Chapter 2

Footsteps echoed down the stairs. I quickly wiped my face with the back of

my hand and turned toward the kitchen sink, pretending to wash the empty

tray.

You''re still up? Darrell appeared in the doorway.

His hair was

perfectly styled. The amber moss cologne I''d bought him for his birthday

filled the kitchen. He wore the black button-down I''d given him last

Christmas – the one he claimed was "too fancy for everyday wear."

*Going

to handle pack business requires designer cologne and your best shirt?*

Couldn''t sleep. I turned around, forcing a smile. "You''re dressed up."

He

adjusted his collar. "Pack emergency. I need to head out."

"Now? It''s

almost midnight."

Leadership doesn''t follow a schedule, Sable. His eyes

kept drifting toward the front door. "You should get some rest."

I stepped

closer, reaching for his hand. "Can''t it wait? Stay with me tonight?"

He

pulled back slightly. "Sable, don''t be childish. This is important."

"What

kind of emergency? I tilted my head, trying to keep my voice light. ""Or "

are you meeting some girl?"

The question was meant to sound playful, but

his face went rigid.

What the hell is wrong with you?

The venom in his

voice made me step back. He jerked his hand away from mine like my touch

burned him.

I was just joking—

That''s not funny! His voice turned ice-

cold. "Why are you being so paranoid?"

Darrell, I didn''t mean—

"I''m

leaving. He spun toward the door. ""Don''t wait up."""

The front door slammed

shut with enough force to rattle the windows. I stood frozen in the

kitchen, my hand still suspended in the air where his had been.

*He''s going

to pick up Camila. I saw their messages.*

But watching him leave so eagerly

to be with another woman felt like torture. After twenty minutes of pacing

the empty house, I couldn''t stand it anymore. I grabbed my keys.

*I need to

see this with my own eyes.*

Instead of heading straight to the airport,

Darrell had stopped at Silver Moon bar first. A wave of relief washed over

me – he wasn''t rushing to her arms immediately. Maybe he needed liquid

courage, or maybe he was having second thoughts.

Through the windows, I

could see him at a corner table with Marcus, Jake, and Tommy from his

inner circle.

I slipped inside and chose a booth near the back, hidden

behind a decorative pillar. The lighting was dim enough that they wouldn''t

notice me unless they actively looked.

Darrell lit a cigarette, his face

tense in the flickering flame.

So Camila''s really coming back? Marcus

leaned forward.

My stomach dropped.

Yeah. Darrell took a long drag. "Her

flight lands in two hours."

What about Sable? Jake asked.

Darrell''s

expression didn''t change. "What about her?"

The casual dismissal in his

tone cut deeper than any knife could.

"Dude, you''ve been with her for three

years, Tommy said. ""You can''t just—"""

She was always temporary. Darrell

flicked ash into the tray. "I never promised her forever."

"Right, because

she''s just the replacement, Marcus laughed. ""You found her because she "

looks like Camila."

The resemblance is what caught my attention.

Darrell''s voice remained completely flat. "I''ve been looking for pieces of

Camila in her this whole time."

My vision blurred. Each word tore away

another piece of the fantasy I''d been living.

"So she''s basically been a

placeholder, Jake said. ""Poor thing probably thinks you''re in love with "

her."

Sable''s useful, Darrell shrugged. "She''s obedient, never complains,

great in bed. Since she moved in, I don''t have to worry about cooking or

cleaning."

The men laughed, and the sound made my skin crawl.

"Jesus, you

turned her into a live-in maid with benefits, Tommy chuckled."

"Pretty

much. She handles all the domestic stuff, and when I need to blow off

steam... Darrell made a crude gesture that sent the table into another "

round of laughter.

What happens when Camila wants you to choose? Marcus

asked.

Sable won''t be a problem. She''s got nowhere else to go. Darrell

stubbed out his cigarette. "And let''s face it – female wolves are

practical creatures. She won''t walk away from the lifestyle I provide."

True. She''s probably too attached to the money and comfort to leave,

Jake nodded. "These girls always are."

Besides, she''s so fucking devoted,

Tommy added. "Buy her some flowers, apologize for being distant, and

she''ll forgive anything. That type is easy to control."

Darrell stood and

threw some bills on the table. "I should head to the airport soon. Don''t

want to be late."

Good luck, man. Hope the reunion goes well.

"I already

know what I want."

The words followed me as I stumbled out of the bar. Cold

river wind whipped through my hair, carrying the scent of water and decay.

I walked to the railing and gripped the metal until my knuckles went

white.

*Every time he looked at me, he was seeing her face.*

*Every "I love

you" was meant for someone else.*

*I''ve been living in another woman''s

shadow this entire time.*

I pressed my hands against my chest, trying to

ease the crushing weight there.

I couldn''t stay. Not after learning I was

nothing more than a convenient substitute.

My phone felt heavy in my hands

as I scrolled to a number I hadn''t called in months. The phone rang twice

before a familiar voice answered.

Sable?

Dad. My voice came out steadier

than I expected. "I want to come home."

Silence stretched between us. When

he spoke again, his voice carried years of hurt and hope.

What happened?

Nothing happened. I''m just... tired of playing house. I stared at my

reflection in the dark water. "I want to accept the arrangement with

Caelan."

Sable—

"I was wrong to fight you on this. I was young and stupid

and thought I knew better. I should have listened."

"You don''t have to

explain yourself to me. His voice grew gentle. ""You''re my daughter. I''ve "

never stopped loving you, no matter how angry I was."

Tears threatened

again, but I blinked them back. "I''ll handle things here and come back to

Blackwood soon."

"Take your time. The offer still stands – it always

has."

Thank you, Dad.

Sable? He hesitated. "Whatever brought you to this

decision... I''m glad you''re coming home."

After I hung up, I sat by the

river. Ten minutes later, my phone buzzed with an incoming message. The

name on the screen made my heart skip: Caelan Blackwood.

*"The ceremony is

set for next month. I''m flying to Moonridge tomorrow."*