Alpha's Remorse After Her Death: Read Chapters 1-5

"Sorry, the Alpha is upstairs with his lady. We don’t take visitors without an appointment."

What? His lady? Then who am I...

Three years of secret marriage, I was never allowed to step foot inside his company building.

Now I stood in front of the receptionist’s desk at the company headquarters clutching a gift box in my hands. Inside was a surprise that I knew Julian, the Alpha of Thorn Pack and my husband, would be overjoyed to receive. This could fix everything for us.

But she’d said Julian was with his lady. That couldn’t be right. If anybody was his lady, it was me. I was his wife.

My stomach sank with confusion and fear. Who was up there with him?

We’d met in medical school, where he’d defended me from the other students’ ruthless harassment. I was a human, and the other students were werewolves who didn’t believe I belonged at the pack university.

Back then, Julian’s protective nature had been endearing. Little did I know that the patterns formed in medical school would follow me for the rest of my life.

Because I’m a human, Julian didn’t allow me to become Luna when we wed. In fact, he kept our marriage secret. Out of worry for how I would be treated as the Alpha’s human wife.

Through all that, though, I still wore the diamond necklace Julian had given me. The necklace that marked me as his chosen mate.

And now, I carried his child. The ultimate fulfillment of the promise he’d made when he gifted me the necklace all those years ago.

I was flooded with happiness.

Maybe I’d been a little naive. I’d never been to his office before. In fact, I’d never been to company headquarters at all, as Julian thought it best that I keep mostly to the house and away from prying eyes.

“There must be some mistake,” I said, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible, even as my pulse beat wildly in my throat. “I’m Alpha Julian’s wife.”

The receptionist looked at me, confusion flashing in her eyes before being replaced by customer-service sheen. “Alpha and his fated mate are together right now. I’ve never heard anything about him having a wife, especially not a human who isn't even a wolf.”

I could feel embarrassment and confusion creeping up my skin, turning my neck and face red. Instinctively, I clutched the box in my hands closer to my chest.

“Please, just let me go up and see Julian,” I said. “It’s important. He’ll clear everything up for you, I promise.”

The receptionist recoiled with my casual use of Julian’s first name without his title. Her face hardened at the perceived disrespect, and I kicked myself for the slip up. I’d used Julian’s name the way we did at home, when we were just two people together, not a human and an alpha.

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises,” the receptionist said, all pleasantness gone from her voice.

Behind her, I could see the elevators. If I could just make it into one and get to Julian’s floor, everything would work out. He’d explain the misunderstanding. He’d celebrate our baby with me.

The elevator doors opened, and I booked it, cradling the gift box under my arm like a football.

“Ma’am! Get back here!” the receptionist called after me.

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. I almost made it into the elevator.

I ran into something large and firm. Looking up, I realized it was a security guard. There were two of them. The receptionist must have notified them of my presence at some point during our conversation.

The guards grabbed me under each arm, practically carrying me back past the receptionist’s desk and out of company headquarters altogether. Once outside, they shoved me away, and the gift box I’d barely managed to hang on to dropped to the ground, the lid coming off and the contents spilling everywhere.

I knelt to the ground, scrambling to pick up the once purposefully organized baby onesies and bibs strewn all over the concrete. I picked up the pregnancy test last, looking at the two blue lines that formed a cross in the little plastic window.

Plus for positive. Plus for pregnant.

I wanted to leave, to go home and hide under the covers and never come out. I thought of the fetus that lived inside me now, and I thought about Julian standing up for me at Wolf University when I was being bullied. I found the courage to wait for him at the company's entrance.

I waited for what felt like hours in the cold wind. I called him, but he hung up without talking to me. The pulse in my throat quickened, my anxiety spreading. Eventually, he came out of the building, but he didn't even look at me.

He was escorting a woman to the shiny black company car waiting on the curb.

“Julian!” I called.

He nodded stoically at me, then helped the beautiful woman into the car. Finally, he turned to me.

"What is it?"

His face was plain, showing no emotion. This was typical for Julian. He’d always been hard to read, even for me, who knew him the best.

I offered him the gift box.

“What are you doing, showing up here like this?” Julian demanded.

“Just take the box. Please,” I begged.

He turned back to the car, apparently indifferent to my pleas. “I thought you understood the position I’m in, Amber. I can’t be publicly linked to a human woman.”

