Casey Conway POV:
With the heavy brass key pressing into my palm, I stood at the base of Kaden's dormitory building. It was a sleek, modern apartment complex reserved for high-ranking warriors—a stark contrast to the cramped, forgotten quarters Kaden had left me in since our bonding.
I didn't go up immediately. Instead, I took a seat on a wrought-iron bench in the landscaped courtyard. It was mid-afternoon, the perfect time for the Pack's idle wives and gossips to be out enjoying the sun.
It didn't take long. Two middle-aged Omega women soon spotted the unfamiliar face in their territory. Even from the fringes of the Pack, I knew her mouth was the source of half our rumors.
"Hello, dear," A woman chirped, her eyes darting over my simple clothes. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Brenda, and this is my friend Patty. Are you new to the building? Who are you looking for?"
I forced my shoulders to slump, deliberately adopting the timid, soft-spoken demeanor of a sheltered Omega. "I'm Casey," I murmured, looking down at my hands. "I'm here waiting for my mate, Kaden Reynolds."
Brenda froze. Patty gasped. They exchanged a wide-eyed, scandalous look.
"Kaden's mate?" Brenda echoed, her voice pitching up in disbelief. "But... isn't his mate Jennifer Conley?"
I let my breath hitch, widening my eyes in perfectly feigned devastation. "Jennifer Conley? Who is that? Kaden never... he never mentioned another woman to me."
Before they could offer their pity, I reached into my bag with trembling fingers. "That can't be right. We were legally bonded three years ago. Look."
I pulled out our official Pack marriage certificate, unfolding the heavy parchment so the Alpha's seal and our signed names were clearly visible. Brenda practically leaned over my lap to read it.
"Goddess," she breathed. "It's real."
Like blood in the water, the scent of a scandal drew a crowd. Other residents drifted over, their whispers buzzing like angry hornets. Two mates? How could Kaden? Look at the poor girl. I kept my head bowed, letting a single, calculated tear slip down my cheek. I had successfully cast myself as the pitiful, deceived wife.
"Excuse me? What is going on here?" a sweet, melodic voice cut through the murmurs.
The crowd parted. A girl stepped through, looking like a vision in a flowing, pastel sundress. Her golden hair caught the sunlight, and her wide, doe-like eyes scanned the crowd with practiced innocence. She looked like a concerned angel descending upon the chaos.
"I'm Jennifer Conley," she announced softly, offering a gentle, disarming smile to the crowd before turning her attention to me. "Is everything alright? You look a bit lost."
I let out a choked gasp, my eyes instantly filling with tears. I clutched the certificate tighter against my chest, my shoulders trembling visibly. "I'm Casey," I whispered, making sure my voice was just fragile and loud enough to carry over the hushed crowd. "Kaden's... Kaden's wife."
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers.
"Wife? Kaden is married?" an older woman whispered loudly. "I thought he was courting the Alpha's daughter!" another chimed in, eyes darting between us.
Jennifer's angelic mask slipped for a fraction of a second—a flash of pure panic in her eyes—before she quickly covered her mouth. Tears instantly welled in her eyes, falling on cue.
"Wife? No, no, there must be some mistake," she stammered, her voice shaking with fragile disbelief. "Kaden and I... we're together. He told me he was single. He promised me we were going to be mates."
She looked around at the crowd, playing the victim flawlessly. "I had no idea, I swear! Why would he lie to me?" She took a step toward me, reaching out as if to comfort me. "Oh, you poor thing. He played us both."
I had learned everything I could about the woman who was parading around with my mate. I knew exactly how dangerous her sweet, innocent act could be. So, I decided to play her game, only better.
I shrank back from her touch, letting a single, perfect tear roll down my cheek. I looked at her with wide, devastated eyes.
"Played us?" I sobbed softly, my voice breaking in all the right places. "But... but I've been waiting for him every single day. I take care of his home. We've been legally married for three years."
I held up the marriage certificate with trembling hands, making sure the Alpha's official seal caught the sunlight. "The Alpha himself signed this."
I looked at Jennifer, my expression morphing into one of pitiful, heartbreaking sympathy. "Miss Jennifer, you are an Alpha's daughter. You are so beautiful and noble. You must have been deceived, right? Because... because someone of your status would never willingly lower herself to be a... a mistress."
The word hung in the air. Mistress.
The courtyard erupted into furious whispers, the tide of public opinion turning instantly.
"Three years? And the Alpha signed it? There's no way her family didn't know!" a man muttered in disgust.
"Playing the victim when she's the homewrecker. How shameless," a woman sneered, glaring at Jennifer. "A high-born Alpha's daughter, sneaking around with a married man. Disgusting."
Jennifer let out a soft, wounded sob, burying her face in her hands. She was good, but the physical proof in my hands—and my flawless performance of the heartbroken, devoted wife—was better. The neighbors who had adored her moments ago were now staring at her with open disdain.
Before she could spin another web of lies, a heavy, furious voice boomed across the courtyard.
"What the hell is all this commotion?!"
