The kitchen smelled like cinnamon and something sharper I could never quite place.
I was stirring my coffee when Yareli swept in, phone in hand, already talking.
"So Travis told me last night—and I mean, he was being modest, but I made him tell me everything—his bloodline goes back four generations of verified Alpha stock. Four, Sophia. Do you know how rare that is?" She didn't wait for an answer. She never did. "And his pack resources? The Ashvale territory includes two major commercial zones. He's projecting a thirty percent revenue increase next quarter."
I kept stirring. The spoon made small circles in the mug. Round and round.
"He's been approached about challenging for a seat at the Lycan Council," Yareli continued, leaning against the counter with the kind of casual elegance that came from never having scrubbed it. "Can you imagine? My mate on the Council. We'd have to attend state functions. I'd need an entirely new wardrobe."
I took a sip of coffee. It was too hot. I swallowed anyway.
Yareli's eyes narrowed slightly. She was watching my face, waiting for something. Envy, maybe. Anger. Any crack in the blank expression I'd learned to wear like armor.
I gave her nothing.
The kitchen door swung open. Lorelai entered carrying a bowl, steam rising from whatever she'd prepared. She set it in front of me with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she said. The endearment was poison wrapped in silk. "I made your favorite. You look peaky this morning. You need to keep your strength up."
The porridge was pale grey, studded with dried fruit. The same breakfast she'd served me since I was thirteen. Special recipe, she always said. Just for you.
I picked up the spoon.
"Travis says the summit connections are already paying off," Yareli said, still scrolling through her phone. "He met three regional Alphas last week. They're talking about a joint territory expansion."
The porridge tasted like cardboard and something bitter underneath. I ate it anyway. I always did.
The kitchen door opened again. My father walked in, poured himself coffee from the pot, and walked out without looking at either of us. His footsteps faded down the hallway.
Lorelai watched me eat. "Finish it all, dear. You need the nutrients."
I scraped the bowl clean.
Yareli finally pocketed her phone and smiled at me. It was the same smile she'd worn at the reception when she'd kissed the real Travis in front of half the regional packs. Sharp. Triumphant.
"Some girls," she said lightly, "just have all the luck. Right, Sophia?"
I stood. Rinsed my bowl in the sink. Dried my hands on the towel.
"Right," I said.
I left them both in the kitchen and climbed the stairs to my room. Behind me, I heard Yareli laugh.
---
A week after the steakhouse, I texted him.
*Forest trail tonight? There's a path on neutral territory. Moonlit. Private.*
His reply came in under a minute.
*Send me the coordinates.*
I chose the trail carefully. Far enough from pack borders that no patrols would pass. Close enough to civilization that I could leave if things went wrong. I wore a soft sweater and jeans, nothing too obvious, but I'd reapplied the synthetic lure before I left.
He was already there when I arrived. Leaning against a tree at the trailhead, hands in his pockets, looking like he'd stepped out of some old photograph. The moon was nearly full, hanging low and silver through the branches.
"You're early," I said, smiling.
"I didn't want to miss you."
We started walking. The trail was narrow, forcing us close. I let my shoulder brush his. Let my hair fall forward so it caught the moonlight. I'd rehearsed this. Planned every step.
But the forest did something to him.
His presence expanded in the open air, filling the space between the trees with something primal and overwhelming. It wasn't just confidence. It was power, raw and magnetic, the kind that made my breath catch and my rehearsed lines dissolve before they reached my tongue.
I tried anyway. "It's beautiful out here," I said. My voice came out softer than I'd intended. "I thought you might like—"
He stopped walking.
I turned. He was looking at me with an intensity that made my pulse stutter. The moonlight caught his eyes and turned them luminous, something beyond human, beyond anything I'd seen before.
He didn't say anything. Just looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. Like he was memorizing every detail. Like he'd been waiting his entire life for this exact moment.
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Tried for a flirtatious quip, something light to break the tension.
"You're staring," I managed. My voice cracked.
His mouth curved into a smile. Gentle. Devastating.
"I know," he said quietly.
The warmth on the right side of my neck bloomed so hot I almost touched it. Almost checked to see if there was a mark there, impossible and phantom and undeniable.
I turned away. Started walking again, faster this time. My fists clenched at my sides.
"We should head back," I said. "It's getting late."
He followed without argument. Walked me to my car. Opened the door for me like we were living in some other century.
"Good night, Sophia," he said.
I drove home with my hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel, telling myself I was winning. Telling myself this was all going exactly according to plan.
My entire body burned with the memory of his proximity. With a scent I couldn't consciously identify but that something deep inside me was screaming to reach.
---
The next evening, Yareli's voice carried through the entire house.
"Sophia! Come look at this!"
I found her in the living room, phone held up like a trophy. Lorelai was already there, perched on the sofa with her evening tea.
Yareli's screen showed a photo series. Her and Travis—the real Travis—at some upscale restaurant. His arm around her shoulders. Her head tilted against his chest. The caption read: *Nothing like having a REAL Alpha by your side 💅 Some girls will never know the feeling 🐺*
She read it aloud. Slowly. Making sure I heard every word.
Lorelai sipped her tea. "It is a shame," she said, voice dripping with faux-pity, "that some she-wolves never shift. It must be a deficiency of character, not just blood."
My father passed through the hallway. Saw us. Sighed. Looked at the window instead.
Yareli scrolled to the next photo. "Travis says we're the perfect match. Bloodline, status, power. Everything aligned."
I stood there. Looked at the photos. At Yareli's perfect smile. At the real Travis's arrogant posture.
Inside my chest, something crystallized. Hard. Cold. Diamond-sharp.
This wasn't about Yareli anymore.
This was about every single person in this house who'd looked away while my mother was destroyed. Who'd watched me be ground down year after year and done nothing. Who'd fed me poison and called it love.
"Beautiful photos," I said evenly.
Yareli's smile faltered. Just slightly. She'd been expecting rage. Tears. Envy.
I gave her nothing.
I turned and walked upstairs. Closed my bedroom door. Pulled out my phone.
One new message.
*I'm still thinking about the forest. When can I see you again? —Travis*
I stared at the screen. At the name that wasn't his name. At the lie we were both living.
I typed back.
*Soon. I'll let you know.*
Then I opened my laptop and started planning.
