Rebond With My Childhood Friend

Five years into our sacred bond, my mate, Ethan Quinn, betrayed me with his secretary, Clara Newton.

I stood outside his CEO office, the door slightly ajar, when a stifled moan hit my ears-a sound I knew all too well. My blood turned to ice. Taking a deep breath, I shoved the door open.

The first thing I saw was a pair of feet with pink nail polish peeking out from under the desk. Behind it, Ethan leaned back, his face caught mid-pleasure, freezing the second he saw me.

"Nina," he stammered, his voice hoarse, panic lacing his words. "What are you doing here?"

My face drained of color as the truth sank in. "I came to get your signature on some papers. Your secretary wasn't around, so I let myself in. Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Ethan said, forcing calm as he tapped the keyboard twice, his voice still rough. "Just leave the papers there. I've got some things to handle."

Before he finished, the she-wolf under the desk faltered, her legs giving out as she tumbled into view. Her hair was a mess, her blouse missing two buttons, black stockings torn at the thigh, and her neck littered with kiss marks.

It was Clara, his new secretary.

When she saw me, she fumbled to button her blouse, shrinking behind Ethan like a scared pup.

"I'm so sorry, Nina, I." she started.

"Don't worry," Ethan cut in, draping his jacket over her. "Go. I'll handle this."

Clara nodded shyly and bolted from the office like she was fleeing a hunt.

"You saw it, so I won't lie," Ethan said, his tone casual, like he hadn't just shattered our bond. "It's just a fling. You're still the one I love most."

My hand trembled around the papers. After a long pause, I heard my voice shake. "Ethan, do you even know what cheating is?"

"Nina, don't make a scene."

He stepped closer, brushing it off. "It's just playing the field. Clara's innocent, reminds me of you back in the day. This thing with her? It doesn't change anything. You're my mate, and that's forever."

He reached for my face, but I recoiled, the stench of gardenia perfume-not mine-choking me. "Ethan, you reek."

"Enough, Nina. What do you want from me? I made a mistake every wolf makes. Compared to those who chase every she-wolf out there, I'm loyal, aren't I?"

I stared at his impatient face, unable to believe my ears. "What did you just say? Ethan, do you hear yourself?"

Seven years. That's all it took for the Ethan who held me close, promising to love only me forever, to vanish. Where did he go?

When we met, I was the cherished she-wolf of the Nash pack, raised with care. Ethan? Just a struggling college wolf, scraping by, rejected at every job.

I was leaving a gala at a hotel when a pack of rogues cornered me. Scared out of my mind, I thought I was done for-until Ethan showed up, saving me. We became friends, and with my help, he landed a job at my father's pack office.