I’d never heard Julian say the word “human” with such purpose, such disdain. He’d never made me feel bad about who I was before.

I pulled the box back to my chest, cradling it like I hoped I would soon cradle my child. I still had no idea what was going on, but suddenly telling Julian about the pregnancy didn’t seem like such a great idea.

A group of reporters sporting microphones and cameras had appeared around us while Julian and I were talking. I imagined the receptionist picking up the phone and tipping off the media about the juicy drama happening at company headquarters. Drama involving a human woman demanding to see Alpha Julian.

But actually, they didn’t come for me.

The woman Julian had ushered to the car emerged. As soon as she appeared, the reporters around us excitedly flashed their cameras.

"This is Olivia!"

"Alpha's fated mate has returned!"

"She's a politician from the Obsidian Pack, responsible for fostering economic cooperation with the Thorn Pack," one reporter said, speaking to a camera on a live broadcast.

The crowd rushed toward us, shoving me off balance. I struggled to protect the already battered gift box, but Julian gently shielded the other woman instead.

She was dressed in an elegant business suit, looking incredibly graceful and beautiful. "Julian, is this one of your fans?" she asked.

"No," Julian said, "I don't know her."

Olivia scrutinized my plain clothes with a disdainful look. "What do you do?"

How could I tell this woman, this elegant professional, that not only was I human, but I was also just a housewife? How could I bring myself that low?

Julian told her to get back in the car. “Be careful with the baby,” he murmured.

The pulse that had been beating in my throat dropped down into my stomach. Olivia was pregnant? With my husband’s baby?

My heart cracked down the middle. Why wouldn’t Julian stop and talk to me? Why wouldn’t he tell me what was going on?

Why the hell my husband got another woman pregnant?

Olivia smiled shyly as she was escorted back into the car. She looked elegant, beautiful, yet humble. The fantasy woman.

The car door shut and reporters swarmed around. The crowd shoved me aside, and I fell to the ground, the gift box once again hitting the cold concrete.

Julian started the car and left without even a glance in my direction.

Everything went black.

I woke up in an unfamiliar, sterile room. Even before I opened my eyes, the smells and sounds told me that I was in the hospital.

I opened my eyes to see my best friend, Anna, sitting beside me. That’s when all the memories came crashing back in.

The baby. The gift box. Julian.

That woman – Olivia.

My smile faltered. “Hi,” I said, my voice coming out in a rasp.

“Hey,” Anna said, hurrying over to the sink to fill a little paper cup with water for me. “I’m so happy you’re awake.”

“At least someone is,” I muttered under my breath.

Anna sat down in the vinyl armchair that she’d scooted up against my bed. I could feel her energy shift. She wanted to talk about something serious.

“So, I saw you on the news,” she started. “I mean, I saw Julian on the news, and I thought I caught you in the background of the shot. I decided to drive over to company headquarters.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet.

“When I got there, everyone was gone but you. You were lying on the asphalt, alone.” Anna sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes igniting with fierce protectiveness. “They left you there by yourself. Anything could have happened to you.

“I don’t understand this blind loyalty you have toward him, Amber. He forgot your birthday. Some nights he just doesn’t come home. He says he’s at the office, but you have no way to know for sure because you aren’t allowed to go there. He’s not good for you. He doesn’t care about you. He’s using you.”

Her voice gradually grew more intense. Clearly, as my friend, she had seen too many instances where Julian didn't pay attention to me.

This conversation had happened more than once. I could only steer the topic away.

“You brought me here?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. Part of me had hoped that Julian had been the one to call for help, to check me in, to handle the paperwork.

Wasn’t that what husbands were supposed to do for their wives?

Anna nodded. “Something really bad could’ve happened if I didn’t show up, Amber.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice almost a whisper. Embarrassment flushed through my body.

Anna fidgeted in her seat, like she wanted to say something else. I watched her, wondering what my normally opinionated friend could possibly be hesitant to bring up.

A nurse came in, carrying Jello on a tray. I picked one small, clear plastic cup of red gelatin and thanked her. I dug in with my little plastic spoon.

“Why haven’t you told me?” Anna asked.

My heart sunk for what felt like the hundredth time that day. The gift box. Where was it?

“You found the pregnancy test?” I asked.

