Chapter 2

Alexander's powerful arm remained around my waist as he guided me away from the bar, away from the stunned faces of Marcus and Jennifer. The cool night air hit my face, clearing some of the alcohol-induced fog from my mind, but doing nothing to numb the searing pain of betrayal that clawed at my chest.

"Where are we going?" I managed, my voice hoarse from unshed tears.

"Somewhere safe," he replied, his deep voice vibrating through me. "Somewhere they can't follow."

I should have been afraid. This was Alpha Alexander Sterling—the intimidating, brooding heir who rarely spoke to anyone outside his inner circle, much less to his half-brother's mate. Yet something about his presence felt oddly... familiar. Comforting, even.

We drove in silence, the moonlight casting silver shadows across his sharp profile. His jaw remained clenched, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. I watched the pack territory blur past until the trees thickened and we turned onto a hidden path I'd never noticed before.

A secluded cabin emerged from the darkness, rustic yet elegant, with warm light glowing from within.

"Your sanctuary," I whispered, recognizing it from pack rumors.

He glanced at me, surprise flickering across his features before his mask of control returned. "Yes."

Inside, the cabin smelled of cedar and something uniquely him—wild and powerful. I sank onto a leather couch, suddenly exhausted. The mate mark bracelet on my wrist continued to crack, each splinter sending waves of pain through my body.

"Take it off," Alexander said, nodding toward the bracelet. "It will only hurt more as the bond continues to break."

I hesitated, then unclasped it, gasping as it fell into my palm. Eight years of my life, encapsulated in a piece of silver that now felt as hollow as Marcus's promises.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, finally meeting his intense gaze.

Alexander poured two glasses of amber liquid, handing one to me before sitting across from me. His silver eyes seemed to see straight through my defenses.

"I have a proposition for you, Sarah Mitchell."

The way he said my name sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. My wolf, who had been howling in agony, suddenly went quiet, attentive.

"What kind of proposition?" I asked warily.

"A mutually beneficial arrangement." He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Marcus has betrayed you in the most unforgivable way. My brother has always taken what doesn't belong to him—and I've always let him."

Bitterness edged his words, hinting at a history I didn't fully understand.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Revenge." The word hung between us, dark and tempting. "A fake mating bond between us would devastate him. You get to hurt the man who betrayed you, and I..." He paused, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. "I get the Luna that should have been mine all along."

I nearly dropped my glass. "You want to pretend to be my mate? That's—that's insane."

"Is it?" He moved to sit beside me, his proximity sending my heart racing. "Think about it, Sarah. Marcus has spent his entire life competing with me. Taking you as my mate—even if it's just for show—would destroy him. And it would give you back some of the dignity he stole from you tonight."

I should have been appalled. I should have walked away. But the image of Marcus and Jennifer entwined in my bed flashed through my mind, followed by Jennifer's smug smile. Rage, hot and clarifying, surged through me.

"What exactly would this involve?" I heard myself ask.

A slow, dangerous smile spread across Alexander's face. "We make it public. We make it convincing. We make them both suffer."

My wolf, so dormant for so long, suddenly stirred with interest, almost... eagerness.

"And when it's over?" I whispered.

"When it's over, you'll be free." His fingers brushed mine, sending an unexpected jolt through my body. "No strings attached."

I stared into his silver eyes, searching for deception but finding only intensity and something else—something that looked almost like longing.

"Yes," I said, the word escaping before I could reconsider. "I'll do it."

Alexander's smile turned predatory as he reached for his phone. "Ethan," he commanded when his Beta answered. "I need you to spread some news through the pack links. Make sure every pack in the region knows by morning what Marcus Sterling did to his mate—and who she's with now."

He ended the call and turned back to me, his gaze possessive. "By dawn, the Silvercrest Pack's precious reputation will be in tatters. This is just the beginning, little wolf."

As I sat there in his cabin, watching the first moves of our revenge plot unfold, I had no idea that I had just made a pact with the one man who had loved me from afar for eight long years—or how completely this decision would transform my life.