SOPHIA’S POV
I watched Damien lift Tiffany into his arms like she weighed nothing. Her head rested against his shoulder.
Ashley came running from the kitchen "Tiffany! Are you okay? What happened?"
"She fell," Damien said "She’s going to be fine, sweetheart. Just a cut on her hand."
"Can I help?" Ashley asked, grabbing onto Damien’s arm. "Can I get bandages? Or ice? Or"-
"You can help by getting the first aid kit from the bathroom upstairs," Damien said, giving her a small smile. "Can you do that for me?"
"Yes!" Ashley took off running.
None of them looked at me. I was invisible.
I turned to leave. My vision blurred with tears but I refused to let them fall.
"Sophia! Wait!"
I froze. The voice was female but not Tiffany’s. I turned and saw Dahlia, Damien’s sister, rushing toward me from the direction of the guest wing. Dahlia? I hadn’t even known she was here. I hadn’t seen her in a while.
Declan was behind her. He looked annoyed for some reason.
"Sophia, thank goddess you’re still here," Dahlia said, slightly out of breath. "We need to talk to you."
"I have nothing to say to any of you," I said, turning back toward the door.
"Please!" Dahlia grabbed my arm. Why did everyone keep grabbing me?. "It’s about Aunt Helena. Simon’s mother."
I narrowed my eyes "I know who she is."
"Then you know she’s dying." Dahlia’s eyes were red like she’d been crying. " We need that surgeon friend of yours to operate."
"Lance isn’t just my friend” I said coldly “he’s a victim of your family’s cruelty."
"Aunt Helena is innocent. She’s a good woman who doesn’t deserve to die because of some petty grudge."
"Petty grudge?" My wolf snarled. "Simon had Lance’s hands broken. That’s not a petty grudge."
"Look, I’m sorry about what happened to your... to Lance," Dahlia said, though she didn’t sound sorry at all. "But this is life and death. Surely he can put aside his feelings for a few hours to save a dying woman?"
"Why should he?" I asked. "When has anyone in your family ever put aside their feelings for him?”
Dahlia’s face flushed. "That’s not fair-"
"What’s not fair is you people thinking you can ruin someone’s life and then demand they save yours." I pulled my arm free from her grip. "The answer is no. Lance will make his own decision, and I won’t pressure him either way."
"You selfish bitch," Declan said, stepping forward. His wolf was right at the surface. His eyes glowed amber. "Our aunt is dying and you’re too busy playing victim to help."
"Playing victim?" I repeated, looking at him. "Your brother’s best friend had a man beaten and crippled. How is that playing victim?"
"Simon was just protecting his alpha’s interests," Declan said with a shrug. "That doctor shouldn’t have gotten involved with you in the first place. Everyone knows you’re Damien’s mate. That makes you off-limits."
"I’m not property!"
"You’re a Luna whether you want to be or not. You represent this pack. When you run around with other men, it makes us all look weak." Declan’s lip curled in disgust. "You should be grateful Damien hasn’t divorced you already for bringing shame to the Stone name."
My hands clenched into fists. My wolf was howling for release, wanting to show this arrogant pup what a real Luna could do when pushed too far.
"Declan, that’s enough," Dahlia said "Sophia, please. I know my brother has been terrible to you. I know our family hasn’t treated you well. But can’t you find it in your heart to help an innocent woman?"
"I’m not stopping Lance from helping her," I said through gritted teeth. "But I won’t force him to do something he doesn’t want to do, especially not to save the mother of the man who destroyed him."
"So you’re just going to let her die?" Declan demanded. "What kind of monster are you?"
"The kind your family created," I shot back. "You want to know why I won’t help? Because for years, I begged for help and got nothing. I begged Damien to notice me, to care about me, to protect me from his mother’s abuse. Nothing. I begged him to stop Simon from hurting Lance. Nothing. I’ve begged and pleaded and cried and it’s never mattered to any of you. So, forgive me if I’m fresh out of sympathy."
"You’re pathetic," Declan said. "No wonder Damien prefers Tiffany. At least she has a heart."

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