“Of course I did. It was lying on the sidewalk, next to your lifeless body.” Anna shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

What could I say? How could I explain how much I wished this could be a normal pregnancy, between a normal husband and wife? I could only smile bitterly.

Anna looked at me, then shook her head. “The news isn’t even pretending to be unbiased; they’re all shipping Julian and that woman, Olivia.”

I set down my spoon, my appetite suddenly too small, even for Jello.

“It’s not just the news, either. When I was checking you into the hospital, the staff was fangirling over the new ‘power couple.’ The rumor is that Julian booked Olivia’s prenatal checkups here.”

While everyone was so excited about Julian and Olivia, none of them cared about me. None of them realized that their beloved Alpha was already married. None of them knew that secret wife was pregnant as well.

Is she here, in this hospital, too? I thought.

“Look,” Anna said, “I know you wish things were different, but Julian is moving on with his life. That has never been more apparent than today.”

I didn’t like where she was going with this. I considered pushing the button to call the nurse, but I didn’t know what I would tell her when she arrived.

Sorry, my best friend wants to have a conversation that I’m not ready to hear yet. Hope you didn’t have anything serious to do right now.

Anna took my hand, careful not to disturb the skin where the IV needle connected to my veins.

“Amber, I think you should consider giving up the baby. Julian left you, passed out, in the parking lot today. Does he really seem like ‘father of the year’ material?” she asked.

I stayed silent.

“Julian is not going to be present in this child’s life, Amber. He’s hardly present in yours,” Anna continued. “If you decide to keep this baby, you are going to have to do this all on your own.”

I shook my head, clutching my stomach at the same time. Julian or not, I already loved this child. The baby was innocent. In that moment, I knew I would keep the child.

“Okay,” Anna said, sensing my resolve. “Then at least divorce Julian. Leave him, have the baby, and raise them on your own.”

I stayed silent. Even after everything, I’d never considered divorcing Julian.

“Amber, you gave up medicine, a career you loved, for Julian. You gave up your social life just to marry him in secret and become his hidden housewife.” She sneered. “I don’t know how you two had time to make a baby, considering he’s hardly ever even home.”

Of course, Anna didn’t know everything. The time Julian and I were the closest was when we were in bed.

I can't confess to my friend either, that I still had feelings for Julian.

I can still remember when we first met in a bar. We were both students at Wolf University, and the bar was frequented by our cohorts after class. I’d never been much for drinking, but as one of the few humans at the school, I grabbed on to any opportunity to socialize and feel like I fit in with the rest of the class.

I spotted Julian across the room at the bar a couple minutes before he saw me. Everyone knew that the Thorn Pack Alpha attended our school, but this was the first time I’d seen him in the flesh. I’d noticed his dark black hair that curled slightly at the nape of his neck, his piercing blue eyes, and his lithe, athletic frame, but I’d looked away quickly.

Julian had done so much for me at school, defending me from the bullies in our class who couldn’t stand that a human had gotten into the same medical program as them. I doubted the gorgeous Alpha would want to socialize with me outside of class, though. Why would he want to burden himself with defending me outside of school hours?

Then, he’d approached me. Although he walked with confidence, I could tell he’d had a lot to drink, his feet wavering a little with every step. I was shocked when he’d stopped at my table, sure he’d been intending to woo one of my she-wolf classmates at the table next to mine.

“You’re beautiful.” The words came out in a drunken growl. I blushed. I couldn’t deny that I’d had a crush on Julian ever since he’d stood up for me the first time at school.

“You’re drunk,” I said, trying to be cool, taking a sip of the beer in front of me.

“Maybe,” he’d said, “but that doesn’t make your beauty any less real.”

I’d laughed and asked him to take a seat.

A few beers later, I stood up to leave. Julian stood up, too, wobbling on his feet. He grabbed my hand.

“I mean it,” he’d said. “You’re gorgeous.”

Before I could reply, Julian’s hands were on my face, and then his lips were on mine. I raised my hands to feel his strong sides, his muscles rippling under my touch.

He’s so drunk, I thought. He’ll never remember this. He won’t even remember who I am.

In that moment, though, I didn’t care. I was too enveloped in his soft, insistent lips on mine, his tongue flicking into my mouth. I was too distracted by the damp heat spreading inside my panties.

