Chapter 1

My hand tightened around the phone, my fingers trembling as I read the messages between Ezra Silvan, my mate, and his packmates.

“The poor little she-wolf probably doesn’t even know your real mate, Lyra, is coming back,” Ezra’s Beta had commented.

A cold ache settled in my chest. The "little she-wolf" they referred to was unmistakably me. I’d seen this before in Ezra’s conversations with his friends. And Lyra—his “real mate”—was a she-wolf of another pack?

“What will you do when Lyra gets back?” Ezra’s Gamma asked. “She won’t put up with your little she-wolf.”

“I’ll handle it,” Ezra replied, his words casual, almost too calm.

My blood went cold. “Handle it”? Was that his way of saying he’d be rid of me?

Before I could process that thought, another friend piped up. “You’re not planning to ditch her, are you?”

“Can’t do that,” Ezra replied, as if it were a trivial matter. “She’s been in my bed for five years.”

The chat filled with laughing emojis. My hand clenched into a fist. To Ezra and his pack, I was nothing but a placeholder—an inconvenience until Lyra returned.

“Don’t be that guy, man. If Alpha Dorian finds out, you’re really in for it.”

“What’s the problem?” came the dismissive reply. “If Dorian and his sister are fine with it, I can be Ezra’s mistress too.”

My grip on the phone tightened until my fingers began to ache. I could barely breathe as I waited for Ezra’s response.

“I’ll make it up to Cressida,” he wrote flatly, like he was signing off on a business deal.

“After all, she’s been with me for five years.”

The group exploded with more crude jokes. “She must perform great in bed if she’s stuck around this long, second only to Lyra.”

“Of course. Cressida seems so obedient. It’s always the quiet ones who surprise you…”

I set the phone down, the weight of their words pressing into me like a physical blow. I struggled to steady my breath before I dialed my brother’s number, my pulse still hammering in my ears.

“I’ve decided to return home for the arranged mating ceremony, Dorian.”

….

My voice was steady, yet it carried a weight that hung heavy in the air. On the other end of the line, Dorian Blackthorn, my elder brother and the Beta of the Obsidian Moon Pack, exhaled in relief. “Finally,” he said, his voice edged with triumph. “So, you’re done with him, then? I always knew that human wasn’t good enough for you, Cressida.”

The mention of him—Killian—made my chest tighten, but I kept my voice calm. “I’ll tie up loose ends here,” I murmured softly. “I just need two weeks. As for the ceremony, I’ll leave the preparations to you and Father.”

“Leave it to us,” Dorian said briskly. “The pack’s Elders have already chosen someone worthy of you—strong, loyal, and from a bloodline that complements our family’s lineage. You’ll like him, Cressida. He’ll treat you well.”

I nodded silently, even though he couldn’t see me.

“Oh, and make sure to invite Ezra Silvan,” Dorian added. “He’s the Alpha’s Alpha now, and you stayed with him during your time at the Celestial Pack. You owe him for looking after you when you first left.”

The mention of Ezra sent an ache through my chest, but I masked it with silence. After a pause, I replied, “He can’t come.”

Just as the words left my lips, the door to my apartment swung open. I quickly ended the call, my heart racing as the scent of cedar and storm clouds filled the air.

Ezra Silvan stepped inside, his sharp golden eyes locking onto mine. His lips curved into that familiar smirk that always set my wolf on edge. “Can’t come where?” he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

To my mating ceremony, I thought bitterly, but I kept my face composed. “Nowhere important,” I said coolly, brushing past him.

Ezra’s smirk widened as he shrugged off his leather jacket, revealing a faint scar running along his collarbone. “Talking to Dorian again?”

I hummed in response, heading toward the bedroom, but before I could escape, Ezra grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms. His grip was firm, but his touch carried that same familiar heat that always made my wolf stir, despite my better judgment.

“Did you tell him about us?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave.

I allowed a small smile to flicker across my lips, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want him to know?”

Ezra let out a low chuckle, his breath warm against my neck. “If Dorian found out his precious sister was tangled up with his best friend, he’d drag me back to the Obsidian Moon Pack and string me up by my tail.”

His teasing tone made my wolf bristle. I pulled away slightly, my gaze meeting his. “So, Ezra... am I really your mate, or just someone you’re passing time with?”

The question caught him off guard. He raised an eyebrow, his smirk faltering for a fraction of a second. “Not my mate?” he echoed. “Cressida, we’ve lived together for six years. I’ve held you in my arms every night. Do you really think I’d do that for anyone else?”

His words felt hollow, their weight diminished by the truths I had uncovered. I looked away, avoiding his piercing gaze. “I... I’m not feeling well tonight,” I muttered, stepping back.

Ezra didn’t press further. He laughed softly, ruffling my hair in that familiar way that used to make my heart flutter. “Still so shy, little wolf,” he teased before heading to the bathroom.

The sound of the water running was a faint backdrop to the storm brewing in my mind.

Mate?

Or just another replacement?