“Clara,” he said, already grabbing his jacket, “something came up at the office. I need to handle it. You stay here and finish dinner, okay? I’ll come back for you after.”
He didn’t wait for my answer. The door closed behind him.
And just like that, everything changed.
Mrs. Willoughby’s face turned cold again. “We’ll give you less than a month,” she said bluntly. “If you’re not carrying his heir by then, don’t come back here. Do you understand?”
Her husband added, “You came from nothing. No pack lineage, no status. Both your parents are gone. Without Samuel, you are nothing. Don’t think this pack will keep accepting you forever.”
Each word landed harder than the last.
I sat there quietly, letting them speak. What else can I do…?
Samuel never came back so I returned to the pack house alone.
…
The moment I stepped inside, I stopped.
Ivy was already there, lying on the sofa in a silk night slip, eating chips like she had always belonged in this house.
“You said you were going to the motor race,” I said quietly. “You said you weren’t coming back tonight.”
She looked at me and smiled, soft and careless.
“Oh, Clara… I forgot to tell you,” she said. “I went. I just didn’t stay for the race.”
She tilted her head, fingers tracing the neckline of her slip. Marks. Fresh mate marks.
“I ran into my mate in the garage,” she continued lightly. “He saw me near the bike line. Lost control.”
My chest tightened.
“He claimed me there,” she said, almost laughing. “On his car. I could barely walk after. I love it!”
My fingers curled. I kept my face still.
“When did you even get a mate?” I asked. “You never mentioned him.”
She shrugged. “Around nine months ago,” she said. “Right after I came back from abroad. I studied fashion overseas, remember? When I returned, I didn’t want the main pack house. I missed my step brother Samuel too much, so I stayed here.” She smiled sweetly. “That’s when Samuel introduced me to him.”
My breathing turned uneven. So it started the moment she entered this house…?
Before I could think further, I felt it.
Samuel’s hands on my shoulders.
“Sweetheart,” he said gently, “you look tired. You’ve had a long day. Let me run your bath.”
Like nothing was wrong. Like I didn’t just hear everything.
He guided me toward the bathroom. I didn’t resist. I didn’t have strength for it.
I went inside, closed the door, and started undressing slowly.
Then I realized… I forgot clean clothes.
I hesitated, then opened the door slightly.
And everything stopped.
Not far from me, Samuel had Ivy pressed against wall. His hand gripped her waist, his mouth at her neck.
Her slip was half undone, breathing uneven.
She let out a soft sound. “Slow down…” she whispered. “Clara’s still inside. Didn’t you already mark me enough in the garage? Your cum was still inside me.”
My heart dropped.
Samuel’s voice came low, rough. “Don’t say her name,” he said sharply. “And don’t let any other male wolves near you. If I find out someone else touched you… I won’t forgive it.”
She smiled faintly, pleased. Then her eyes shifted. Straight to me.
“Oh… alright,” she murmured. “I won’t. You’re the only one I belong to. Claim me now, brother. Fuck me.”
I couldn’t breathe.
That was enough.
I grabbed my clothes, shut the door, and locked it. My hands were shaking.
The bath was already running. I stepped in, letting the heat swallow me.
But it didn’t help.
Nothing helped.
Because my mind kept going back.
Five years ago. Our mating ceremony on the island.
I only looked once. Just once. At another male wolf passing by during the gathering.
Samuel lost control.
He kept me inside our room for a week. Didn’t let me leave. Didn’t let me look at any other male. Not even through the window.
When I couldn’t even stand, he held me close and whispered, “Clara… you don’t need anyone else. I’m enough. Just promise me you won’t look at another male wolf again.”
And I did. I promised. Over and over.
After that, I never even dared to look.
But now…
He’s the one who couldn’t stay loyal.
Just not to me.
To her.
I sank deeper into the water and let out a shaky breath. What did I do wrong…?
When I finally stepped out, everything was quiet.
Ivy was gone. Only Samuel was there, sitting calmly like nothing happened.
On the table, there was sliced fruit and a cup of ginger tea, still warm. My chest tightened.
He stood and handed me the cup. “I know your heat cycle is coming,” he said gently. “Drink this. It’ll help.”
I took it.
The warmth spread through my hands.
But inside… I felt nothing but cold.
How can he act like this…?
Just moments ago, he was claiming her.
And now… he’s standing here like my perfect Alpha again.
…
I didn’t sleep much that night. My thoughts kept looping like a broken mate bond, circling the same question without mercy. How many faces does my Alpha even have…?
Sometime before dawn, I finally drifted off.
“Clara!”
I jolted awake.
Samuel shot up beside me, his wolf already stirring under his skin. His hands found me in the dark instantly, gripping me like instinct, like a bond snapping tight. He pulled me against his chest so hard I could hear his heartbeat thundering.
“Don’t leave,” he said, voice rough and shaking. “Please… don’t leave me, Clara. I can’t… I can’t lose you.”
I froze in his arms.
“What’s wrong with you?”
His breath was uneven, eyes red like he hadn’t blinked all night.
“I saw it,” he said. “In my dream, you broke the bond and walked away from me. I called you, I reached for you, but you were gone.” His grip tightened again. “Then I woke up and you were still here. Still in my arms. I thought I lost you.”
My throat tightened. I should’ve said it then, should’ve let the truth slip into the cracks of his fear.
It will happen soon, Samuel.