When Julian pulled away from me, taking my hand and pulling me towards the bar door, I didn’t resist. When Julian opened the door to the car waiting outside and ushered me inside, I didn’t tell him I had to go home. When Julian undressed me in his room, I didn’t tell him to stop.

That was the first night we slept together. That was the first night I slept with anyone. Julian was so kind, insistent on my pleasure and my comfort, demonstrating what I could do to feel good and to make him feel good.

After that, we became friends with benefits. It wasn’t what I wanted from him. I couldn’t deny that I was in love with him, the crush I’d developed on him only strengthened by our physical chemistry.

Despite the temptation I felt to continue sleeping with him, knowing that Julian didn’t return my feelings was too painful. I decided that I would break up with him, for both of our best interests.

When I asked to end our situation, though, Julian surprised me. He asked me to marry him instead. Or rather, he asked me to sign a marriage contract, with the condition that our relationship would be kept secret. And he would give me income by month.

I understood the logistics of our secrecy, and some part of me realized that, despite our history, Julian still didn’t see me as a legitimate partner. I was ecstatic anyway, hopeful that in marriage Julian would realize my value. After all, marriage tied us together permanently.

I decided not to pursue my medical career to become his housewife, and for a long time, that life was enough for me. We still had a vibrant sex life that stoked the flames of my love for him, and the day-to-day responsibilities of caring for him fulfilled me for a while.

I loved preparing dinner from him, always anticipating the look of bliss when he raised a forkful of his favorite meal to his lips. At night, when thoughts of what my life could have been threatened to occupy my mind, I would look at him sleeping next to me, and the thoughts would disappear. He looked so innocent at night, the muscles in his face relaxing, softening his features.

And at night, when he’d peruse his documents on the sofa, sitting on the covers I’d carefully woven for him, I would sit in the armchair near him, reading a book, and sometimes he would reach over and pat my hand.

Even though I was an afterthought compared to the rest of Julian’s busy life, he treated me well. And I got to be with him.

I thought of the gift box, then pushed the thought away. I just needed to talk to Julian.

I pushed myself out of bed, wanting to go find a nurse to ask if the baby was okay after my fall.

When I stepped outside, though, I ran into Olivia. I guessed the rumors were true. She was here for her prenatal check-up.

He’d found out I fainted. He’d come here to check on me. I was surprised, but my heart soared with hope that the whole day had been one strange misunderstanding.

Then he shielded Olivia behind him, as though I were a threat to her. He frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Olivia frowned at me. "Are you stalking us?"

Julian looked at me with disgust. "You’d go to that length to stop me from this?”

He motioned for the Beta to come over and take me away. I hadn’t even gotten to the nurse’s stand to initiate my prenatal checkup yet, and I struggled the best I could to break away from the Beta’s grasp.

“Stop dragging her like that.” I looked up to see Olivia commanding the Beta to let me go.

She has the power to do that? I thought.

The Beta released me, and for a second, despite myself, I felt a wave of gratitude for Olivia.

Then she moved to stand in front of me. While her demeanor was gentle, portraying a ladylike innocence to the others occupying the hospital hallway, there was a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Olivia leaned toward me, acting as though she simply wanted to help dust me off after my altercation with the Beta. Instead, she whispered, "I know who you are, you low-born, gold-digging whore. You have no status. You aren’t good enough for him.”

My mouth dropped open in surprise at her utter audacity. Despite my social status, I was still Julian’s lawful wife, a fact she indicated she was aware of. I stiffened at the disrespect, but knew that as a human I held no ground to make my feelings known.

“How much do you want to him alone? For good?” Olivia asked, tugging on the arm of my shirt. “I'll pay you."

This was too much. “Are you serious? You think you can buy your way out of this? You think you can pay me and take over my life?”

Olivia only smirked. She dug her hand into her purse, then held it out towards me, like a violent dog’s owner offers them a treat. Like a temptation.

Like a bribe.

Without thinking, I lashed out, hitting the card out of her hand. How dare she act as though I could be bought? It was one thing to call me a low-born whore, but another entirely to assume my morals could be bought.

The card spun through the air, the force of my hand sending it through the air in such a way that it hit Olivia’s stomach.

She cried out in pain.

Julian rushed over, glaring at me. "What are you doing?"

Julian went Olivia’s side, rushing to steady her.

“Amber. Leave.” His tone was stern, severe. Julian had never talked to me this way before.

