Chapter 1
Three years ago, Alpha Adrian Nightshade, her mate, pushed open the door and found Marina Ashby lying on the bed, her clothes in disarray.
Edex Nightshade, Adrian's younger brother, calmly lit a cigarette, brushed himself off, and got up as he said, "She seduced me. Adrian, she is so shameless."
From then on, Marina's world crumbled from utter bliss into unending misery.
*****
At 3 AM, Marina, in nothing but a flimsy nightgown, was shoved out of the villa.
"Get out. Seeing you makes me lose all interest," Adrian said coldly. He didn't even toss her a coat before locking the door.
Adrian, unable to wait any longer, pressed the she-wolf he'd brought home up against the gate.
Despite the heavy door between them, Marina could feel his wild desperation from how violently it shook.
Outside, the snow kept falling. The biting cold seeped into her bones as Marina huddled by the entrance.
This was the fifth time this month.
Every time Adrian brought back another she-wolf, he'd toss Marina out and make her wait there until he was done with hooking up.
The cloying moans and the rhythmic slap of bodies from inside came out with the icy wind, cutting into Marina's ears.
She clutched her head tightly, desperate to shut out the gut-wrenching noises.
After what felt like forever, the villa gate finally swung open.
The warm air inside the room made Marina, who was freezing all over, get dizzy for a good while. If she'd gotten in any later, she would've turned into an ice sculpture.
"Adrian, I'm so tired," the she-wolf cooed.
"I'll take you to bed." Adrian scooped her up in his arms.
When he saw Marina still huddled by the door, he kicked her. "What are you waiting for?"
Marina lost her balance and went tumbling down the stairs.
Her limbs were so stiff from the cold that when her head slammed against the ground, it was a while before she felt the pain.
In the house, Adrian's face was twisted with impatience. "Get in here. Go upstairs and make the bed for me, now."
The stairs were covered in snow, and Marina slipped and fell several times before she finally made it back inside.
She'd twisted her ankle, and she looked totally goofy hurrying up the stairs.
The she-wolf giggled. "This is all your fault, Adrian. If you hadn't been hooking up with me for three hours, Marina wouldn't have been stuck freezing her ass off outside for so long."
Marina froze mid-step at the familiar voice and spun around in disbelief. "Lucy?"
Lucy Mariani wrapped her arms around Adrian's neck and winked at Marina. "Hey, Marina. It's been a long time."
This was the little she-wolf pup Marina had once taken pity on and saved.
Back then, Lucy had been cruelly cast out by the Silverfang Pack. Marina took her in out of kindness, fed her, and patiently showed her how to hunt and survive in this harsh world.
She'd never expected that Lucy would become Adrian's new mistress.
"Why?" Marina's voice shook. Her nails dug deep into her flesh behind her back, and her face went paler than before.
"Because Lucy is the most like you. Her expression and posture got your eighteen-year-old vibe." Adrian stared down at Marina with a mocking glint in his eyes. "And she is purer than you."
Those few words tore right into Marina's heart from every side, like countless sharp stabs.
Marina bit down hard on her lower lip, blood seeping into her mouth. The metallic taste flooded her palate, tightening her throat so she couldn't make any sound.
Adrian hated her and thought she was tainted.
Three years ago, Adrian caught Marina in bed with his younger brother.
Her hair was messy, and her clothes were practically falling off her.
Adrian and Edex went at each other.
With bloodshot eyes, Adrian stared at Marina, on the verge of breaking down. "Marina, did this bastard force you?"
"I didn't. This bitch climbed into my bed in the middle of the night. I felt bad for her, so I hooked up with her." Edex tilted his chin at Marina. "Tell my brother yourself. Isn't that right?"
Adrian held back the crushing agony inside him and clung to his last shred of sanity to ask Marina, "Is that true?"
When Marina nodded, Adrian completely lost it. He smashed up nearly everything in the room.