For five years, I’d been in a secret relationship with Asher, the Gamma of our pack, Crescent Moon, and my older brother’s best friend. As the Beta’s younger sister, I’d grown up surrounded by pack politics, but I wasn’t directly involved. My position as a simple pack member gave me a sense of freedom, one I thought Asher valued.

Asher insisted we keep our relationship hidden to ‘protect my reputation.’ At first, I believed him—he always made it sound noble. But lately, I’d started wondering if there was more to his secrecy than he let on.

That night, I decided to surprise him. I’d overheard he was at a gathering with some of his friends, so I followed the location. As I reached the door of the private room, I froze. Their voices spilled out, loud and careless.

"Hey Asher!" someone snickered, "what’s the plan now that Celeste is back? Still keeping Lois around as your stand-in?"

My heart skipped a beat.

Another voice chimed in, laughter laced with cruelty. "Man, you’ve got guts! Pretending to love Adam’s sister while waiting for your real love to come back. I didn’t think you’d pull it off for five years!"

"Celeste left him high and dry," another friend jeered. "Using Lois as a placeholder was fair game. She deserves it for coming back so suddenly, right?"

The room erupted into laughter, but not a single word of denial came from Asher. Not even a weak attempt to defend me.

I backed away, my stomach twisting. As I walked home, the memories of his tender words and promises felt like ashes in my mouth. He’d always been so careful, so charming. How many of those moments were lies?

The next day, Asher picked me up and took me to a banquet—a surprise celebration for Celeste’s birthday. He acted like nothing had happened, holding my hand and whispering sweet nothings in my ear. But I couldn’t shake the bitterness gnawing at my chest.

When Celeste made her dramatic entrance, Asher’s grip on my hand tightened. She was stunning, glowing with the confidence of someone who knew she had the world in her grasp. When her eyes landed on us—on me and Asher, standing so close together—her expression crumbled.

Tears welled in her eyes, and before anyone could stop her, she turned and ran out of the hall. Asher didn’t hesitate. He pushed me aside like an afterthought and chased after her.

Humiliation burned in my cheeks as I stood there, ignored by everyone. My hand brushed against a decorative ivy garland wrapped around a column, and a sharp pain shot through my palm. I looked down to see angry welts forming where the plant's oil had touched my skin—poison ivy. Someone must have thought it was a clever addition to the decorations.

By the time I got home, my hand was swollen, the itching and burning unbearable.

In Asher's study—a room he always kept locked—I found my answer. On his desk, a framed photo of him and Celeste sat like a trophy. Her radiant smile and his adoring gaze told me everything I needed to know.

I picked up the phone and called my brother, Adam, who was overseas.

"Adam," I said, my voice calm despite the storm raging inside me. "I’ve decided to agree to the arranged marriage."

There was a pause on the other end before Adam spoke, his voice filled with surprise. "Lois, are you sure? Did something happen?"

"No," I lied, forcing a smile that he couldn’t see. "I’ve just realized it’s the right thing to do. Mom and Dad chose someone they trust, and I trust them too."

Adam hesitated. "If you’re sure... when are you coming back? Do you want to meet him before we finalize anything?"

"No need. Just set the date. The sooner, the better."

He sighed, though his tone softened. "Alright. By the way, I heard Asher’s ex is back. Celeste, right? It’s funny how everyone thought they were destined. Maybe he’ll bring her to your wedding—it’ll be good to have old friends there."

My chest tightened at his words, but I kept my voice steady. "I don’t think Asher and I are that close anymore. Don’t bother inviting him."

Just as I hung up, the door unlocked, and Asher walked in. He was smiling, but something about it felt fake now.

"Not close to whom?" he teased, his eyes narrowing playfully.

I looked him straight in the eye. "Not close to you."

He raised an eyebrow, then smirked as he wrapped an arm around my waist. "Really? Not close to me? Haven’t we spent enough nights proving otherwise?"

