Chapter 1

The call came in the dead of night, the sharp ring slicing through the silence like a knife. Reese’s voice was frantic, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. 'Sweetheart, the packhouse is under attack by rogues, and I’m trapped in the basement! You have to come save me!' Without a second thought, I shifted into my wolf form, not even bothering to grab a jacket. The night air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid scent of smoke. Snarls and the clash of bodies echoed in the distance. A rogue lunged at me, its claws tearing across my flank, but I didn’t stop. I had to find him. When the warriors finally pulled me out, I was still in my wolf form, panting and bleeding. I shifted back, my hands trembling as I begged them to find Reese. Then, a message from Lilith Castillo, his Delta, popped up on my phone: [Actually, Alpha was never trapped. It was just our playful banter before!] Attached was a photo of Reese lying naked beside her, covered in lipstick marks. My wolf growled in the back of my mind, a low, dangerous rumble. But I didn’t hesitate. I decided to leave the pack and move to Milan with my best friend, Mina. The pain from the rogue’s claws lingered, a constant reminder of that night. The pack’s healer said I was lucky the wounds weren’t deeper and that I would recover fully with rest. After applying a salve to my injuries, I left the infirmary. As soon as I returned to my quarters, Mina called. 'Are you really sure about moving to Milan with me? If you are, I’ll start preparing the paperwork.' I replied without hesitation, 'I’m sure.' 'Great, then handle everything on your end, and I’ll book our tickets.' It was six months ago when Mina, a Gamma in our pack, noticed how troubled I was and, after learning about Reese’s antics, urged me to reject our mate bond and join her in Milan. At the time, I thought Reese’s affair with his Delta was just a fling. Little did I know, I had become a pawn in their twisted games of affection. After hanging up, I sipped some wolfsbane tea to calm my nerves and drifted into a restless sleep. I was jolted awake by the ringing of my phone in the middle of the night. It was Reese’s first call since I’d been in the infirmary for two weeks. 'Sweetheart, I’ve been pressured into drinking at a pack alliance event, and I feel terrible. I think I might have alcohol poisoning. Can you come pick me up?' In the background, I could clearly hear the bustling noise of a pub and the laughter of women. My wolf snarled in the back of my mind, but I forced myself to stay calm. 'Reese, even your lies have their limits.' He was silent for a moment before speaking again, his voice heavy and seemingly sincere, 'This time I’m not lying. They brought me to the pub just now, and I’m feeling really sick. I called you immediately.' His breathing was labored, each word sounding like it took effort to say. I hesitated, remembering the time he had alcohol poisoning when he was just starting to establish alliances for the pack. My hand clenched and then released in a moment of indecision, as concern washed over me. I jumped up, hurriedly got dressed, and said into the phone, 'Where are you? I’ll come get you right away.' Suddenly, there was a burst of sharp laughter, both male and female, and the phone was snatched away. A woman’s voice came through, 'Oh, Cielo, Alpha was just teasing you to cheer me up. He’s perfectly fine. No need to come running!' I knew that voice all too well. For a whole year, whenever I called Reese, she’d be the one to answer. Her tone was the same as always—provocative, dismissive, arrogant. I could hear jeering in the background, 'Alpha, Cielo sure loves you a lot, doesn’t she? Just a few words and she’s all confused!' 'Yeah, what’s the difference between her and an obedient puppy? It must be a breeze having someone like that.' Then Reese’s mocking voice joined in, 'She’s even more obedient than a dog. If Lilith and I ran out of supplies, a phone call would have her delivering them.' His voice wasn’t loud, but it rang out clearly in my ears. My fingers pressed so hard into my palms they bled, but I felt no pain. Silence, rigidity, and numbness crashed over me, and for a moment, it felt like I couldn’t breathe, like I was suffocating. The phone slipped from my grasp and shattered against the floor, forcibly ending the call. Finally, the world was quiet again. Staring at the couple’s slippers, the pajamas, the massive wedding portrait, and the mate mark on my neck, I was at a loss. The couple in the photo looked so loving and in sync, Reese smiling so happily. These once cherished memories now only served to taunt and hurt me. I couldn’t understand how Reese, who was once so good, could become this person. In his attempts to placate Lilith by deceiving me, he must have forgotten the time he almost died from alcohol poisoning while entertaining clients to secure an alliance for the pack. Back then, I rushed him to the pack’s infirmary for a stomach pump in the middle of the night. The healer warned that another minute’s delay could have been fatal. With guilt and concern, I held Reese’s hand, urging him not to push himself so hard. He just smiled softly, cupped my face, and reassured me, 'Cielo, don’t cry. The alliance was secured, and our pack is stronger now.' Because of that incident, he had underlying health issues. I knew he had worked so hard for our pack’s future, and I dedicated myself to caring for him. But he had long since forgotten all that, turning it into a cruel joke at my expense. Resolute, I sent a message to our former pack lawyer through the computer, asking him to draft an electronic mate bond rejection. That night, sleep was impossible.