Janine's POV
The instant I used his pet name, his shoulders eased as though nothing in the world could possibly be wrong. His wolf responded to my tone, misreading my calm for forgiveness.
He drifted closer, eyes softening, and bent to brush his lips over mine. I turned just enough that his kiss landed on my cheek instead.
“I’m exhausted,” I murmured, tugging the quilt up to my chin. “Today drained the life out of me.”
For a split second irritation flashed across his face, but he smoothed it away with a practiced smile. “Then sleep. You need it.”
His phone vibrated on the nightstand. He snatched it up immediately, and the tightness in his jaw vanished, replaced by a grin that was too bright, too eager. His thumbs flew over the screen.
Within seconds he sprang to his feet, pulling on his shirt in a rush. “An issue came up with the pack corporation,” he said without meeting my eyes. “I’ll be gone for a while.”
“Sure,” I replied evenly. “No rush. Stay as long as you need.”
That finally made him look at me. He blinked, clearly caught off guard. I used to argue every time he vanished late at night, accused him of choosing work over me. Tonight I was handing him permission to disappear.
His phone buzzed again, breaking the moment. He shook his head as if dismissing a strange thought and hurried toward the door.
“Love you,” he muttered.
“And I despise you,” I whispered once he was gone.
—
By dawn, it was obvious he never came back. I assumed he had slept in Avery’s arms, her scent clinging to his skin instead of mine. Surprisingly, it didn’t even hurt anymore.
I dressed and made my way to the healer’s wing for the appointment I had arranged the night before.
Sitting on the narrow infirmary bed, staring at the sterile white walls, my chest tightened until it felt as though my wolf were clawing at my ribs.
Was I really about to erase another life?
The healer, a gentle middle-aged she-wolf, stood beside me. “Janine, are you certain about this?”
I tried to answer, but my voice deserted me. My palm slid over my stomach on instinct. Tommy’s face rose in my mind—his grin when he shifted halfway for the first time, the way he used to wrap his tiny arms around my neck and call me Mama.
The tears came fast and hot.
“I can’t,” I whispered hoarsely. “I can’t do it. I don’t want to go through with this.”
She nodded with quiet understanding. “That’s all right. There’s no pressure here. Leave when you’re ready.”
This pup was mine. A piece of me, a fragment of Tommy returned to the world. No matter how rotten my life had become, I wouldn’t sacrifice another child to their cruelty.
I stepped into the hallway, mind spinning, and that was when I heard it—laughter. Familiar. Intimate.
I looked up.
Lester and Avery were strolling out of the prenatal ward together, wrapped in their own little universe. His hand rested possessively on the curve of her lower back as he murmured something that made her giggle.
My blood iced over.
Her fingers were splayed protectively over her belly.
She was with child.
They spotted me before I could retreat. Color drained from Avery’s face.
“Janine!” she hurried over, eyes shimmering with false worry. “I—I only came for a routine check. Lester just offered to accompany me.”
“Don’t apologize,” Lester cut in softly, placing his hand over hers. His gaze was full of tenderness—an expression I hadn’t seen directed at me in years. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
I forced my lips into a smile. “You’re right. She hasn’t done anything wrong at all.”
Both of them stared at me, stunned. I used to bristle whenever they stood too close, used to question everything. Lester always brushed me off, telling me I was insecure, imagining things about my own sister.
“She’s married. I’m married. We’re just friends now,” he had insisted countless times.
Now he said calmly, “We’ll talk later, Janine. I’ll take Avery home first.”
I didn’t argue. I simply stepped past them. “Please,” I said lightly, “don’t hurry.”
Then I added over my shoulder, “Congratulations on your pregnancy, Avery.”
The shock on their faces was almost satisfying.
—
Whatever instincts he had left must have been screaming, because Lester returned home much earlier than usual that night.
“You’re back already,” I remarked without lifting my gaze from the book resting in my hands.
“I finished up fast,” he said brightly. “I wanted to spend the evening with my beautiful mate.”
He leaned down for a kiss. Again, I turned slightly, and his lips brushed my cheek.
He lingered, studying me. I pretended to read, my eyes sliding uselessly over the same line.
“It feels like we’ve been drifting,” he said gently. “I might take some days off so we can reconnect.”
I shrugged. “You’ve been busy running the pack. I get it.”
He frowned. He knew that wasn’t me. I had begged him countless times to step away from his Alpha duties just to be with me.
“What’s wrong, Janine?” he asked quietly. “Why are you acting like this?”
