I had spent the last few days carefully studying his habits, identifying where he kept the things he didn’t want anyone to see. Alpha Jonathan Marsh was a master of secrets—and the biggest ones were locked away in the vault beneath the Packhouse. A place only he frequented. The code? Janine’s birthday. A name that had haunted my past and poisoned my present.
I typed it in with a steady hand. A soft click rewarded my guess.
Inside lay neat, damning piles—proof that would rip open everything he had built.
The first file was the worst: medical contracts. Official documents outlining the sacrifice of my mother’s heart… for Janine’s sister. Signed forms approving a forbidden organ ritual—none of which bore my signature. I wasn’t consulted. I was robbed.
My claws nearly pierced through the paper, my vision darkening. Jonathan had arranged this. He had condemned my mother and gifted her very heart to another woman. Then he had marked me, masked himself as my mate, and stood by me during the grief he orchestrated.
Pushing the medical documents aside, I picked up another bundle: financial records. At first glance, they seemed like standard expenses—pack-related costs—but I saw through them now. They weren’t investments. They were offerings.
Exquisite jewelry. High-end gowns. Lavish resort bills.
All of it... for Janine.
Then came a folder filled with receipts tied to me—simple things: a charm bracelet, a modest ring, a bouquet here and there. I'd once clung to them as tokens of love. But now they looked like hush gifts. Cheap covers for a bigger lie.
A bitter laugh clawed its way up my throat. I had been the stand-in. The convenient mate. The political pawn.
But I didn’t crumble. My fingers shook with fury, not fear. I pulled out my phone and took photos—evidence of every betrayal, every lie he hoped would stay buried.
One final folder lay at the bottom—heavy and thick, labeled “Future Assets.” Inside were deeds, financial plans, and insurance policies... all aligned to ensure Janine’s future was secure. Not mine. Not ours.
I snapped pictures of that too, then quietly closed the vault, ensuring everything looked untouched. I didn’t even glance back at the place I once believed was my home. I was already gone in spirit.
The moon hung low in the sky when I arrived at the home of the Gamma—the oldest, most respected member of our pack.