I stood there, stunned, as I watched him comfort and care for Olivia. I watched my husband treat this other woman as though she were some fragile and precious thing, while I was treated like a villain. Like less than a villain, even; like a whore.

I could bear coldness, his neglect, even his contempt. But I can’t stand feeling like I’m the other woman. This is our marriage, isn’t it? No matter how small or hidden, it’s still a marriage. But he broke that with his betrayal. I just can’t take that.

"I want a divorce." I couldn’t hold back the pressure building inside me anymore.

Julian's POV

Divorce?

My wolf refused. NO, Rory growled.

"Calm down, Rory," I reminded him.

She can’t leave, Rory said. She’s so much better than that awful woman.

“Olivia?” I asked him.

Whatever, he returned.

“Look what she’s done, Rory,” I said. “As soon as Olivia showed up, she started causing trouble at the office. She’s never even been to the office before.”

Rory was silent, indignant.

“Amber even followed Olivia to the hospital,” I continued. “She intends to sell the news of Olivia’s pregnancy to the tabloids. It’s all for money.”

I don’t trust Olivia, Rory replied. I feel she’s pretending. Lying.

“But greed is in Amber’s nature. Remember how we got into this mess in the first place?” I reasoned.

Rory grunted. We both clearly remembered. The first time we’d slept together, I’d paid Amber what I thought was a fair wage. However, she’d asked for more, the hefty sum not enough to satisfy her.

The morning after Olivia had broken up with me, I woke up with a headache and a beautiful woman lying next to me. All I could remember was drinking at the bar the night before, but I had no recollection of leaving, of coming home, of this woman.

She looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise and wonder, but I didn’t know her. I couldn’t say it wasn’t a look I’d experienced before at the hand of a star-struck lover. I was the Alpha of Thorn Pack, after all.

I got up to shower, and when I returned, she was still there, waiting with an expectant look. I had no idea what she could be waiting for. Usually, the women I slept with were all to eager to sneak out in the night, at the most leaving their numbers in my phone with a note to call them if I wanted to do it again.

I’d been so distraught, though. Had I? It wasn’t out of the question.

I pulled a pre-loaded card out of my pocket and handed it to her.

"This is for you, " I said.

Her eyes shifted from anticipation to shock, then to sadness. I found this strange. If she really was a prostitute, she’d be used to this exchange by now. My mind raced, scrambling to put together an acceptable apology.

The woman looked down at the card for a moment, hesitating, then taking it from my hand.

So my assumptions had been correct.

She looked up at me, her eyes so wide. "Could you . . . “ she trailed off, then continued, “Could you spare some more?"

Although it turned out that Amber was not actually a prostitute, she did borrow money from me several more times. She always asked for a substantial amount.

Maybe she was with me just for the money, but I was obsessed with her body. Rory was obsessed with her scent.

One day, Amber began refusing my money. When I asked why, she said she wanted to be with me. I was sure she wanted a more stable relationship in order to extract more benefits from me. Despite myself, I desired her body, and her presence had become familiar.

Rory’s insistence also couldn’t be ignored, and I’d always considered him a good judge of character.

I gave her a marriage contract. Admittedly, the conditions were harsh. Our marriage was to be a secret, and no one could know. She accepted my offer without hesitation.

Rory grumbled, "Don’t divorce her. You’ll regret it."

Amber was being unreasonable. She’d never brought up divorce before. This was impulse, a tantrum brought on by the threat Olivia posed as another woman in my life.

A suitable woman, who I could marry in public. Who could be Thorn Pack’s Luna.

“Go home, Amber,” I commanded. “From now on, you aren’t to leave the house without my permission.”

"Did you ever really love me? Even just a little bit?" Amber cried.

I wanted to say no. Our relationship had never been predicated on romance, but convenience. She got to exploit the resources my position as Alpha granted her. I got to use her body, and a live-in housekeeper.

However, Rory roared in protest. I told myself it was just the familiarity of having her take care of me. Love had never been involved.

"We’re just about sex. And money," I spat, clutching to Olivia’s side.

As soon as the words left my mouth, my chest tightened in pain.

Amber's POV

My heart broke as Julian turned away from me, his arm still around Olivia, his words ringing through my mind. I turned and left. I could almost hear the wail in my heart, a voice constantly calling my name.

