. Nolan’s scared. And when he’s scared, he needs someone to blame.”

“Me,” I said bitterly.

He nodded once. “Exactly. So leaving might be the best thing for you.”

I crossed my arms, trying to hold myself together. “So that’s why you came? To tell me to run?”

“No.” His voice softened. “I came because… because I needed to make sure you were still here.”

There was something raw in his tone that made my chest tighten.

“Cole…” I began, but he picked me up and threw me against the bed..