Chapter 2

The following afternoon, I went back to the den. It was dead quiet. Neither Julian nor Bree was around.

I walked into the main bedroom to grab my bags, but the second I swung the door open, I froze.

The blanket sat bunched up in the corner, pillows were knocked onto the floor, and a heavy, foreign scent hung in the air, leaving zero doubt about what went down after I left.

Numbness washed over me as I took a step forward. Right on the corner of the mattress sat a braided bracelet, decorated with tiny silver crescent moons.

It was the one Bree always wore.

I picked it up and took a closer look. Tiny dates had been scratched into the back of every single moon with a needle. Dozens of them clustered together, the oldest ones dull and yellow.

The metal edges were buffed smooth, proof that she had rubbed them constantly over the years.

Looking at those crescent moons pulled me right back to the night Bree moved into the territory three years ago.

We were staying up late in bed, talking to each other. She confessed that she had bonded with a secret mate, someone special who couldn't go public, and that they barely spent time together.

Over time, I kept noticing new crescent moons appearing on her bracelet. When I pressed her, she smiled and claimed each moon marked a night they spent together under the full moon, a little ritual for the two of them.

I felt so happy for her back then, thrilled she had found her fated mate. Little did I know, that mate was Julian.

I stepped into Bree's room next door and yanked the closet open. Her cloaks and leather tunics filled the rack.

Inside every single lining, identical tiny silver crescent moons were stitched into the fabric. A few were traced twice in red thread, like a private message stitched for someone special.

I wanted to cry, but my eyes stayed dry.

My communicator suddenly buzzed. I hit answer, my vision blurred.

"Is this Bree's pack kin? She took severe injuries during an uncontrolled Night Run and needs immediate surgery. You're listed as her emergency contact. We need you down at the healing den to sign off on the procedure right away," the speaker said.

I clutched the device forever until my knuckles turned white. My thoughts were a total blur.

As twisted as our relationship had become, years of history weren't so easy to sever. I grabbed my cloak and bolted through the front door.

Darkness engulfed the forest as I sprinted toward the healing den, ignoring the sharp gravel cutting through my feet.

*****

I burst through the healing den doors, my lungs burning and my feet raw from the gravel path.

As bitter as I felt, leaving Bree to die was never an option.

When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was Julian leaning against the wall, looking completely rattled.

Hearing my footsteps, he glanced up.

Before I could open my mouth, the healer stepped out of the operating room, unable to hide his irritation when he saw Julian.

"You young wolves are completely reckless. Getting all worked up in bed is no excuse to go wild on Night Run. She has severe internal bruising. Any later and her wolf's core would've ripped apart," the healer said.

I froze, feeling like I'd been slapped right across the face.

Getting so worked up in bed during Night Run. So rushing over here was only meant to get myself humiliated all over again.

The healer turned to me, his tone softening slightly. "You her pack kin? Her mate got here in time and signed the forms."

A bitter smile tugged at my lips, but I kept quiet, clutching the edges of my cloak.

The stark white lights in the hallway cast a cold glow over us.

Julian stared at me, a flicker of anxiety in his eyes. He was expecting a breakdown or an outburst. Instead, I gave him a faint smile. "Good to know."

I turned on my heel to leave, but he pushed himself off the bench. "Wait. Bree wants a word with you."

I didn't turn around. "About what? Is she gonna tell me whose territory she snuck into last night?"

Saying those words wiped out whatever strength I had left, leaving my throat raw.

Julian's tone dropped behind me, heavy with anger. "Nadia! Have you lost your mind? She's compromised for years to protect you, and instead of showing a shred of gratitude, you keep humiliating her?"

I clenched my hands, nails biting into my palm until everything went numb.

While we were locked in that tense silence, orderlies wheeled Bree into a recovery room, and Julian grabbed my arm, forcing me inside after her.

She lay propped up on the bed, deathly pale. Yet when she saw me, she forced herself up. "Nadia, you came for me."

I offered only an icy glare. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she shot Julian a look. He frowned, but reluctantly stepped out.