I had no choice but to leave everything behind. Every single belonging, every shred of my past within that pack—it all had to stay. I couldn’t take it anymore. The weight of Sebastian’s cruelty pressed down on my chest like an iron cage, his every bitter word lodging itself in my throat, impossible to swallow.
And the worst part? I didn’t truly know him.
I was terrified of what he might do next.
My hands trembled as I made my way to the bedroom—our bedroom. I hesitated at the door, my pulse thudding in my ears. Then, voices. Muffled at first, then clear as day.
“I only need your touch to heal me…” Evvie’s voice sent ice through my veins.
“Are you sure?” Sebastian’s deep murmur followed.
“Yes… Don’t worry, please don’t do anything to Risey. She’s just stressed,” she whispered.
Then came the unmistakable sound of lips meeting. Slow. Intimate. The kind that made my stomach churn and my heart shatter all over again.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. Stop it. My lips barely moved, but the plea escaped nonetheless, a broken whisper in the night.
“You’re so understanding, darling,” Sebastian drawled, his tone smooth, practiced—like a man who had done this too many times before.
“It’s not that big of a deal…” Evvie murmured.
That was it. That was all I needed to hear.
I didn’t bother packing anymore. There was no time. My vision blurred, my feet moving before my mind could catch up. I ran—bolted through the hall, past the entrance, into the cold embrace of the night. The wind whipped against my face as I sprinted toward the only place I could go: the woods.
And that’s when I collided with someone.
“Saoirse?” A familiar voice broke through my haze. “Moon above, you look pale.”
“I need help…” I gasped, clutching at her arms.
She steadied me instantly. “Breathe,” she ordered, her voice firm but laced with concern. “You’re on the verge of collapsing.”
I tried to respond, but the world tilted. My legs buckled. Darkness swallowed me whole.
When I woke up, I was in a bed that was not mine. The sheets smelled unfamiliar—earthy, musky, but oddly comforting. My limbs felt heavy, my head throbbing. I forced myself upright, my heart hammering.
Where was I?
The door creaked open.
“Sebastian—?” I started, my voice hoarse.
A sharp tsk cut through the air, and my vision cleared.
Not Sebastian.
The man standing before me was nothing like him. He was taller, his presence almost suffocating. His jet-black hair framed a face carved from steel—sharp jaw, piercing dark eyes that held nothing but cold calculation. Power radiated off of him in waves, and though he looked angry, there was something else beneath it. Something unreadable.
And that was far more terrifying.
“Are you a spy from that bastard’s pack?” His voice was low, edged with suspicion.
I sucked in a sharp breath. I crossed into rival territory.
“Oh, Goddess… No! I—” My pulse spiked. “Where’s my friend? What did you do to her?”
His gaze darkened. “I’m not like your Alpha. I don’t play with my prey before tearing them apart.”
The way he said your Alpha dripped with disdain.
“Then where is she?” I demanded, pushing myself up despite the dizziness.
“Don’t.” His command was absolute, the kind that rooted you to the spot whether you wanted to or not. “Your body is still recovering from the stress you’ve endured. Your friend is fine. She was the one who brought you here.”
I swallowed hard.
“So… I really crossed the border,” I murmured, realization sinking in. “It was a patrol time, wasn’t it?”
His silence was answer enough.
I exhaled sharply. “Then let me go back. I—I shouldn’t be here.”
His expression didn’t change, but something flickered in those dark eyes.
“Are you sure?” he asked, voice dropping to something almost…dangerous. “Are you so eager to return to the pack you ran away from?”
I stiffened.
Then he spoke again, and his next words sent my entire world crashing down.
“Are you sure you want to risk the lives of your triplets by going back?”
My breath caught. My entire body froze.
Triplets?
How…?
The room suddenly felt too small. Too suffocating.
How did he know?
