Chapter 2

I was never a gentle she-wolf. If Ethan had told me back then that he and Sophia were in love, I would've let him go.

But he told me himself that he never had feelings for Sophia, that it was all rumors, and that the night he spent with her was a setup.

I believed his lies, and that was how I ended up here.

As soon as my friend, Emma, heard what I'd said to the pack, she called me up, wanting to know what was going on.

I told her everything, and she was so furious she started cursing on the phone. "He used your pack's influence and resources to get back on his feet.

"Then he secretly gave you that wolf fertility-blocking potion to keep you from getting pregnant? He's a jerk!

"And everyone said your half-sister died along with her unborn pup. But besides your dad and Ethan, no one saw it happen. They planned this whole thing four years ago. They're so sly."

The more she talked, the angrier she got, and in the end, she burst into tears.

I tried to comfort her. "I'm not crying, so why are you? We've got plenty of time. We'll make them pay."

She continued, "I feel sorry for you. You and Ethan grew up together, and you were mates.

"When the Morton Pack fell apart, Ethan got down on one knee and proposed, promising to love you forever.

"But then he hooked up with Sophia and even had a pup with her.

"Sophia showed up at your mating engagement party and made a scene. Everyone was making fun of you.

"Ethan kicked her out and claimed that it was a setup and that he never wanted anything to do with Sophia.

"You believed him, but look how it turned out. Every move he made was taking advantage of you."

On my end, I was already in tears, but I forced myself not to make a sound.

"Don't worry. I won't let Ethan and Sophia get away with it," she said.

Before I could say anything, Emma hung up.

*****

That afternoon, my mother wolf, Margaret Brown, called.

Her tone was serious, mixed with a hint of pity. "Why didn't you tell me something this severe was going on?"

Margaret never approved of me mating with Ethan. After she found out he'd been sneaking around with Sophia, she couldn't stand him.

Back when I was in Primary Academy, Margaret rejected my dad, Robert, because she found that he had a daughter only two months younger than me.

Margaret didn't hesitate and rejected Robert.

Robert didn't want to let go. Truth was, he couldn't bear to lose access to the resources of Margaret's home pack.

But the other she-wolf kept pushing him, so he didn't even get a chance to try and win Margaret back. Their bond was severed soon.

I grew up with Margaret, but she was strict, rarely smiled, and was always busy with work.

I always thought she didn't care for me because I was Robert's pup.

I tried to keep things light and replied, "It's not a big deal. Uncle Simon had put him in his place."

Ethan's Morton Pack finances tanked so fast because I got Simon Brown, my uncle, involved.

Simon was my secret weapon when it came to financial affairs. I never breathed a word about him to Ethan. So Ethan thought my only support was Margaret's pack.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

My nerves spiked right away. At that moment, I was terrified Margaret would say she'd warned me ages ago that Ethan was a bad guy and that I'd ignored every word and brought all this mess down on myself.

I wasn't afraid of her yelling at me. What really scared me was letting her down.

"My little pup, you've always overthought everything. But I've told you that no matter what, I'll always love you," Margaret said.

In that moment, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I cried my heart out, and I had no idea how long I kept sobbing.

Then Margaret said, "If anyone tries to hurt you, you should fight back. Don't be scared. I'll always be your shield."

All my worries disappeared. "Thank you, Mom," I said.

After that talk, I made an appointment with the healer. And I started plotting my next move.

Three days later, Ethan got into a car accident.