“Esme, what is this I hear about you causing a scene with Elder Thorne?” Cain asked in a low growl as he barged into the room the next day.
My heart hammered against my ribs, but I managed to say, “Simply tying up loose ends, Alpha. Some affairs you’ve clearly overlooked.”
Cain’s jaw clenched.
“Loose ends? What nonsense are you spouting now, Esme?”
“The kind that demands attention,” I countered. I held up a folded document, carefully obscuring the crucial details.
“And this. A minor legal formality. My family’s lawyers are particularly… insistent about some old trusts being finalized tonight. They say if it’s not signed, it could cause complications for your leadership. Just a quick signature, Alpha, and I promise, my family’s ‘drama’ won’t be in your way.”
He scoffed, waving a dismissive hand.
“Too much drama. I have more important things to deal with than your tedious paperwork.”
“Of course,” I said, my voice sweet as poison. I stepped closer, ensuring the faint scent of my perfume, the one he once claimed to adore, reached him.
“Just a simple signature, Alpha, unless you’re afraid to sign something with your Luna by your side?”
His eyes narrowed.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Esme. I don’t need you to sign my papers.”
He snatched the document and the pen from my hand, his gaze flicking to the blank line with his name. He scribbled his signature in a rush.
“There. Done. If you’ll excuse me, I have important pack matters to attend to,” Cain said, gazing at the door.
A sharp, searing pain suddenly exploded in my lower abdomen. My breath hitched, and a strangled gasp caught in my throat as I gripped the dresser, feeling the room spin.
“Esme? What’s wrong with you now?” Cain’s voice was distant, annoyed.
But then, a frantic knock echoed, sharp and insistent.
“Alpha Cain! Athena needs you! It’s urgent! She is having another chest pain!” David’s panicked yell pierced through the haze of my agony.
Cain’s head snapped towards the door, all annoyance vanishing, replaced by an immediate, desperate concern. He didn’t spare me another glance.
“Coming!” he roared, already halfway out the door, then gone.
The pain intensified into a twisting, wrenching agony that stole my breath. I slid to the floor, gasping, vision blurring with unshed tears from how Cain had just walked away.
He never chose me.
A painful memory of the annual Moon Festival flashed before my eyes. It was after Cain became Alpha of the Shadowhunter, a position he’d secured after Noah’s death, and by being my mate. The bonfire blazed, music swelled, and wolves from different packs danced and sang with uninhibited joy. Cain stood beside me, his arm loosely around my waist.
Then, Athena appeared on the edge of the clearing. Her silver dress shimmered in the firelight; her smile was directed specifically at Cain. A collective gasp rippled through the gathering as a rogue wolf, disoriented and aggressive, lunged directly for her.
Cain’s arm dropped from my waist. He didn’t hesitate. A primal snarl ripped from his throat as he intercepted the rogue, tearing into it with a ferocity that stunned everyone. He subdued the threat in seconds, a bloodied victor. But as he stood panting, his eyes immediately sought Athena. He didn’t check himself. He didn’t hear the roaring concern and murmurs of the crowd. He didn't look at me to see if I was harmed. He walked straight to her, his large hands gently cupping her face, scanning her for any injury, his expression a mixture of profound relief and fierce possessiveness. For me, his mate, he offered a polite, distant touch. For her, he offered his life, his untamed protection. At that moment, watching him, I knew. I was the Alpha’s mate, but she was the one he would fight for.
The pain erupted again, hotter this time, a gush of warmth spreading between my legs. My hand instinctively went down. Wet. Sticky. Blood. A lot of blood.
A strangled cry escaped my lips. I tried to push myself up, but my arms gave out. Darkness began to creep into the edges of my vision.
The last thing I heard before the world dissolved was the faint, mocking echo of Cain’s voice: “Athena’s life was worth more.”