I started packing as soon as I got home. The house – our house – was filled with so many memories. There were the flowers and plants I had arranged myself, along with the vases, paintings, and even the color of the sofa and the cushions.

Some of my favorite objects in the house were the furniture covers I had learned how to weave myself. The precise movements of weaving often reminded me of medical school, learning to sew stitches into skin with depth and skill. I told myself that both the acts of weaving furniture covers and sewing up human bodies were beautiful, in their own, distinct ways.

Julian never said it out loud that he liked the furniture covers, but he often sat on that sofa and went through his documents. He would lean back, casually leafing through important documents and new proposals, looking more relaxed than he did at practically any other time.

I warned myself not to think about him anymore. He’d shattered everything. Like the covers, I’d manufactured this life for myself. This prison I found myself trapped in had been built by my own hands.

Julian had never truly appreciated me, or this manufactured cage, and now he wanted to push me further into it, to tighten my chains even more than they already were. What did he think I was? His toy?

Someone who just stayed at home, ready to spread her legs for him whenever he wanted?

My luggage was strewn about the house as I decided what to bring with me and what to leave behind. I stood behind the couch, running my fingers over the woven texture of the sofa cover. I’d spent so long on the project, it was tempting to bring them with me.

But I didn’t think I would ever be able to look at them without thinking of Julian, of his dark black hair and blue eyes, of his long limbs resting against the soft fibers.

I decided to leave them. At the very least, they would be proof that I’d been here, even if no one else decided to acknowledge the large role I’d played in Julian’s life.

I finished packing in the bedroom. When I finished, finally zipping up my last suitcase and sealing the last box with strong, clear tape, I lay down on the bed. I tried to rest, but I was unable to sleep through the night.

Julian didn’t come home. Not that this was entirely unusual, but the context was different now, and usually he’d send word when he wouldn’t be home so I wouldn’t have dinner ready for him to heat and eat when he returned.

I turned on the news, and the image of Julian and Olivia entering a fancy restaurant occupied the TV screen. Immediately, I turned off the TV. I didn’t want her, even the image of her, to scar this bedroom Julian and I had shared.

Not while I was here, at least.

The next morning, as soon as it was a reasonable hour to make a phone call, I consulted a lawyer. He told me what I already knew: if I divorced him, I would have to leave Thorn Pack.

I made up my mind.

I bought a ticket to leave.

Third Person POV

Olivia sighed with relief. Julian had finally left for work, finally left her alone. She could breathe, not stifled by Julian’s overbearing chivalry and her own web of lies.

“Are you sure it’s alright if I leave?” Julian asked her. “I can tell the office I can’t come in today.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Olivia had purred in her best impression of a demure, wifely woman. “Of course I’ll be alright. After all, I have my own security here. They won’t let anything happen to me.”

“Alright,” Julian had finally acquiesced, “but if Amber shows up, I want you to contact my office immediately. I’ll be home as soon as possible.”

“Of course, darling,” Olivia replied.

As soon as Julian left the house and Olivia saw his car leave her driveway, she rose, going into action.

“Contact my office immediately,” Olivia repeated, mocking Julian’s concern. “Right. Like I need an Alpha to protect me.”

Olivia was very familiar with Alphas, along with what she perceived as their hubris. After all, she was the daughter of Obsidian Pack’s own Alpha.

She tried not to think about that too much. Her father’s incompetence was the reason she was here, merging the two packs herself. Nothing would get done if she didn’t take the reins.

Olivia shirked off her frilly house robe, gliding confidently down the stairs to her study. She sat behind the magnificently carved desk, flicking on the lamp and opening her little black book.

Now, who would be best to recruit to her scheme? She had no draught of criminals or bad boys to recruit to her cause. After all, seducing men to her side was one of Olivia’s more practiced skills.

But who could she trust to do what she needed? Who would be most suited to murdering Amber without turning Olivia into Julian? Who would be unconditionally loyal, choosing Olivia over the temptations of reward money and heroic fame?

Olivia flipped through the pages of her book. She had sections divided by occupation, every name labelled by what the man could do for her. She stopped at the page labelled “Thorn Pack Airport.”

Finding the number she wanted, Olivia dialed her phone. After a quick conversation, her suspicions were confirmed. Amber Wood had booked a flight out of Thorn Pack for that afternoon.

