“Just be patient. My grandfather is dying. Soon he will name the next Alpha King. Once the title is mine, once I hold the power of the pack, no one will control me. I will reject her, give her compensation, and bring you beside me as my true Luna.”
“Fine,” Luvena said after a moment, her voice softer. “But you owe me.”
“I will make it worth your wait.”
“Kiss me.”
And he did.
Through the narrow crack of the door, I saw my mate lower his head and press his lips against hers. It was not hesitant. It was hungry. Possessive.
It was the kiss of a man who had done this many times before.
I did not burst inside or even scream. Shock pressed down on me like a heavy stone.
Slowly, silently, I stepped backward until my legs touched the edge of the bed in our chamber.
I crawled beneath the blankets, pulled them over my head, and let the silent tears fall.
My pup was gone. My bond was a lie. And the two people I trusted most were downstairs planning how to discard me.
The next morning. the sun rose brightly above the Alpha estate, cruelly mocking the darkness in my heart. I had not slept at all. I spent the whole night staring at the wall while my grief slowly turned into something cold and sharp.