The Wolves They Left BehindChapter 1
“What do you mean? You won’t cut your marriage with her yet?!”
A sharp voice rang through the room, making my brows furrow. Why was there a woman here? This hotel suite was booked by my husband. Did the hotel staff make a mistake?
I pressed my hand against the bathroom door, barely pushing it open. I had been hiding, waiting to surprise him. After three months, my belly had finally begun to show. Simond had been so busy with the council’s new pack project—as the beta, he had a lot of responsibilities. We hadn’t seen each other in weeks, and I thought he booked this hotel room to rest before coming home to me. He knew I’d worry if he returned bruised and wounded.
But why was there a woman here?
“Come on! You promised me. We both planned this! Now you’re backing out?” the woman demanded, her voice laced with jealousy.
I was about to step out and check if she had entered the wrong room—or if I had. But then, a familiar voice stopped me cold.
“Of course, I remember my promise to you. But this isn’t the right time!” A man said in a hushed tone. “Her father hasn’t transferred all his wealth to me yet. Do you think I’d let go of her now after sacrificing years married to that horrible, ugly woman?”
My breath hitched. My body froze in place.
Did I hear that right?
My heart pounded painfully in my chest. I never eavesdropped, but this—this wasn’t something I could ignore. Was he serious? Was this a cruel joke? Did he know I was here and was testing me? Or had I just uncovered the lies that had lived within our three years of marriage?
I widened my eyes to get a better look at them. The woman was wearing a red dress—elegant, seductive—and it looked eerily familiar. Then it hit me. I had bought that dress for myself, planning to wear it for Simond. But my cousin, Nalla, had begged me for it, so I gave it to her.
Could it be…?
“But until when?” she pressed. “I get jealous every time you go home to her. She’s desperate for you, and you have no choice but to give in, even though she’s hideous!”
Nalla turned slightly, and I bit my lip to stifle a gasp.
It was really her.
Then Simond followed her movement, his gaze full of adoration—the kind of warmth and desire I had never received from him. His eyes held nothing but love for her.