Olivia needed to work fast.

She skimmed the rest of the page. Her next call would require some more skill to convince.

“Olivia?” She could hear the loud sounds of plane engines and mechanics in the background of the call. Perfect. He was at work.

“Hello, darling,” she purred. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Yes?”

“I need you to sabotage the engines for a flight after the pilots do their safety checks.” Olivia waited to see what her contact would respond.

“Olivia, that’s pretty serious,” the man said. “What do I get if I do it?”

“Well, dear,” Olivia said. “Anything your heart desires, I can make come true.”

“Anything?” The man was softening to her pleas, just as Olivia had anticipated.

“Anything,” she said.

“Alright. Consider it done.”

Olivia sat back in her chair after hanging up the phone, satisfied with her plan. Everything was in place.

Soon, Amber would be dead.

Amber's POV

I stopped at the security booth at the entrance to the office parking lot on my way to the airport. The guard bristled at the sight of me, but I held up the manilla envelope in my hand.

Eventually, he accepted that I wasn’t trying to break back onto the premises and cause another scene. He agreed that the package would make its way to Julian, although he explained to me that they would have to check the package first and make sure I hadn’t snuck in anthrax or a bomb.

So someone would see the divorce papers, then, along with the diamond necklace I would never be able to afford myself.

Someone would know that I’d been telling the truth. That I really had been Julian’s legal wife, not just some crazy human woman who hadn’t known her place.

The necklace was once my prized possession. Julian had given it to me on our wedding day.

I still remembered the feeling of his fingers on my neck as he’d brushed my hair to the side, careful not to disturb the hair-do I’d intricately pinned myself. Because it was a secret wedding, I didn’t get the traditional white gown, or the beauty team to dote over me. This gift, though, had made the day feel real, legitimate even without the traditional to-do.

I’d cherished the necklace, almost never taking it off. I carried it as proof that Julian had feelings for me, no matter how much he insisted our marriage was only born out of convenience.

Now, the thought of keeping it felt like a bitter reminder of how much I’d sacrificed for a man who never cared about me.

I left, heading toward the airport. About fifteen minutes later, Julian called me.

“What do you mean by this, Amber?” he asked. I could sense panic hovering underneath his stoic tone.

“I’m done, Julian. You have Olivia now. Just let me leave.”

“This means you get half of my assets, right?” Julian replied, his voice hoarse. “That’s why you want the divorce.”

Rage boiled inside me. Ever since we’d met, Julian assumed I’d attached myself to him for the money. Of course, at the beginning the funds had been a nice bonus, but they’d never been my motivation for being with him.

Then the pain washed in. I’d known Julian so well, down to the way he took his tea. Meanwhile, he’d never bother to learn anything about me or my heart.

I hung up the phone.

I decided that my new life began now. I reached into my back-pack, which contained my carry-on items for the flight. All of my most cherished possessions were stashed inside it.

I pulled out a photo of Grandma, raising it to my lips and kissing it. Silently, I asked her to bless this new chapter of my life.

Grandma had been my only family in the world. I’d grown up an orphan, and Grandma had found me on the doorstep of Thorn Pack’s orphanage one cold winter. She’d advocated for me, and Julian's parents, the former Alpha and Luna, took me under their wings, allowing me to survive and attend school. Although they were rich, they were charitable, and though I’d heard of their son, I’d never met him, as he was always away at private school or some other important pack function.

However, when I was a teenager, Grandma fell ill. She motivated my choice to attend Wolf University as a medical student, hopeful that I’d be able to find a cure for her illness. Unfortunately, medical school is the most expensive kind, and even the scholarship I’d been granted by the Alpha and Luna wasn’t enough to cover tuition and survive at the same time.

When Julian and I had met, and he’d handed me that credit card, I had no choice but to take it. It was the only way to help my grandmother, and though I knew Julian thought I was a whore, I had to ask for more.

That didn’t mean Julian’s assumptions about me didn’t hurt. That didn’t mean I wasn’t humiliated to trade sex for money.

To combat the humiliation, I would offer to pay Julian back for the money he lended me. However, everytime I offered, he would sneer at me.

“All you have to do is spread your pretty legs,” he would growl, and shame would spread through me even as heat grew in my groin.

Grandma was long gone now, and Julian had proven our marriage to be a lost cause. There was nothing at all left for me in Thorn Pack.

