The breath caught in my lungs. Jonathan hadn’t even told me he was back from his supposed summit. My disbelief burned into fury.
The guards didn’t budge, not until Billy came over. “As a warrior, your loyalty is to the Luna. You have no right to bar her way.”
The guard stayed silent but finally stepped aside. I didn’t thank Billy. He was just as complicit in the lies, and I owed him nothing now.
The door was cracked open. I paused, my heart hammering. Part of me knew I should turn around. Whatever was on the other side would only deepen the wound—but curiosity and grief drove me forward.
Peering inside, I felt the air rush from my lungs.
Jonathan stood beside his desk, and Janine was in his embrace. Their faces far too close, too familiar. Then, just as if on cue, he leaned in—and kissed her.
Everything inside me collapsed in that instant. They were lost in each other, his hand resting on her waist, her smile melting into his lips, like the rest of the world didn’t exist.
How dare you! my wolf howled inside, ready to tear them both apart. I had to breathe, had to stop her from taking control.
I wanted to storm in, to rip apart the illusion they were so wrapped in. But I didn’t. And for once, I didn’t flee either. Instead, I reached into my pocket, hands shaking, and took a photo. The perfect shot—Janine looking at him with that exact nauseating smile from the auction images.
Then, I quietly turned and walked away. Back in my car, I stared at the image on my phone. I created a dummy account within the pack’s internal network, uploaded the photo, and sent it directly to Tim—Janine’s mate.
Back at my place, I started gathering every gift Jonathan had ever given me during the last five years. Jewelry. Letters. Trinkets. All of it went into boxes. I brought them downstairs, one by one, and lit a fire in the hearth. One after the other, I fed the past to the flames, watching each piece blacken and curl into ash.
Just as the last box began to catch, Janine appeared—uninvited. Without saying anything, she kicked one of the boxes, scattering burning embers and ash everywhere. Some landed on her, but she didn’t even flinch. She just smiled.
I narrowed my eyes. “What exactly do you think you’re doing, Janine?”