Chapter 2

2.

For the last six months of wedding prep, I had been living through a horror movie.

The first time was at the Catskill Lodge charity gala.

A "clumsy" waiter knocked over a massive champagne tower.

I was buried under shards of glass. My arms, face, and even my wolf pelt were embedded with debris.

I spent two weeks in the clinic.

The second time was at the cinema in Poughkeepsie.

A "mysterious" electrical fire broke out, trapping me inside.

I suffered second-degree burns over large areas of my body. Even my wolf form now bore ugly, hairless patches.

I was in the ICU for a month.

The third time was a walk on the edge of our territory.

Three rogue wolves, eyes glowing red with rage, suddenly surrounded me.

My left leg was bitten through. I nearly bled out before help arrived.

Each memory brought a phantom pain that made me shudder.

Every time I woke up in a hospital bed, Vane was there.

He would stay by my side, shifting into his wolf form to lick my wounds, feeding me by hand, carrying me to the bath...

Now I knew. It was all a performance.

Tears rolled down my face without warning, stinging my fresh cuts.

The door creaked open. Vane walked in.

He paused when he saw I was awake, then rushed over.

"Why are you crying? Does it hurt?" He reached out to touch my face.

Looking at his concerned expression, my golden eyes burned.

It was as if the cold, calculating man I heard earlier was a hallucination.

But the crescent-moon cuts in my palms, where I had clenched my fists, reminded me of the truth.

I wanted to scream, to ask why, but my throat felt stuffed with cotton.

"Yeah," I whispered hoarsely. "It hurts."

The wounds hurt, but the betrayal was agonizing.

Vane looked at the scabbing scars on my arm, a flash of guilt crossing his eyes.

"Let me change your dressing."

Watching his skilled movements, a wave of bitterness crashed over me.

Countless "accidents" and endless injuries had turned the Alpha of the Blackwood pack into an expert nurse.

Halfway through, the door burst open.

"Vane! There’s an urgent document for the territory that needs your signature."

I looked up.

Standing there, soaking wet and shivering, was a woman.

Ivy. The Omega stray. The love of his life.

"Hiss!"

A sharp pain shot through my arm―the cotton swab had jabbed hard into raw flesh.

Vane didn't even notice he’d hurt me.

He was staring at Ivy, his brow furrowed. "What the hell, Ivy? You ran here in this downpour? You think being a wolf makes you immune to pneumonia?"

Ivy bit her lower lip, looking pale and fragile.

"It’s the mineral deal with the Western Pack... it’s urgent... I forgot my umbrella..."

Vane’s face darkened. "Wait outside. I’ll finish with Sienna first."

Ivy gave him a look―a pathetic, puppy-dog glance that would melt anyone’s heart―and turned to leave.

Vane went back to my arm, but his movements were rushed now. Impatient.

He accidentally ripped off a fresh scab, revealing bright red meat underneath.

My face went white. "Vane..."

He dropped the swab without even looking at me.

"Pack business. Urgent. You can finish the rest yourself."

He didn't wait for a response. He strode out the door to the woman waiting for him.

Watching his retreating back, my tears dripped onto the sterile bandages.

The difference between who he loved and who he tolerated was so clear. I had just been too blind to see it.

I took a deep breath and slowly lowered my legs off the bed.

I had to see it. I had to witness it with my own eyes to finally cut this rotting attachment out of my heart.

Through the crack in the door, like a pathetic spy, I listened.

"Are you trying to worry me to death?" Vane growled, but his voice was thick with affection.

Ivy sounded like a frightened rabbit. "I was afraid of delaying the deal... I'm sorry, Vane..."

"Nothing is more important than your health," Vane sighed, his tone softening instantly. "You’re weak. Don't scare me like that."

"Next time, use the mind-link. I’ll come to you."

"Your clothes are soaked. I ordered fresh ones to the upstairs suite. Go change."

"Okay," Ivy squeaked obediently.

Moments later, Vane poked his head back into my room.

"Emergency meeting. I have to go," he said, his voice flat. "Rest up. I’ll bring you that raspberry cake from Rosewood Bakery later."

I bit my tongue until I tasted copper to keep from screaming.

"Okay," I managed a stiff smile. "Go."

I waited from dusk until the rain stopped. Vane never came back.

He didn't show up the next day, either. He had forgotten he was supposed to drive me home.

I discharged myself.

As I left, I heard two nurses whispering in the stairwell.

"Did you hear? The VIP upstairs, the future Luna of Blackwood... do you know how she crashed?"

"Brake failure?"

"No," the first nurse lowered her voice. "The guard said she went out at midnight to get suppressants for him."

"Seriously? The future Luna can't even calm her own mate's wolf? That’s just... useless."

"Tell me about it. She’s always getting hurt. It’s embarrassing for the family."

I clenched my fists, then let them go.

I remembered that night. Vane had pulled me close, his scent overwhelming, his body burning.