Sabine's heels echoed along the stone corridor of the tower, leaving me alone beneath the silver lantern light. Her words pressed on my chest like a crushing weight.
I gripped the marble basin, my knuckles pale against the cold surface. The mirror reflected a stranger. My wolf eyes looked dull. I barely knew the she wolf staring back.
Seven winters. Seven winters of memories in that den. The first night he pulled me close beneath the full moon and told me he loved me. Quiet mornings wrapped together in silk furs, his fingers tracing idle shapes along my skin.
Sickness rose in my throat. Two nights ago. While I was learning how to capture light with a lens stone, dreaming of our future mating ceremony, he had been with her.
My stomach twisted hard. I rushed to the basin, but nothing came out. Only dry, painful heaves that shook my body.
I pressed my forehead to the cool stone and fought the tears. I would not cry here. Not where pack wolves could see the tracks on my cheeks and know they had broken me.
The same bed. Our den. The silk furs I bought with a month of wages because he once said he loved the feel of them against his skin. He had taken her there on purpose. He had stained every memory in that sacred place.
My reflection trembled again.
I smoothed my dress, fixed my hair, steadied my breath. The tears burned behind my eyes, but I forced them back. Not now. Not in front of their cruel smiles.
Seven winters destroyed in one afternoon upon silk furs.
I walked back into the gathering hall. My legs felt heavy, yet they carried me forward. Zarek and Sabine sat across from each other at a long table covered in white linen. Steam rose from their bowls. They looked like the perfect bonded pair. My stomach churned.
I took the empty seat beside Zarek. His jaw tightened as I sat. His shoulders went rigid. The air felt thick.
Sabine's red lips curved in a secret smile, but the moment Zarek glanced at her, her face shifted. Her eyes widened with false hurt. My hands trembled with the urge to tear that mask away.
"What is wrong with you?" Zarek's voice cut through the hall like a blade.
"What?" I stared at him, stunned by the anger in his tone.
He struck the table with his palm. Dishes rattled. "Do not pretend. How could you speak about Sabine's mother like that? Her mother has just returned to the Moon Goddess and you dare to mock her grief?"
My lips parted. The room tilted. "I did not say anything about her mother."
"Stop lying," he growled. "Sabine told me what you said in the corridor. I knew you were jealous, but this is shameful."
I looked from him to her, my thoughts spinning. Sabine pressed a cloth to her eyes, acting wounded, while Zarek stared at me as if I were dirt beneath his boots.
The same Alpha who held me last night and kissed my brow now believed her without doubt. Seven winters meant nothing against her tears.
Other wolves turned to watch. Forks paused midair. Whispers spread across the hall. Heat climbed my neck. Shame burned deep inside me.
Sabine placed her hand over her chest. "Zarek, please, it is fine. She is troubled." Her voice shook as fresh tears formed. "We should not make a scene."
Her sweet tone made my skin crawl. Every tear was an act.
"Enough!" The word burst from me. "Stop pretending to cry."
His palm struck my cheek. The sharp sound echoed. Pain flared across my face, but the betrayal hurt more. I touched my cheek, still burning from his hand.
Sabine gasped softly. "I cannot stay. I need air." She pushed back her chair and hurried away.
"Sabine, wait." Zarek rose quickly, his chair scraping the floor. He did not look at me once as he followed her, leaving me alone under dozens of judging stares.
***
I stumbled out of the tower. My legs shook. The night air cooled my cheek. A carriage rolled by and I signaled it, climbing inside.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
I gave my address and leaned against the window. City lights blurred through my tears like falling stars. My sobs finally escaped, tearing through my chest.
Nine winters ago, I ran from fists and harsh words in my birth pack. Now I was crying again because I let another male wound me.
No more.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand. I would not let Zarek Shaw destroy me. I would not be the frightened girl who fled.
My communicator felt heavy in my purse. I took it out and scrolled until I saw his name.
Kellan.
The same number he had nine winters ago when I left. I never erased it. Guilt had kept me silent.
My brother. The Gamma who shielded me from blows. Who took the pain meant for me until I could not watch anymore.
Fresh tears blurred my sight. Before fear could stop me, I pressed the call rune.
One ring. Two rings.
The line connected. Silence stretched between us, heavy with winters of distance.
Then his voice came through, deep and familiar.
"Mireya?"
