Edeline

Percival. My mate. He was supposed to be my entire world, the other half of my soul. Now, he was building a life with someone else before ours had even begun.

The sharp snap of fingers in front of my face jolted me back to the present. "Edeline! Talk to me. Are you okay?"

I tried to swallow the bile rising in my throat, my stomach twisting into a painful knot. "I’m... I’m fine. Really," I lied, my voice sounding thin and hollow even to my own ears. "I was just playing back what he said. He kept saying how sorry he was, but that he had to do what was right. That’s it." The last word faded into a broken whisper.

Inside, I felt like I was being shredded from the soul outward. I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep the walls from crumbling.

Darius turned his gaze toward the water, his jaw set in a hard line. A low, dangerous growl vibrated in his chest. "That complete bastard. I'm going to tear him apart," he muttered.

I wanted to hate Percival, I really did. But a male's instincts when a female is in heat... it’s a force of nature. He told me Tatiana had been relentless, tempting him until his wolf just broke. I found my fated match and lost him to a moment of weakness all in the same breath.

Darius looked back at me, his blue eyes intense and demanding. "You have to go to him, Edeline. Alone. Demand to know what his plan is. You’re his mate—it has to be you."

The ache in my chest flared, and I felt my face crumple. I shook my head, a small, wounded sound escaping my throat. "I can't. I-I can't even look at him, Darius," I choked out, my voice trembling.

He reached out, his fingers squeezing mine with a firm, steady heat. "Then I'm coming with you. We'll face him as a team. I’m not leaving your side."

I looked at him, seeing the fierce loyalty written in his expression. He would burn the world down for me, and I’d do the same for him. But this wasn't a burden he could help me carry. I didn't want him to loathe his own brother for a mistake of the blood, and I didn't want to hear whatever "plan" Percival had devised. Knowing would only twist the knife deeper. My wolf was still so new, so raw; just trying to breathe felt like a chore.

Darius held my hand tight as I fought back the tears. Suddenly, a roar of laughter and loud voices drifted across the lake. We both turned, and my heart stopped.

The canoe had drifted far too close to the shore. Hundreds of eyes—the entire pack gathered for a barbecue—were fixed right on us. We were a spectacle, out in the open, sitting hand-in-hand. But among all those gazes, there was only one that felt like a brand.

I saw him.

Percival was sitting there with her. His jaw was white with tension, his eyes narrowed into slits as they locked onto me. I immediately yanked my hand out of Darius’s grip. I knew what the pack was seeing. I knew the whispers were already starting.

"We need to get out of here. Now," Darius said, his voice urgent.

"Please, Darius, just go," I begged, ducking my head to hide my face behind my hair. I didn't need to look back to know Percival was seething. He looked furious, but he didn't have a single damn right to be.

...

The next morning, the room felt too heavy to leave. I stared at the ceiling, tracing the patterns in the plaster as my stomach churned with nausea. I couldn't face the pack. I couldn't face the pity or the rumors of being caught with the Alpha's younger son while the heir sat with his pregnant mistress.

A sharp knock at the door made me jump, my heart leaping into my throat.

"Edeline? It's me. Open up, please."

Darius.

I groaned, throwing the covers off and forcing my shaky legs to carry me to the door. I hadn't eaten a bite, and the world felt a little tilted. I turned the lock, and he practically fell inside.

My breath hitched as I looked at him. His knuckles were split and dripping, and blood was smeared across his arms and shirt.

"What did you do?" I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. He looked like he'd been through a meat grinder. The blood was fresh, bright red and flowing freely.

He kicked the door shut behind him and leaned against it, a bruised, triumphant smirk spreading across his face.

"I finally gave my brother a piece of my mind," he said, his voice thick with satisfaction. "I told him exactly where he could go."

I stood there in silence, my mouth hanging open as I stared at him. A part of me didn't even want to know the details of the carnage, but the sheer pride radiating off Darius was hard to ignore. He looked so incredibly pleased with himself that I felt I had to acknowledge it. I gave him a weak thumbs-up.

"Darius, you really shouldn't have done that," I said, shaking my head. His confident expression faltered for a split second, so I let a small, genuine smile reach my lips. "But... thank you. For standing up for me. You’re amazing, truly. I don’t know what I’d do without my best friend."

His grin returned, brighter than ever. He dashed over to my closet and started rummaging through my things, throwing clothes over his shoulder. A dress hit me square in the face before I could react.

"Ugh! Seriously? Stop doing that!" I complained, pulling the fabric off my head.

