Chapter 1

I'm an orphan, blind in my right eye.

I've been working since I was fourteen, saving every penny for ten years.

When the Federation finally released its latest matching algorithm, I ran my data immediately and bought a shifter with a 99% compatibility score.

The very first day I brought him home, he bit my arm.

He bared his teeth at me. "One-eye... you think someone like you deserves to be my mate?"

Last night he threw another fit in the living room because my cooking wasn't to his liking.

At two in the morning, I lay in bed wide awake, trying to figure out how to get along with him.

Then one rainy day, he threw a tantrum and ran off.

I went out looking for him, found nothing, and came home exhausted, only to find him waiting pitifully by the door.

The moment I stepped inside, he lunged close. "Why do you smell like another shifter? A wolf, no less?"

*****

When I left that morning, the living room looked like it had been ransacked.

Theron Lane had dragged the shredded couch into the corner and was curled up on it, fast asleep.

I grabbed my shopping bag and tiptoed out, careful not to wake him.

At six-thirty, the line outside the butcher shop already stretched down the block.

An hour later, I finally got my hands on some fresh beef.

When Theron first arrived three months ago, nothing I had in the house interested him.

Theron sneered, "One-eye, this is how you live? This dump is tiny and falling apart. You can't even afford to keep a shifter."

He complained while picking through the plate of beef.

Then he slammed his fork down and flipped the plate. "This isn't fresh. Even a dog wouldn't eat this frozen garbage."

The fork bounced off the floor and hit my shin. A sharp sting registered a second later.

I looked down and saw tiny beads of blood welling from the wound.

But I barely noticed the pain. All I could think about was the beef scattered across the floor.

Meat was expensive in the Federation. I could barely afford it a few times a year.

That beef had sat in my freezer for over six months because I couldn't bring myself to eat it.

If I picked it up and rinsed it off, it should still be fine.

After that, I worked even harder.

I crammed two days' work into one.

On my way home with the beef, I ran into Ellie Sterling downstairs and greeted her.

Ellie asked, "Lily Voss, isn't today your day off?"

I held up the heavy bag of beef, then handed her a smaller bag I'd packed separately.

Ellie patted my head. "I've seen you leaving early and coming home late. You should rest on your days off. How are things going with that wolf shifter of yours?"

"Great," I replied. "He cooks and helps me clean, so I can focus on earning more money."

Ellie nodded warmly and reached over to tuck my long hair away from my face.

My right eye was exposed, revealing a prosthetic with a red iris.

I turned my head slightly, self-conscious.

But Ellie just smiled. "There... now I can see your face. What a pretty girl you are."

*****

Before I even opened the door, I heard crashing inside.

The moment I stepped in, I saw Theron with a lightbulb clamped in his jaws after ripping it from the ceiling.

Crack.

He crushed it between his teeth, glass shards glinting as he stared me down.

My first instinct was to rush over and check if the broken glass had cut his mouth.

But his cold, warning glare stopped me in my tracks.

I turned and slipped quietly into the kitchen instead.

Theron only ate his steak medium-well. One degree over or under, and he'd throw the plate.

I timed every second precisely.

Only when the smell of seared meat filled the apartment did the living room finally go quiet.

Theron shouted impatiently from the living room, "One-eye, where's my food?"

A familiar ache twisted in my chest. My fingers brushed the prosthetic in my right socket.

It was a fake eye. Why did it still sting?

Theron hunched over the dining table, devouring his food. His tall, muscular frame practically engulfed the entire table.

Only while he was eating could I freely clean up the wrecked living room.

I pulled back the curtains. The succulents on the balcony were thriving, and one pot had multiplied into several.

I carefully added some plant food.

Theron let out a loud belch and slouched back in his chair.

He scoffed. "A bunch of ugly weeds. Why bother?"

I ignored him, grabbed a set of loungewear, and set it on the couch.

"Time to change," I said. "I showed you how to use the shower."

Theron picked at his ear, unbothered. "Forgot."

I patiently explained the shower controls again, word by word.

Halfway through, he waved me off. "Yeah, yeah. It's coming back to me now."

The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

When I looked up again, the sky outside had changed.

Dark clouds gathered, and rain poured down without warning.

I finished the dishes and tossed the dirty clothes into the washer.

Then I went to my room.

I hated rainy days more than anything.