I jerked awake, my heart hammering against my tibs, a scream lodged in my throat. In my nightmare, Maddox had been standing over me, silver chain in hand, my wolf Nova whimpering and bleeding at his feet.
“Scar, baby, wake up. You’re safe. Bryloch’s warm voice pulled me back to reality as his strong arm
wrapped around me.
1 blinked rapidly, the familiar surroundings of our bedroom coming into focus. Bryloch’s concerned blue eyes seatched my face, his thumb gently wiping away tears I hadn’t realized I’d shed.
‘He was hurting Nova again, I whispered, my voice breaking.
“Maddox can’t hurt you or Nova anymore, Bryloch promised, his voice hardening at the mention of my ex–husband. “I won’t let him near you.”
I nodded, but confusion clouded my mind. “Why am I dreaming about him now? It’s been months since I’ve had a nightmare this vivid.”
Bryloch pulled me closer, his familiar scent washing over me. His hand traced gentle circles on my back.
“Maybe it’s because we’re going to see the games today, he suggested. “You know Forestvale Alphas were invited.”
His lips found mine, soft and reassuring at first, then deepening with a hunger that chased away the last wisps of my nightmare. His hands slid under my nightgown, warm against my skin, and I surrendered to the sensation, letting it pull me firmly back to the present, to the man who had healed my broken heart.
I was seventeen when I first met Maddox Blackburn, the handsome Alpha of Emberhill Pack. He’d been charming, attentive, making me feel like the most important person in his world. When he asked me to be his Luna six months later, I’d thought I was living a fairy tale.
i
For the first two years, we were happy. Or at least, I thought we were.
Then came the night Maddox didn’t come home. And I experienced pain like never before that evening, my entire body felt as if it was being torn apart, and at that moment I knew exactly what he was doing. I didn’t sleep all night, and as soon as dawn broke, he stumbled back in, reeking of another woman.
“I’ve found her, he’d announced, his eyes bright with an emotion I couldn’t name. “My fated mate.”
The words had sliced through me like a knife. “Who?” I’d managed to ask.
“Della, he’d said, “She’s perfect, Scarlett. I’ve never felt anything like this.”
I’d begged him to reject her, to honor our marriage, our bond. I reminded him of his promises, of the life we’d built together.
“I can’t, he’d said, his eyes both apologetic and distant. “You know what happens to wolves who reject their fated mates. I’d go insane.”
Did you sleep with her?” I’d asked, already knowing the answer from the guilt that flashed across his face.
“Yes,” he admitted. “I couldn’t help myself.”
When I’d asked if he was going to release me from our claim, his expression had hardened.
“No, he’d said firmly. “You’re still my Luna. Emberhill Pack needs you.”
What he meant was: he needed me to run the pack while he enjoyed his new mate.
At first, Della had been almost apologetic, treating me with a forced kindness. She’d moved into our home taking over the master bedroom w relegated to a smaller room down the hall.
was
I’d watched as Maddox gradually forgot I existed, except when he needed something done for the pack. He showered Della with attention and affection, things I’d once taken for granted. He kissed her in public, held her hand, while I stood in the shadows, the Luna in nam only.
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Chapter 214
The pack members started treating me differently for Same pitied me, others disrespected me openly. I heard the whispers, that I wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t from Emberhill originally, that this was why Maddox had found his true mate elsewhere.
I wasn’t allowed to leave. Maddox made that clear. I was still his claimed mate, still bound to him and the park. I became a prisoner in what had onca bern my home.
The garden party was the final straw.
Della had invited a group of friends over without telling me. When I returned from the Pack meeting, the backyard was crowded with strangers, music blaring, the scent of alcohol thick enough to choke on.
I weaved through the noisy crowd, my skin prickling with each unnecessary touch.
I finally found Della by the pool, arm in arm with three men, laughing hysterically. When she saw me, her smile transformed into a challenging sneer.
Chapter Comments
Visitor
Not a good place for Della. Wonder if they’re just buddies or friends with benefits?
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