"Put it on. We’re going down for breakfast," he said, poking his head out from the wardrobe with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Even with the bruises and the blood, he looked good. I figured he must have won that fight if he was in such high spirits.

My heart did a nervous flutter against my ribs. I wasn't ready to walk into a room full of people. "Go on," he urged, stepping in front of me to block my escape. I looked up at him, my fear likely written all over my face. "And after my training, we’re going for a run. You need to get out there. Your wolf needs it."

He was right. I hadn't shifted since that first traumatic time, and I was terrified of what was happening inside me. My wolf felt stronger than me, a wild force of grief and fury that I could barely contain. Sometimes her emotions bled into mine so heavily I couldn't tell where I ended and she began. I had trained so hard to keep her under my thumb, but there was always that nagging fear that she might just snap.

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Darius..." I murmured, looking down.

He softened, placing his heavy, warm hands on my shoulders. "You'll be fine, Edeline. You're a lot tougher than you give yourself credit for."

I shook my head, not quite believing him.

Darius’s expression shifted, turning stern as he straightened his back. "Get changed. No more talking. You have to face the pack eventually, and it's better to do it now. Just fake it. If you hide, the gossip will only get meaner. Stay close to me—I’ll be your shield against the stares. Now, move."

Tears stung my eyes, but I gave him a small nod. I grabbed the first dress I could reach and ducked into the bathroom. As I pulled it on, I realized the hem barely reached mid-thigh. It was far too short. My first thought—my traitorous, instinctive thought—was that Percival would hate seeing me in this.

'Wait. Why do I care what he thinks?' I hissed to my reflection. 'Let him look. Let him see exactly what he threw away.'

I marched out of the bathroom. "Ready?" Darius asked, reaching for my hand. I nodded, and he led me down the hallway toward the dining hall. My stomach felt like it was tied in iron knots. I squeezed his hand so hard my knuckles turned white, and he squeezed back, offering a silent, worried glance.

"I’ve got you," he whispered as we approached the heavy doors. "Just breathe. If he’s near, take a deep breath and hold it."

We stepped into the hall. The air was thick with the scent of bacon, coffee, and the dull roar of a hundred conversations. Then, Percival’s scent hit me—cedar and rain. It was a wave of comfort that turned into a sharp ache of nostalgia.

The closer we got to the tables, the more intense the smell became. I could feel the heat of his presence. My skin began to tingle, every nerve ending screaming at me to look at him, but I kept my eyes locked on the back of Darius’s head.

My throat felt tight as we reached the buffet line. I didn't let go of Darius until we were standing right in front of the food.

Darius picked up a plate, his eyes searching mine. "What are you eating?" he asked.

I felt the weight of the room shifting. For a high-ranking male to fix a plate for a female—especially the Beta’s daughter—it sent a loud, clear message to the pack. It was fuel for the fire, and I knew Percival would be watching.

"Just the usual," I whispered, trying to make myself as small as possible.

Suddenly, a low, vibrating growl rumbled from somewhere right behind me. My blood turned to ice. I didn't need to turn around to know it was him. My mate didn't like his brother playing protector. I couldn't even bring myself to think his name, let alone speak it.

I felt his gaze crawling over me, scanning every inch of exposed skin in this too-short dress. Anxiety coiled in my gut, and I instinctively hugged my arms across my chest. My body was betraying me, aching for a touch I knew I couldn't have, while my wolf stirred in the back of my mind, trying to pull me toward him.

Edeline

After breakfast, the walls of the Packhouse felt like they were closing in on me. Darius must have sensed it, because he led me out toward the river. The morning sun danced on the water’s surface, and the steady, rhythmic rush of the stream usually would have calmed me. We talked about mindless things—patrol schedules and pack gossip—and for a little while, the weight in my chest felt a fraction lighter.

We reached a break in the treeline where the cliffs loomed over our territory, a view that usually took my breath away. Darius stopped, checking his watch.

"I have to get to training," he said, looking at me with those protective blue eyes. "I'll be finished in about two hours. Stay here, clear your head, or shift if you feel the urge. Just... don't go back and lock yourself in your room, okay? We’ll go for that run when I’m back. I promise."

He gave my hair a messy ruffle and a small smile before jogging back the way we came. I watched him go, feeling grateful for the silence. I sat by the water’s edge, dipping my fingers into the icy current, trying to let the peace of the woods drown out the noise in my head.

The sun was warm on my skin, and I closed my eyes, listening to the rustle of the leaves. For a moment, I almost felt whole.

Then, the air shifted.

