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

Hayley’s POV

The remainder of that day and the following days, which followed Rachael falling to work, were a haze of sadness, grief, and. Aiden and I had clung to each other like the only salvageable pieces of wreckage in a world that no longer made any sense. Our pack house was the safe haven everyone needed in this turbulent time.

My rock has always been Aiden; he is my constant comfort. His hand, his voice… Him: those were what told me we had not yet lost this fight; that things might have gone terribly wrong side up for us, but if he was here then so were all of the rest. We lay entwined for hours discussing Rachel, our futures, and the hurt that seemed unbearable. We somehow, though, did it together.

On an evening when the sun was setting and shadows stretched out from every corner of the room, Aiden looked at me with determination in his eyes. Hayley, we need to get our lives back. Rachel wouldn’t want us to be sad. Because she would have wanted that. And for us to fight and be happy in spite of everything.”

And I nodded, my heart aching but determined. “You’re right. She is our savior; it belongs to us.

And so, we began to rebuild. It began with baby steps-kkind actions that brought shards of normalcy back to our days. We made it a point to eat out, something we barely did before as much-needed self-care back when life was running smoothly.

Aiden settled on a small, family-run restaurant out of town where we used to go when life was better. Stepping in, the inviting warmth embraced us. The hushed cacophony of conversations, cutlery tinkering, and the delicious smell of hot food echoed in a relaxing white noise.

The waiter was to and fro serving other patrons as we continued waiting for our food when Aiden lent closer with an evil glint in his eye. Do you remember when we first came here?

I chuckled, nodding. “How could I forget? You made a fool of yourself; you spilled wine all over the place, trying to impress me.

He chuckled, a low rumble that made me smile. “… and he laughed so much at my reaction that I thought you would not be brainwashed out of it.”

“I couldn’t help it. She made a faux-admiring face at me, fluttering her fingers to say, You looked so adorably flustered.

He smiled, his eyes shining. “Well, it worked, didn’t it? You fell for me.”

I did… I said, laughing, with love filling my heart. I’ve never looked back.

When at last our food arrived, we had no incentive to delay. Digging in with gusto, every bite was a lesson in savoring what is before you. I engaged in a conversation that felt effortless-comfortable teasing one moment, earnestly becoming more personal the next. This was a night we would never forget, and indeed, our bond grew stronger.

We went for a walk in the park that was nearby after dinner. The weather was cold, but the air smelled of summer-cool, crisp, and sweet-aa blanket of stars strewn across the sky. Aiden put his arm around me and pulled me as we walked the winding trails.

I pressed into him, “This is…nice.”

Yes, it is,” he answered quietly. We have to do this more often.

We discovered the rustic bench that looked out over a small pond and took to it as nightfall enveloped us in total serenity. Aiden finally faced me, her eyes meeting mine. Hayley, I know things have been shit, but somewhere we can find happiness again. Together.”

I nodded, tears filling my eyes. “I believe that too, Aiden. Because all of a sudden, I feel like we can do anything as long as you are standing next to me.

He held my face with his hands, stroking me softly as if I were a scared kitten. “I love you, Hayley. That says it has ever been more than words can express, but that.

I replied, my voice thick with emotion: “I am in love with you too.” “Forever and always.”

We kissed, a gentle, long kiss that spoke in words of all the love, hope, and power we had for each other. This promise, this pledge of tackling what lies ahead together.

And the coming days were filled with more bliss and connection. We would only make sure that it made us happy-ccooking together, walking endlessly, and lying around. We were in repair-iit was more of a process to re-become than refine one another.

One bright afternoon, Aiden proposed that we go to an amusement park, which had just positively popped up from somewhere nearby. It sounded like a great idea, and I was game for anything to release the thought of a fun, laughter-filled day.

The park was full of life, laughter, and screams-two out only associated with either a fun theme park or ghost town. After that, we went on various rides, played some games, and ate a lot of yummy sweets.

Aiden won a huge teddy bear for me at one of the game booths, his competitive spirit coming through. He gave it to me, and I laughed. The bear was so big that it almost looked like a joke. “You’re incredible.” I hugged the bear and then returned my way to Aiden.

He glanced at me with a twinkle in his eye and replied, “Anything for you!

We tried out Ferris wheels and got to see the view from above. And like that, the wheel turned, and we were back on solid ground. Aiden held my hand with his thumb brushing over my knuckles. He spoke softly, saying, “This is exactly what I need.” It was just you and me living the high life!

It is. I nodded as a sudden wave of contentment settled over me. That is something else no one can say.

By the time we got back to her pack house, we were refreshed and ready for whatever was going our way. Life continued as we slowly settled back into our normal routines, enjoying the seemingly mundane and helping each other through rough patches.

We were there one evening, sitting in the living room and spending time together, when a knock on the door broke our silence. I went to see who it was and found a messenger with his letter of command. He simply nodded, handed it to me, and left.

Puzzled, I tore it open, and my eyes roved over the page of printed matter. My heart was pounding, and I felt that sense of shock tinged with disbelief as I read on.

“Hayley?” I was suddenly brought back to the present by Aiden’s words. “What is it?”

I blinked up at him, my voice shaky. It is a letter from my father. He wants to meet.”

The room began to move, the enormity of the discovery lying on us. Aiden came to my side, placing his hand on my shoulder. We will take care of this together,” he declared firmly. We’ll deal with it, whatever.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

I nodded, my mind racing. The future had only gotten more unpredictable, but having Aiden there with me. Together.