I walked through the towering halls of the Poisonwood Packhouse with the healer. I held the iron key to the house I had been preparing as a surprise for my mate, Alpha Trent Holland. The house had been passed down to my family as a symbol of love.
I spent a lot of time wondering whether to tell him about my pregnancy or let the healer confirm it. Then I realized, why not tell him and let the healer confirm my news? So, I am walking through the halls, excitement evident in my veins. But when I reached his office, I heard something I shouldn’t have.
“She must not learn about this, do you understand, David?” Trent growled. “It’s done. We cannot change it anymore.”
I froze. My hand tightened around the door handle. I signaled the healer to leave for now. I have a bad feeling about this. They’re talking about a ‘she.’
Then, David answered, “Alpha, you used her mother’s wolf heart to save Monica Maze’s sister. You lied to Lucy, and her mother died because of it. What do you think she’ll do if she finds out?”
Did we hear him right? My wolf asked, but I couldn’t reply to her. The walls of the Packhouse suddenly felt suffocating.
Hearing the truth already made me feel like I had died. But it was worse knowing that Trent betrayed my trust because of Monica Maze.
Monica Maze. The name burned like silver against my skin, each syllable a jagged reminder of my past. Monica was Trent's first love. He never stopped loving her. She was also the woman my former lover, Henry, had rejected me for.
Why does it always have to be her?
I wanted to leave, but my heart told me to stay. I must see the end of this conversation. I must hear what else Trent was hiding from me. So, I stayed even though the pain was starting to
“I did what I had to do,” Trent said, devoid of guilt. “Monica needed me. Her sister needed me. Lucy’s mother was already fading anyway. I chose a greater good for this.”
“Greater good? So, you killed her?” David snarled.
“I saved Monica’s sister,” Trent said coldly. “And I claimed Lucy as my mate. Isn’t that enough?”
I heard, “You’ve spent five years lying to her. Five years pretending to be the perfect mate. The poor girl loves you!”
“Lucy means nothing to me,” Trent snapped. “I’ve done my duty by marking her, by giving her a position in this pack. But if she ever finds out… then so be it.”
“That is such a cold-hearted line for you, Alpha of Poisonwood. What will happen to Lucy if she ever finds out? Banished her?” David kept asking.
“I’ll remove her from my life if I have to. As long as Monica is happy, nothing else matters.”
My knees gave out, and I fell to the floor. The coldness of it numbed the pain I was feeling, yet the words from Trent’s mouth repeated in my mind. I heard it once, but it was now in my head forever.
I had been a fool. I thought he cherished me, that the way he touched, held, and protected me meant something. But I was nothing more than an obligation. A tool. A convenient choice after his true mate rejected him.
I spun on my heel, yanking the key from my pocket and tossing it into the nearest brazier, watching the fire consume my foolish hopes.
Then I ran.
I barely saw the twisting corridors as I sprinted through the Packhouse, my vision blurred by unshed tears. My wolf howled inside me, clawing at my chest, demanding vengeance.
I stumbled into my car, gripping the steering wheel. I was out of breath because of both anger and pain.
Trent killed my mother. He took her heart and gave it to Monica’s sister. He condemned my family for his first love.
The engine roared to life as I sped down the forest roads, but I couldn’t see past the storm of betrayal in my mind. The impact came too fast. Pain exploded through me as metal twisted and glass shattered.
Then, I called for my wolf to shift and heal both of us, but it was too late.
The scent of antiseptic burned my nose. My limbs felt heavy, my skin raw with pain. I blinked against the harsh hospital lights, my body weak but my mind sharp. And then I saw Trent.
He sat at my bedside, gripping my hand like his lifeline. His golden eyes—eyes I once adored—were red-rimmed, filled with something that almost looked like regret.
“Lucy,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Why? Why were you driving like that? You could’ve died!”
I stared at him. He kissed my fingers, then my forehead, his touch as gentle as ever, yet it felt like a sharp silver knife piercing my skin.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again. I can’t lose you.”
I almost laughed. He played the part so well.
I forced a weak smile and murmured, “I’m fine.”
Relief flooded his face. He leaned closer, brushing my cheek with his thumb, whispering how much he loved me, how much I meant to him.
And I let him. I let him believe I was still the naive, trusting mate he had marked. But deep down, I was already planning his downfall.
Alpha Trent Holland had taken everything from me—my mother, trust, and love.
Let’s take everything away from him, my wolf, and I said in unison.