His breath was warm against my ear, but it only made me feel cold. I struggled against him, my gaze catching the faint lipstick stain on his collar.

The burns from the poison ivy on my arm throbbed painfully. The hurt in my chest rose like a wave, spilling over as tears filled my eyes.

"Lois? What’s wrong?" Asher’s smile faded as he noticed my tears. His eyes dropped to my wrist, where the angry red marks stood out against my skin. His voice trembled. "How did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?!"

For a moment, I wondered if he was truly concerned or just playing his part. I said nothing, pulling my arm away.

It felt like he'd completely wiped the banquet from his mind. I stayed quiet, not sure if I should bring it up and ruin the act he was putting on.

“All right, stop crying now. Let me grab the first aid kit,” Asher said with a sigh as he gently patted my head, trying to comfort me.

He walked off, muttering to himself. “Look at you—tough on the outside, but always crying over the smallest things. What would you do without me?”

I stared down at the rash on my wrist, the angry red patches starting to spread. It was burning, and the itching was unbearable.

“What would I do without him?” I thought bitterly. Pfff!

For five years, I’d let myself believe in his love. But now, the truth stung more than the rash on my skin.

“But, Asher,” I whispered to myself, “I don’t want this sick kind of love anymore… I don’t want you anymore.”

That night, I couldn’t sleep. My body felt on fire from the allergy, and the whole night was filled with restless dreams of Celeste and the cruel laughter of Asher’s friends. When I woke up drenched in sweat, the ache in my chest was almost as bad as the reaction on my skin.

As dawn broke, Asher shook me awake, his usual playful smirk on his face.

“Rise and shine, Lois!” he teased, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.

I jerked away, glaring at him. “What are you doing?”

“Waking up my Snow White, what else?,” he replied, amused by my reaction.

“Ugh,” I muttered, wiping my face in disgust. “It’s the weekend, Asher! Can’t you let people sleep?”

He raised an eyebrow, his tone softening. “You’ve got hives all over, Lois. And you’re burning up. I’m taking you to the pack healer.”

“I’m fine;” I insisted, but he wasn’t having it.

“Humor me,” he said with a shrug, already pulling me out of bed.

Reluctantly, I got dressed, too tired to argue.

At the pack’s medical center, the sterile smell of antiseptic hit me as we walked through the corridor. Then we saw her—Celeste.

Wow.

She was limping slightly, her face lighting up the moment she saw Asher.

“Asher!” she called, smiling at him. “What a surprise!”

The warmth in his face was instantaneous, like he hadn’t seen her in years. There was genuine concern in his eyes as he rushed to her side.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it.

Celeste gave a weak smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, nothing too serious! Just a little mishap during a run with some of the warriors. Sprained my ankle, nothing to worry about.”

Her eyes flickered to me for a moment, then back to Asher. “You here for a check-up too?”

Asher hesitated, glancing at me briefly before answering. "Yeah, my friend 'little sister' here had a bit of a fever, so I brought her in to get checked out."

I was used to being called his ‘sister’ by now. Ever since Asher decided to keep our relationship on the down low, he’d introduced me as his friend's little sister—someone he was just looking out for. Only his closest friends knew the real deal.

“She’s staying with you, right?” Celeste asked with a knowing smile. “Of course, you’ve got to take care of her properly. You two go on ahead, I need to head over there."

She pointed toward the other clinic across the way.

Before I could process the sting of her words, Asher was already scooping Celeste into his arms. “Come on, I’ll take you to the clinic,” he said, completely ignoring me.

“Asher, I’m fine!” Celeste protested weakly, but she didn’t resist.

“Asher,” I said quietly, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice, “I’ll wait here.”

He didn’t even acknowledge me.

Watching him carry her away, I felt the last of my strength drain from my body. It wasn’t just in my head—when Celeste was around, his true feelings slipped out, clear as day.

I forced myself to smile, bitter and hollow, before turning to find the healer’s room on my own.

