Beyond the Pack’s Law: My stepsister or nobody else

HAYLEY’S POV

The drone of the refrigerator was all around, and I stood in it, chopping vegetables with mechanical efficiency. It was a storm of thoughts and feelings happening in my head, all the while competing for attention. Rachel’s voice rang in my ears-an ever-present indication of the growing divide that separated us. Fleeing back into the shadows of her house, but not before dropping a bombshell on me: she was truly my mother. She was always there for me; she let my troubles go easy on me, and now all of a sudden she wanted to keep Aiden away from me.

Oh, Hayley, honey, please eat something.” Rachel had whispered so quietly, pleading with those big eyes to block out her desperation, I groaned a little and walked towards the kitchen.’Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

I had numbly nodded, going back to the only place I could ever go for even a whisper of sanity anymore. But it weighed on me even then-her confession. I almost cut my finger when the blade slipped. The microscopic blood that bubbled on my skin made me hiss as I watched. As if to remind you all that I was still there, alive, and trying my best for a future with Aiden.

“Need some help?” Aiden’s warm, grounding voice sliced through my thoughts. He stood at the door, looking as haggard as I felt.

I tried to smile back and said, “I am okay.”” Just a little cut.”

A few strides, and he was across the room, gently taking my hand to look at the cut. You need to be more careful. He scolded gently and looked very worried.

I whispered (feeling a lump form in my throat), “I know. Harry’s voice was so quiet as he spoke, saying, “It is all just too much.”

His arms wrapped around me and he embraced me. It was so comforting. It’s okay, Hayley.”

I held on to him almost as if I could feed off his company. I whispered, “Rachel asked me to stay away from you.” You are dangerous; you come from a world of danger, she says.

Aiden sucked in a hiss as he secured himself around me. After a moment, “She’s not incorrect.” However, I am only one part of the danger. From the real world we live in. But I cannot allow you to do it alone.

That voice cracked when she spoke again, saying, “I don’t want to be without you.” “I can’t.”

He hesitated before pulling up a little, his eyes locking into mine. “Then we fight. We struggle for the future; we are going to own it together. No matter what.”

I was about to reply when the door creaked open, and Rachel walked into the kitchen. She looked back and forth between us, a storm swirling in her gaze that betokened both sadness and resolve.

Her voice was steady but aching as she said, “Hayley…” “We need to talk.”

Aiden’s arm tightened around me, but I loosened it and got free. “It’s fine,” I replied quietly, holding his hand. “I’ll be right back.”

We went down to the lounge with a thickness of despair in the air. She took a long breath and looked into my eyes.

My rages with her voice full of emotion: “Hayley, I know this must be hard for you to understand.” “Everything I did, I did for you.

“Protect me from what?” I exploded, my irritation surfacing. “From Aiden? The life we’ve built together?

Rachel blinked back tears as she said, “From the truth.” This is a dream I had imagined in my head, but I prayed for you not to be like this.

A cold chill ran down my back. “What truth?”

Rachel turned her face away, her hands shaky. The Truth About Your Birth Parents: Why They Had to Have You Adopted.

I could barely hear anything over the sound of my own racing heart, partly out of fear but mostly out of curiosity. “What do you mean?”

Rachel inhaled deeply to prepare herself. You come from a very strong bloodline. They were pursued, harassed, and ultimately murdered. I brought you here to save them from what happened in their faith.

My mind was spinning as I looked at her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I tried to,” she said, her voice breaking. “But I was afraid. I was scared of how they might target you once you knew the truth.

My mouth turned red with fury and the sting of betrayal. “So you lied to me? All these years?”

Rachel looked up at me, her eyes begging. I have done what I consider to be in the best interest of all concerned. But the way things are going now, you have to know. You have to realise what the stakes are.

I took a deep breath, my mind racing. I need to consider-I mean!, fuck!-my voice cracks.

She touched me, but I kept dragging it away from her hand. “Hayley, please. I love you. I just want what’s best for you.

Tears blurred my vision, and I shook that same head. “I need some time alone.”

My heart sank, and I ran out of the room.

I dashed out of my house, the numb biting of that night wrapping around my head as I searched for answers. The sky was invisible beneath tumultuous clouds. I paced to the corner of a secluded garden that Rachel had cultivated for years. I kneeled amongst the flowers, jasmine sweet and rose profound as my own salted scent of sorrow.

It was minutes before I heard gravel behind me. I had not looked at Rachel at that time. She came up and sat beside me, her comfort tinged with apprehension.

“Hayley,” she said, barely above a whisper. “I know this is overwhelming for you to hear about all at once. But you have to understand why I did what I did.

They stared me down like a group of daisies, drawing the sunshine out in front, beaming so brightly that they were almost translucent against the darkness that I now lived in. “Why now, Rachel? Why tell me all of this now?”

Rachel let out a long sigh, and her shoulders slouched. This is the only time I will tell you, because what happens with Aiden? It’s going downhill. You have to be ready for what may occur.

I turned to see her face. I stared at the seat behind hers, trying desperately for some form of answer in those eyes. What really happened to my parents??

Rachel looked down, and her watery eyes ached. They were… they were pillars in their pack. They attracted attention of a kind they should not have. They were betrayed by their own people. As soon as they knew that their own lives were in danger, the hardest and bravest decision of their lives was to let you go, thinking maybe just maybe you have a chance at normal.

