Chapter 1

Sable''s POV

I straddled Darrell, my breasts bouncing as I rode him

hard. My hands pressed flat against his chest for leverage while my hair

fell in wild waves over my shoulders. His cock filled me completely,

stretching me with each deep thrust upward.

Fuck, Sable... he groaned,

but something in his voice felt distant.

His hands gripped my ass, guiding

my movements as I ground my hips against him. I could feel every inch of

him sliding in and out of my slick pussy, but his eyes kept drifting away

from mine.

Look at me, I demanded, cupping his face roughly.

His gaze

snapped back. "You''re so fucking beautiful."

The words should have made me

wet with desire, but they felt empty. I pushed the thought away, bouncing

harder on his thick length. My clit rubbed against his pelvis with each

downward motion, sending sparks through my core.

When he suddenly flipped

us over, I gasped as he pinned my wrists above my head. His weight pressed

me into the mattress as he drove into me with renewed force. I wrapped my

legs around his waist, my heels digging into his lower back.

Harder, I

moaned, tilting my hips to take him deeper.

He complied, his cock hitting

that perfect spot inside me that made my vision blur. My pussy clenched

around him greedily, desperate for more friction.

Darrell... I''m close...

My breath came in ragged pants.

Yeah... me too. His thrusts became

erratic, but something felt mechanical about the way he moved.

The pressure

built low in my belly, that familiar tightening that made my toes curl

against the sheets. My nipples were hard peaks against his chest as he

pounded into me. As I teetered on the edge of climax, I whispered the

words I''d been repeating for years.

Mark me... please, mark me now...

He

paused mid-thrust, his cock still buried deep inside me. The hesitation

lasted only seconds, but I felt it like a cold splash of water.

"Sable, we

talked about this... I want to give you a proper ceremony first."

Disappointment crashed through me even as my body screamed for release.

But I want to be yours completely...

"You are mine... just... let me plan

something special, okay?"

*Maybe he really does want to give me a perfect

marking ceremony...* I told myself, choosing hope over the growing doubt.

He resumed his rhythm, and we climaxed together. My pussy spasmed around

his cock as he came inside me, filling me with his hot release. My back

arched off the bed as pleasure crashed over me in waves.

Afterward, I

curled against his chest while he absently stroked my hair. His fingers

moved through the strands, but his eyes stared at the ceiling like he was

solving some complex equation.

What are you thinking about? I traced

circles on his skin.

Nothing important... just work stuff. His voice was

tight.

You work too hard. Maybe we should take a vacation soon?

"Yeah...

maybe."

The conversation died there. I wanted to press, to ask why he

seemed so distracted lately, but exhaustion was pulling me under. Instead,

I let myself remember how we got here.

*Three years ago, I was still Sable

Crawford, daughter of Crawford Pack Alpha Rodrigo. My father wanted me to

accept an arranged marriage with Lycan King Caelan Blackwood. I refused to

become a political pawn and fled after a massive fight with Dad. I came to

Moonridge with a new identity, telling everyone I was an orphan. That''s

where I met Darrell - Alpha of the Hawthorne Pack.*

*We recognized each

other as fated mates almost immediately. For three years, I thought I''d

found my happily ever after. Sure, he always said he wanted to wait for

the perfect moment to mark me, but I believed he was just being

romantic.*

When Darrell got up for a shower, I decided to surprise him with

a late-night snack. I slipped on his oversized button-down and padded

downstairs to the kitchen. Making him a sandwich and warming some milk

felt domestic and right.

I carried the tray back upstairs and leaned over

to place the tray on the desk, my elbow accidentally bumped the laptop''s

trackpad. The screen lit up, and a chat window popped open in the corner.

Messages from someone named Camila filled the screen. My heart stopped.

The tray slipped from my suddenly numb fingers, landing with a soft thud

on the desk.

*"Darrell, I''m back. My flight lands at 2:30 AM tomorrow at

Moonridge Airport. Will you come pick me up?"*

*"I''ve been thinking about

you every day since I left. I was such a fool to choose my career over

you."*

*"I tried dating other men, but none of them could make me feel the

way you do... in every way."*

*"I know I hurt you, but my body has never

forgotten yours. I need you to forgive me... and I need you to fuck me

like you used to."*

*"I''m not wearing anything under this dress right now.

I want you to take me the moment we''re alone."*

Each message felt like a

physical blow. But what destroyed me completely was seeing Darrell''s

response appear in real-time. He was texting from the shower.

*"Camila, I

just want to know – do you still love me?"*

The contrast hit me like ice

water. He often ignored my texts for hours, claiming he was busy or

forgot. But here he was, instantly responding to her while water ran over

his naked body.

*He''s not too busy to reply. I''m just not important enough

for an immediate response.*

Her answer came within seconds: *"Yes, I only

love you."*

Then his final message: *"Good. I''ll come pick you up."*

My

world tilted sideways. I quickly minimized the chat window and stepped

back from the laptop, my hands shaking.

My chest felt like it was caving

in. Every breath hurt. Every heartbeat felt like it was tearing something

inside me apart.

I stumbled back downstairs to the kitchen, still clutching

the tray with the sandwich and milk I''d prepared for him. Setting it down

on the counter, I stared at the food I''d made with such care. It looked

innocent and pathetic now. 

I picked it up and took a bite. Then another.

I forced myself to eat every crumb, to drink every drop of the milk I''d

warmed for him.

Tears streamed down my face, mixing salt with the sweetness

on my tongue. Each swallow felt like swallowing broken glass, but I kept

going until it was all gone.

*How could I have been so fucking

stupid? God, the way she wrote to him – like she owned him, like I was

just keeping his bed warm until she decided to come back.*