[Awake because your mate isn’t home?]
Another followed.
[He’s with me. Want to know where?]
I inhaled sharply, my wolf stirring beneath my skin. My hands trembled as I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the accept button.
Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the room for a moment. I clenched my jaw and pressed it.
An address popped up, followed by a single sentence.
[See for yourself.]
Cold dread settled in my bones, but I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed my keys and drove through the storm. By the time I reached the location—a secluded cabin on the edge of our territory—the rain had slowed to a drizzle.
The front door was locked, but the code Quinn had sent worked. The lock clicked, and I stepped inside. The first thing I noticed was the scent—Benedict’s scent, mixed with perfume.
Then I saw them. A trail of discarded clothes leading to the bedroom. His shirt. Her dress. A red nightgown, torn at the seams.
My stomach twisted, but my feet carried me forward. The bedroom door was ajar. I pushed it open.
Benedict lay tangled in the sheets with Quinn, his arm draped possessively over her bare waist. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and betrayal.
A sharp, piercing pain shot through my chest. They didn’t even stir.
My fingers curled around the doorframe as my wolf howled inside me. Eight years. Eight years of loyalty. Of love. Of sacrifice.
And this was how it ended.
I turned on my heel and walked out.
The bar on the way back to the packhouse was still open. I stepped inside, ignoring the curious glances as I slid into a booth.
The bartender raised an eyebrow. "Rough night?"
"Whiskey," I muttered. "Keep it coming."
By the time my friend Jane arrived, I had downed two bottles. My vision blurred at the edges as she slid into the seat beside me.
"What happened?" she asked, voice tight with worry.
I laughed bitterly. "You tell me. You always said he was too perfect to be real."
Her eyes darkened. "So he really cheat?!”
"I don’t want to hear his name."
For the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure what came next. But one thing was certain.
Benedict Ronan was no longer my mate.
For years, I never thought Benedict would betray me.