Once again, tears formed in my eyes. “Why didn’t they fight? “And I never said he hurt me!”

Then Rachel touched me on the arm, and I realised she had taken my hand. “They did, Hayley. In their own way, they did. They decided to save you and sheltered you from their world-their enemies. You were their brightest star, but they couldn’t stay because it would threaten your life.

I yanked my hand back, burning with rage. I never met them, though. I never got to say goodbye.”

Rachel’s eyes welled up with tears. “I know, and I’m so sorry for that.

But before you grab your pitchforks, remember that their action was out of love and desperation.”

I get up and wander around the few flowers in my garden, laden with thoughts. “So now what? How am I going to use this?

Rachel stood as well, her features determined. You better worry about your own safety. Forget the past. Forget your childhood. They chose to keep you safe, and now… it will have to be up to you.

Shaking my head with burgeoning frustration, “How can I forget about them? And just go on with life like they were never there.

Rachel bore down on him, her eyes fiercer. You know why, though? because it is the only way you will survive. Hayley, darling girl, you lived with some far from saintly parents. They made mistakes-big ones. They became enmeshed in power struggles, and they antagonised enemies of old. They weren’t perfect. They did what they believed was best, but you cannot let their history determine your future.

My heart ached as I looked at this person. He asked rhetorically, “You are saying that they were bad people?”

Rachel’s face softened as her eyes clouded with empathy. What I am saying is that, just like everybody else, they were also flawed. They loved you, but things were dangerous and ambiguous in their world. You get the choice to live a different life-a safer life. You don’t have to be the asshole monkey in your workplace. Hours are long enough, as it is my friend.”

It made me feel guilty and confused. “But what about Aiden? He’s my life now. I can’t just abandon him.”

The pleading look in Rachel’s eyes. She exhaled heavily and exploited the power bestowed upon her as the name behind Generation Y to say: You do not have to leave him but be smart. Keep your safety first. Hayley, I swear to you, no one ever messes with me. I will make certain that your seat is secure and that you are happy. You’re not responsible for your parents’ past.

I averted my eyes, my thoughts scrambling. “How can I trust you, Rachel? How can I really feel as if anything you say is the entire truth?

Rachel stepped forward, her hands on my shoulders. “Because I love you, Hayley. I have loved it as my own for a long time. I gave my life to protecting you and giving you a shot at happiness. I vowed to you that I would make better what no man took from me. You do not have to carry the burden of your parents’ mistakes. Focus on you; focus on the future.”

I watched as a million tears poured out of my eyes and confusion raged through me. “Rachel, I have no idea what to do. I’m so confused.”

Rachel squeezed me tighter for a moment before pulling back, her expression asking the question she was not going to ask.

“Hey, you want to go back to the house, Hayley? This needs to be talked about more, and it’s cold out here.”

I started to nod, an emotional sinking feeling overwhelming me yet still somewhat comforted by a touch of her warmth. In silence, we walked back to the house. Heavy upon us were those revelations of a rear-ended night. The mood inside was grim, with everyone tense and anxious.

Rachel moved me into the living room, with Aiden and Ryan there, looking for fish. Which she sucked in deep and released as she turned to face Aiden. I am done allowing The Quarter to freely harm Hayley. Before Hawthorne can worry about justice, she must protect the girl from any looming threat.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed, and his situation was compact. “Rachel, what are you saying?”

Rachel’s gaze didn’t waver. ‘I’m saying that Hayley needs to be kept out of harm’s way in your world, Aiden. She cannot be part of this battle. It’s too risky.”

A surge of anger and defiance seemed to boil up inside me. I rose to my feet, and though my hands shook inside themselves, I remained calm. “No, Rachel. You messed up, but you will never ruin or control my life again.

Rachel’s eyes were wide with amazement. Each post is an open letter: “Hayley, I am just trying to help you.”

I shook my head, grounding down on my resolution. I know you love me, and I value all that you have done. But I’m not a child anymore.

And those decisions that I have the right to make are ones that side with Aiden. We’re in this together.”

Aiden stood up, positioning himself by my side and holding my hand. Together, we’re better, Rachel. We are going to battle with whatever we have, Hayley and I. We do not need to have perishables for each of us.

Frustration and desperation surged through her expression, hardening it as Rachel clenched her jaw. Hayley, you’re playing with fire. This isn’t just about you. This one reminds you all the time that “it’s about your future, your safety.”

I met her gaze, unwavering. “My future is with Aiden. I am not going to let fear lead my life. You cannot protect me by keeping the people I love away from me.

Rachel’s face suddenly slumped as if the spirit had gone out of her, and she sounded a note that was somewhere between sorrow and self-disgust. “Hayley, please. Listen to yourselves, for crying out loud!

I leaned into him, taking his strength and love. “I’ve thought about it. That is what I choose, and no one will take that from me.

Rachel studied my face, a combination of sadness and resignation playing on her features. Well, Hayley,” he said, “you’d better know what you’re doing. Because when you go down this path, “you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.”

——–

Hayley finally gave Rachel that piece of her mind and stood up to declare herself independent.

Rachel will not have sway or influence over her life, she said.

Her words settled over the room, heavy as death-a moment that would divide their lives in two.