The back of my neck prickled. That heavy, suffocating sensation of being watched settled over me, sharp as a physical touch. My eyes snapped open. The woods looked still, but the feeling was undeniable.

I scanned the brush where Darius had disappeared. There, in the shadows, a pair of eyes stared back at me. My heart gave a single, hard thud against my ribs.

A massive white wolf exploded from the undergrowth.

He moved with a terrifying, fluid speed, charging straight for me. I didn't run. I didn't even flinch. A strange, cold numbness washed over me as I sat there, simply watching him approach.

The wolf stopped just feet away, his gaze burning into mine. Then, the sickening sound of shifting began—the wet crack of bone and the slide of muscle. In seconds, the wolf was gone, replaced by Percival.

He stood over me, completely naked and unashamed, his powerful body tensed as if he were ready to strike or flee. His eyes were wide, filled with a desperate, frantic longing that made my stomach turn.

Before I could breathe, he lunged forward, pinning me with his shadow. He leaned in, his lips inches from mine. I could feel the heat of his skin, the jagged edge of his breath, and the sheer urgency radiating off him. Just as he leaned in to close the gap, I slammed my hands against his chest and shoved him back.

"What is wrong with you, Percival?" I snapped, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and fear. "Why are you following me? Why are you even here?"

His face twisted, a flash of raw agony crossing his features. "We need to talk, Edeline."

"Talk?" I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "How did you even find me?"

His gaze softened, though the intensity remained. "I can find your scent anywhere. It’s all I can think about. My wolf... he’s losing his mind trying to get to you. It's impossible to control anything when it comes to you."

I looked at him blankly, my heart turning to stone. "We have nothing to say to each other. Go back to your future Luna. She's waiting for you."

I turned to walk away, but his hand shot out, his fingers bruising my arm as he pulled me back. "Please," he croaked, his voice thick with a pleading desperation. "Just listen."

I turned back, and the sight of him almost broke me. His blue eyes were glassy, swimming with unshed tears, and his face was etched with a deep, haunting shame. He looked like he was drowning. I could feel his struggle, and despite the hole he’d ripped in my heart, I felt a traitorous spark of empathy.

"I want you to know the truth of what happened," he said, his voice shaking.

"I don't want to hear it," I said, my voice cold and flat. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"It does matter!" he insisted, his jaw tightening with a sudden, fierce determination. "I need you to understand."

I shook my head and turned my gaze back to the river, silent. He took the silence as an invitation.

"Edeline, the camp... it wasn't like home. The men there are constantly at each other's throats, fighting for dominance. The women were the only ones who were halfway decent, but they don't treat the mate bond the same way we do."

"Neither do you, apparently," I whispered.

He flinched as if I'd struck him, hanging his head. "I do. I always have. Tatiana was just a friend—someone I could talk to when everyone else was trying to take my head off. We were never alone, not until... two weeks before I was supposed to come home. She went into heat."

I felt a fresh wave of nausea. This was the nightmare I’d been trying to outrun, and now he was forcing me to look at it.

He looked down at the ground, his eyes avoiding mine. "It hit her without warning. We were up late, everyone else was asleep, and suddenly... it was just there. I should have seen it. I should have smelled it coming, but I didn't! I don't understand why I didn't see the signs!"

He slammed his fists into the dirt, the sound of his frustration echoing through the clearing. I watched him, my mind racing. A female’s heat isn't a surprise. You can smell it for weeks; the signs are unmistakable to any male, especially an Alpha-blood. It didn't make sense for her to be caught off guard.

"Once it started... a male can't fight that, Edeline. You know that. The instinct takes over."

I knew he was right. An unmated male is a slave to a female in heat; it’s a primal, unstoppable pull. A tear escaped and rolled down my cheek. I kept my eyes on the grass, feeling the heat of his stare burning into my skin.

"But, Edeline..." He reached out, though he didn't touch me. "I won't mark her. I refuse."

I lifted my head, searching his eyes for a lie, for a hint of the man who had betrayed me. I found nothing but a haunting sincerity.

He really wouldn't mark her. He was choosing me, even now, in the middle of the wreckage.

Edeline

"You... you really won’t?"

The words were barely a whisper, but they carried a treacherous spark of hope that I wasn't ready to handle. I watched him in the sunlight; the way the light played off his skin was a cruel distraction, making my heart ache with a want that felt like a betrayal. I couldn't do this—not if there was another woman between us.