Inside, the healer frowned as she checked my condition. “You’ve had a severe allergic reaction,” she said, her tone serious. “Your skin is reacting badly to something, and your temperature is dangerously high. Your breathing’s getting shallow too. We need to get you on an IV with antihistamines and some painkillers to help with the swelling.”

I nodded numbly, her words washing over me like a distant echo.

Out of habit, my hand reached for my phone to call Asher. But just as I was about to dial, I stopped myself.

No. Not this time.

I slipped the phone back into my bag and gave a self-deprecating laugh. I was done relying on him. Done letting habit control me.

With shaky hands, I signed the paperwork and followed the healer to the IV room alone.

After finishing the IV, I felt more dizzy than before. The cool, sterile air of the pack’s medical center wasn’t doing much to help, and I swayed slightly as I took a step forward, my head spinning.

Asher still hadn’t come back. No calls, no messages. He’d said he’d check on me after the healer, but nothing.

I pulled out my phone, feeling the weight of the situation press on me. I had to call him, even though I didn’t want to.

When he picked up, I could hear the faint sounds of laughter and the soft hum of an Italian ballad in the background.

"Lois, I’m sorry," he said, his voice distracted. "I was going to come back, but Celeste... she had some trouble shifting back into her wolf form. I had to help her out."

I froze at the mention of her. “Asher, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”

A waitress’s voice cut through the call. “Your pizza is ready, sir. Please enjoy your meal.”

I clenched my jaw. It was clear he was with her, not me! He quickly covered the phone, but I heard it all.

“It’s okay. I’ll manage on my own,” I said, trying to sound convincing, though I knew he could hear the crack in my voice.

Just as I was about to hang up, Asher called out. “Lois, head home. I’ll explain everything later.”

Explain? What was there to explain? Another round of lies?

Wow.

Without a word, I ended the call and arranged for a ride back to the pack house. That night, Asher didn’t come home.

I lay awake, the faint sound of wind rustling through the trees outside rattling my thoughts. I picked up my tablet, trying to distract myself by sketching designs for a client.

But then I accidentally brushed against the chat app, and a new post popped up from Celeste.

A picture of a candlelit dinner table adorned with roses, captioned with:

“After half a lifetime away, I return to you. And here, the world feels warm again, just as it should.”

My heart sank. Only when I tried to log out did I realize the chat app was still open on Asher’s account.

I should’ve been angry. I should’ve felt something. But instead, I just felt numb. I quickly logged out of the app, not wanting to dive into their little world of flirtations and secrets.

The next morning, I arrived at the pack’s office, feeling drained but functional. I handed my resignation to my manager. When she learned I was getting married, she smiled wistfully.

“You’re going to be missed, Lois. You’ve been one of the best members on the team.”

I smiled back, unsure what to say. “Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

The office buzzed with talk about my upcoming wedding, and my colleagues insisted on throwing me a farewell lunch. I couldn’t say no, so I agreed and made a reservation at the small Italian restaurant Asher and I had always gone to.

It was one of the few places I could count on, and the food was good.

About halfway through the meal, I excused myself to go to the restroom. But as I turned the corner, I nearly ran into Celeste.

She looked surprised but greeted me with a friendly smile. “Lois! Didn’t expect to see you here.”

I gave her a polite smile, but I didn’t want to stick around. We weren’t close enough for small talk.

But she didn’t seem to feel the same way.

“Actually,” she said, stopping me before I could leave, “I noticed something last time we were here. Does Asher always scrape the cheese off your pizza before giving you a slice. Do you not eat dairy?”

The word ‘always’ made me pause. I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “I... I actually like cheese,” I admitted, feeling sick to my stomach.

Celeste smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “I know. He’s always said you didn’t like it because I’m lactose intolerant. It’s a habit he has... for ME.”

It was like a punch to the gut.

I had always thought Asher did it because he was looking out for me. I didn’t mind it—it was his little habit. But now, I realized the truth. He never did it for me. He did it for *her.*