Chapter 1
The night before their wedding, Nate dropped a bomb on her that she had never expected.
“Brittany wants to see me.”
It was a name that Sarah had hoped she would never have to hear again, especially not the night before the most important ceremony of her life.
Brittany was Nate’s first love. She was the woman he had never fully let go of, the one that everyone in the pack still whispered about whenever they thought Sarah wasn’t listening.
“What for?” Sarah asked, fighting to keep her voice steady.
Nate averted his gaze. “The healers don’t know exactly what’s wrong with her. It seems to be a debilitating illness with no cure. She wants to see me one last time before our ceremony.”
He then looked her in the eye.
“If this is the last night I’ll ever see her, I’ll regret it if I don’t go, Sarah.”
Sarah had nothing to say to that. What else could she do?
If she refused and insisted that he stay, he would probably be angry with her. Brittany might have been his ex, but she was still his friend.
And if it were true that this could be Brittany’s last night in this world, wouldn’t it be cruel of Sarah to keep Nate from saying goodbye?
In the end, she made her decision.
“I understand,” she said quietly. “If that’s the case, then you should go visit her as soon as possible. I don’t want you to have any regrets before our wedding either.”
She watched as he nodded before quickly retreating to his room, presumably to pack a few things. Maybe he planned to stay the night and watch over Brittany. Sarah didn’t know.
All she knew was that her soon-to-be husband was leaving her on the eve of their wedding, and she had no idea whether he would return in time for it.
Or whether he would return at all.
“I’ll be back before sunrise,” he promised.
Eventually, Nate left, closing the door behind him.
Sarah was left alone in the bedroom with her thoughts, which grew darker and lonelier with every passing second.
What was supposed to be a happy night had turned into a miserable one.
***
Nate was supposed to be home an hour ago.
A sinking feeling settled in Sarah’s stomach as she glanced over at her official ceremony dress, a beautiful white gown adorned with shimmering moon crystals along the hem and sleeves.
Tomorrow, she was supposed to become the Luna of the Ridgewood Pack.
Yet here she was, waiting for her Alpha to return from another woman’s home.
Her wolf had been restless ever since Nate left, pacing uneasily in the back of her mind. Sarah had no idea why.
Maybe it was a premonition.
Or maybe she was simply overthinking things. Maybe Brittany really was sick and genuinely needed someone by her side during what could be her final moments.
That thought comforted Sarah somewhat, even if there was something unsettling about finding comfort in the possibility of another woman’s death.
The sun was beginning to rise when Nate finally returned. He probably hadn’t expected Sarah to still be awake at this hour because he seemed surprised to see her sitting up in their bedroom, waiting for him.
“How was Brittany?” she asked, never taking her eyes off him.
Nate averted his gaze. His current appearance did nothing to ease Sarah’s suspicions. His shirt was wrinkled, and there were dark red marks on his neck that he was trying to hide beneath his collar.
“She’s doing fine now,” he said after a moment of silence. “I’ve decided to ask for help from the most reputable healer in the country. There has to be a way to cure her illness. I refuse to let her die.”
Sarah lowered her head, trying to calm the rage slowly simmering in her heart.
“By ‘doing fine,’ you mean she got what she wanted by having you sleep with her in her bed?”
Nate looked surprised at first, then his expression darkened. “What are you talking about?”
Sarah had had enough. She stood up, walked over to him, and grabbed his collar, pulling it away to reveal the marks on his neck.
“Explain these, then,” she demanded. “I thought you were just going to pay her a visit. Also, how long exactly has she had this ‘illness’ of hers? Why did she have to ask for you the night before our ceremony? Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”
Nate’s eyes narrowed.
He stepped closer, and for the first time, Sarah felt as though she were standing in front of a stranger rather than the man she was supposed to marry.
“I never realized how cold of a person you are,” he said. “Brittany is my friend, and she’s going through a really hard time right now. I can’t even go see her without you making wild assumptions?”
“I’m not making any assumptions. There’s evidence right here,” Sarah pointed out.
He shook his head. “You’re accusing her of faking her illness, too. How far does this go? What’s next? Once we’re mated, am I no longer allowed to leave the house? Are you going to demand an explanation for everything I do and invent some wild theory every time?”
Sarah stared at him, bewildered. “I am not—”
“You know what? I think you need to know this now.” Nate’s tone grew cold. “When I was with Brittany earlier, I felt it. I’d been suspecting it for a while, but tonight basically confirmed it. Brittany is my true mate, Sarah. Not you.”
He then dropped the bomb.
“I don’t want to marry you anymore. Let’s call off the wedding.”
His words were like a slap to the face.
Sarah could do nothing but stare at him, speechless and hurt.
But then the anger came as his words finally sank in. It was quick and violent, like a rushing tidal wave.
“Get out,” she said coldly, her voice surprisingly steady despite the boiling fury thrumming through her veins.
“Get out right now!”
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