Ericka POV:
The cold pavement bit at the soles of my feet. Each step was a fresh shock of pain, a stark contrast to the plush carpets of the hotel. The morning breeze cut straight through the thin cotton of his shirt, raising goosebumps on my skin.
People stared. Their curious, pitying glances felt like physical blows. I had never been so exposed, so utterly humiliated in my life.
I ducked into a narrow, grimy alleyway, pressing my back against the cold brick. I slid to the ground, hugged my knees to my chest, and finally let the sobs come.
The pain of the betrayal, the sting of the morning's humiliation—it was all a toxic cocktail churning in my gut.
When the tears finally stopped, a cold resolve settled in their place. I pulled out my phone, my fingers still shaking, and ordered an Uber.
I gave the driver the address for the Knight estate.
I had to get my belongings, pack a bag, and leave. I was done. Done with my family, done with this pack, done with this life.
The Uber pulled up to the imposing gates of the Knight estate. I took a deep breath, tugged at the hem of the long shirt, and forced myself out of the car.
The grounds were quiet. Most of the party guests had left.
I kept my head down without being seen.
I was just passing under the main portico when a voice stopped me dead.
"Ericka? Where have you been all night?"
I froze. I looked up. Candice stood at the top of the steps, dressed in a pristine silk morning robe, her face a perfect mask of concern.
Her eyes, sharp and calculating, raked over me. They snagged on the unfamiliar man's shirt swallowing my frame.
"Whose clothes are those? You didn't come home," she pressed, her tone dripping with suspicion.
I didn't have the energy to play her games. "It's none of your business," I said, my voice flat.
I tried to step around her, but she blocked my path. She leaned in close, her nose twitching as she took a breath. Her expression changed instantly.
"You smell..." Her eyes narrowed with a flash of something ugly-jealousy and disbelief. "Why do you smell like my brother?"
The world stopped. My brain short-circuited.
Brother? Candice's brother?
I knew she had one. An older brother who was always abroad, a phantom figure who ran the Knight empire. The true Alpha of the pack.
Last night's stranger... that cold authority, those flint-gray eyes, that overwhelming Alpha presence...
A horrifying, impossible thought began to form. The blood in my veins turned to ice.
"Don't be ridiculous," I managed to choke out.
Just then, the massive front door of the mansion swung open.
Jame Knight stepped out.
He was dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, his dark hair perfectly styled. He saw me and Candice, and his stride faltered for a fraction of a second. His gray eyes flickered over me, over the white shirt-his white shirt-and a knowing, almost amused glint appeared in their depths.
"Jame! You're back!" Candice squealed, instantly abandoning me to cling to his arm like a frightened child. "Look at Ericka, she..."
Jame.
The name was a death knell. It confirmed my worst fear.
I had slept with my best friend's-my enemy's-brother. The Alpha.
His gaze locked onto my face. He spoke, his voice quiet but carrying an undeniable weight of command.
"Candice. Let go."
His eyes never left mine, as if he was watching the realization dawn on my face, savoring it.
I felt like a thief caught red-handed. I was trapped, exposed, with nowhere to run.
It was over. Our secret, my shameful, desperate secret, was about to be laid bare for everyone to see.