He shook his head slowly, his voice heavy with the weight of his choices. “She isn’t with me, Edeline. She’s staying at the Oracle’s cabin with my parents. I’ve moved into that empty house across the lake.” He looked away, his jaw tight. “I didn’t want her wolf near mine, and my father thought it was best if I kept my distance from you for now. Being on the other side of the water... it’s the only way to keep your scent from drowning me.”

I stared at him, stunned. I had pictured them together in the Packhouse, playing house, building the life that was supposed to be mine.

“So you’re hiding?” I asked, a bitter eyebrow arching. “Staying away so our wolves don't force a marking while we’re vulnerable?”

It was a mercy, but it felt like a cage. My wolf was snarling at the distance he’d put between us, even as my human heart felt a twisted sense of relief. I didn't want to see them together, but I hated that he had to run from me to keep his control.

He gave a small, defeated nod. I stayed silent, letting the rush of the river fill the gap between us until he spoke again.

“Tatiana’s father is Alpha Conor of the Celestial Moon pack. The second he found out I didn't have a mate, he demanded I claim her. He sees it as a political win—uniting our bloodlines to rule both packs one day.” He finally looked me in the eye, his gaze piercing. “But the moment I saw you... the moment I caught your scent and realized who you were to me, everything changed. I told her I couldn't do it. She’s terrified of the scandal, of losing her status, and she begged me to just give in. But I won’t. I can’t do that to myself, and I refuse to do it to you.”

He reached out, his hand hovering near mine, and I felt a sudden, sharp gasp leave my throat. He was calling to my wolf without saying a word, pulling at the invisible thread that tied our souls together.

“You are the only gift I ever wanted,” he whispered, his voice thick with a raw, desperate hope. “I know you probably hate me right now. I know I’ve lost the right to ask for anything. But I’m still holding on, Edeline. I want to mark you more than I want my next breath, but I’ll never force you to accept a man who carries this kind of baggage. My only tie to her is the child. I’ll see her through the pregnancy, but I won’t let that baby go back to Celestial Moon alone.”

The pain in my chest doubled. He was caught in an impossible vice. He hadn't marked her—which meant Tatiana’s father would be out for blood. For a high-ranking female, being an unwed mother without a mate’s mark was a death sentence for her reputation. She couldn't lead her pack alone; she needed an Alpha to consolidate power.

I looked at him, my vision blurring with fresh tears. “So what then? You bring her into our pack? You raise the child together while I watch from the sidelines?” My voice cracked, a sob escaping as I struggled to keep my composure. “Her father will never allow her to just be a pack member. He’ll want your head if you don't claim her.”

It was a mess. It’s a rare, fragile thing for a wolf to carry a child that isn't their mate’s. Without that soul-bond to protect the pregnancy, the risks were terrifying. There was every chance the Moon Goddess would reclaim that life before it even drew breath.

A dark, selfish thought flickered in my mind—if the baby didn't survive, would we have a chance? I immediately felt sick. I didn't want him to suffer that kind of loss, no matter how much it hurt to see him bound to her.

Percival sighed, a sound of pure exhaustion. “She can’t just join the pack. Her father expects me to take over his territory through her. But you know the truth, Edeline... babies born outside of the bond... it’s a gamble. It almost never works.”

He was right. The Goddess usually only allowed such things for those who had lost their mates or were truly alone. But for a man who had a fated mate standing right in front of him? A mate he hadn't even marked yet? The odds were abysmal.

Percival stepped closer and placed a single finger under my chin, tilting my face up. The contact was electric. A jolt of pure fire shot through me, making my breath hitch and my insides tighten. It was just one finger, but it felt like he was reaching into my very soul.

I looked into his hooded blue eyes, drowning in the desire and the sorrow there. Then, as quickly as he’d touched me, he pulled away. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, catching my scent as if he were trying to memorize it. The sudden cold where his hand had been made me want to scream. I wanted to lean into him, to beg for that heat again, but I held my ground.

“My wolf is screaming at me to take what's mine,” he said, shaking his head as if to clear it. “And I’d only hate myself more if I let him win before I earned you back. She’s miserable, Edeline. She’s terrified that the pregnancy won’t last, and she hates you because she knows you have the only thing she actually wants—my heart. I don't care about her. That night was a mistake I’ll regret for the rest of my life. I haven't touched her since, and I never will again.”

A wave of relief washed over my wolf, though I kept my expression guarded. I was grateful to hear the truth, grateful that the images in my head weren't reality. But it didn't fix the broken pieces. I wasn't going to be a consolation prize or a secret kept in the shadows while he dealt with his "mistake."

I wasn't anyone's backup plan.