I boarded the plane, trying to settle into my window seat. I was grateful that I’d been able to snag it.

A couple of hours into the flight, the plane began to shake, tossing our bodies around carelessly in our seats.

Put on your mask first, I remembered the flight attendant instructing us at the beginning of the flight.

This was real. I might die.

I pulled the oxygen mask onto my face as the plane began to rattle even more violently.

I saw nothing but shades of blue. Baby blue sky. Vast, navy sea.

Despair flooded through me.

Julian's POV

I’d shoved the divorce papers into my bottom desk drawer, trying to pretend they didn’t exist. Amber’s necklace, however, I couldn’t bring to hide away. Instead, I’d slipped it into my pants pocket, every once in a while slipping my hand in to finger the delicate gold chain.

Amber just left to clear her mind, I told myself. She’d be back soon. I was sure of it.

Maybe I just didn’t want to believe that Amber would truly leave for good.

Despite myself, I stayed in my office at pack headquarters. I was practiced at pushing away my personal life in order to focus on what must be done for the company, and for Thorn Pack. I tried to push past the pain, which usually wasn’t a challenge.

Finally, I fell into a flow, or so I thought, until my Beta cleared his throat.

He was standing in front of my desk, concern on his face.

"Alpha, you seem off today," he said.

That’s when I realized—without her, breakfast didn’t taste right. There would be no one to help me choose my suit, and no one to wish me “Good Morning.”

Without her, there would be no gentle goodbye kiss as I left each morning, a kiss that always seemed to hold more feeling than I allowed myself to acknowledge.

I did my best to push these realizations to the back of my mind, the place where I stored my feelings and my pain becoming cramped. Olivia and I met with the Elders to discuss the economic trade agreements between our two packs.

The Elders had insisted on meeting Olivia after learning that she carried my child. They suggested that I marry her. Olivia had always been gentle, poised, and noble. She was truly the perfect candidate for Luna.

But I already had a wife. I couldn’t stop thinking about Amber.

Of course, Olivia and I had history. We’d met in college at Wolf University and started dating when we realized we’d come from similar worlds, me as the incumbent Alpha as Thorn Pack and her as the Apha of Obsidian Pack’s daughter. Politically, our partnership had made sense, and I couldn’t deny that she was elegantly gorgeous in a way that any wolf would desire.

However, Olivia had broken up with me. She’d said her parents didn’t approve of our relationship. I’d thought that Olivia was going to be my wife, and I’d already started formulating plans for our future together after school.

I was heartbroken at the loss.

Then, I went to that bar. I met Amber, and somehow, her tenderness stitched me back together.

My life took a toll on me. I’d be the first to admit that I spent most of my time working. I neglected my own feelings. How was I supposed to think about anyone else’s?

Then, two weeks ago, I was at a bar getting drunk after work. I’d sent word home that I was staying at the office that night, and that Amber shouldn’t expect me back until the next day.

Then, I’d run into Olivia while ordering drinks. I’d already had too much, but nobody was going to cut off the Alpha of Thorn Pack.

The next thing I remembered, it was morning, and I was lying in Olivia’s bed. Naked.

“I have a chosen mate,” I said, panic invading my voice and making me cringe.

“That’s okay,” Olivia said, curving her picture perfect lips into a soft smile. “We’ll pretend this never happened. After all, we know my parents don’t approve.”

I sighed, thankful for her consideration, pushing the panic and guilt I felt to the back of my mind.

Then, just days ago, she’d told me she was pregnant with my child. What choice did I have? I had to bring her back to the pack.

Was I going to marry her and divorce Amber?

Beta called me, the ringing of the phone breaking me out of my thoughts. Amber had bought a plane ticket—she really was planning to leave. Rory, my wolf, urged me to go find her. Instead, I told my Beta to bring her back.

Amber was just playing more unreasonable games. If only she could soften to me, I could forgive her.

“Wait,” I said into the phone, a thought forming in my mind. “Why was Amber at the hospital?”

I waited for Beta to return with the information, grabbing the phone as soon as it rang.

“Alpha,” Beta said, “the plane crashed. Amber is dead.”

“That’s not all, Alpha.” Beta paused, then cleared his throat. “She was at the hospital for a prenatal checkup. She was pregnant with your child. They both died.”

The room began to swirl around me.