Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Theo I didn’t know why, but I ended up at Ayla’s old house back in my territory. I was sitting in my car out front as I tried to organize my thoughts. Our whole interaction took less than twenty minutes, but it was enough to send my mind into a whirlwind.

I hadn’t looked at the statements Ayla had given me yet. I was starting to believe I didn’t need to. There was no deception in her eyes when I spoke to her. Briggs was right. I had no idea what was really going on with this family.

But I needed to know.

I picked up the stack of papers and started to go through them, my heart sinking further with each one. Anger set in when I saw the thirty thousand dollar transfer out of her account from the day she left the pack.

She didn’t take the money. She gave it to Marie.

Throwing the papers back in the passenger seat, I got out of the car and headed for the house. I still had the key, so I let myself in, looking for signs of whatever Briggs was talking about when he was here. It didn’t take me long to find it.

Sitting on Ayla’s bed was a small black home safe, the fire- proof kind usually used for documents. There was an envelope sitting on top of it. Picking it up, I found a letter inside. I knew it was meant for Kylee and Marie, but I didn’t care. I needed to know what it said.

1/4 Chapter 39: Theo 1288 Vouchers I sank onto the bed as I read the contents of the letter. I read the pain behind Ayla’s words as she managed to forgive them for what they had done. Making excuses for the things they said.

When I finished, I turned to the safe sitting beside me. It required a code to open. I don’t know how long I stared at it, trying to figure out how to open it until I went with my gut and entered a number.

It popped open.

I found everything I needed to know. The titles to Marie’s and Kylee’s vehicles. Both were in Ayla’s name. A bank trust for Kylee set up by Ayla. A life insurance policy on Ayla with Kylee and Marie as the beneficiaries. The deed to the house, also in Ayla’s name, and the paperwork to sign it over to Marie.

At the bottom, beneath everything, I found Ayla’s high school diploma. I choked out a laugh as I held back the s*bs that were burning my lungs.

Even in pain, my mate was clever enough to get the last word.

But she wasn’t my mate anymore, was she? I had let her go. Like she was nothing.

I got up and left her room, heading to the back door. I needed to run. Kieran was begging to be let out and I needed to let him. I made it halfway across the yard before I froze, looking at the spot where I rejected Ayla. Where I made the biggest mistake of my life.

I barely managed to strip down before Kieran forced the shift, taking off into the trees behind her house. Not knowing where we were going. Not caring where we ended up.

2/4 Chapter 39: Theo 11 288 Vouchers We ran until we could barely stand. Sometime in the night, I managed to stumble back to the house and collapsed in Ayla’ s bed.

Breathing in her scent like a lifeline, letting it envelop me in a delusional sleep.

I dreamed she was there with me. She lay by my side, and she was smiling. She was happy.

I don’t know how long I slept, but when I finally opened my eyes, I felt different. I got up and packed everything back in the safe exactly how I had found it, taking it and the letter with me. Getting back into my car, I finally turned my phone back on, texted Briggs, and drove home with a clearer head than I had for over a month.

I pulled up to the packhouse late that afternoon. I made sure that I was seen getting back and headed straight to my office, where Briggs and Mina were already waiting for me.

“Theo...” Briggs started, but I stopped him with a gesture.

“You’ll want to witness this,” I said, setting the bank statements, the letter, and the safe on my desk. Briggs fell silent, putting his arm around Mina’s waist to reassure her.

I didn’t think I would have to wait long for Kylee to arrive, and sure enough, it wasn’t even five minutes after I had walked into my office when she barged in.

“Theo, you’re back,” she said, rushing to me and throwing her arms around me, making my whole body tense up. “Did you find her? Did she give you the money back?”

I grabbed her arms, pulling them off of me and pushing her 3/4 Chapter 27. Thes 1288 Vouchers away. Her touch made me sick. I wanted her gone as soon as possible. But I knew she would fight, and honestly, I was looking forward to it. I could see everything she was and had done so clearly now. She would learn a lesson today.

“Theo,” she said, looking up at me with confusion, “what’s wrong? What happened?”

“You and your mother have until the end of the day to pack your things and leave,” I said evenly. “You’re no longer welcome in the packhouse.”

Kylee looked shocked, her mouth falling open as she tried to find something to say.

“Theo, what are you saying?” she finally said.

“I’m saying we’re done. I no longer want anything to do with you.”

“Theo, don’t do this,” she cried. “I’m your mate.”

“You are not my mate,” I bellowed. “You will never be my mate. I would never mark a selfish, lying, manipulative brat like you.”

“Why would you say that?” Kylee said as tears streamed down her face. “She put you up to this, didn’t she? Ayla told you to do this because she’s jealous of me.”

Chapter 40: Theo 1283 Wouchers