"Why so shy?" he murmured, his thumb stroking her wrist where her pulse fluttered. "You're nothing like this when we share a den."

Beside me, my den-mate was already whispering to the others, her voice tight with disgust.

"Wolves these days have no honor."

"Right out in the open."

"Speaking of such things."

My feet felt like they'd been filled with silver weights. My chest heaved. The sheer impact of this betrayal threatened to crack my ribs open from the inside, my wolf howling in silent anguish.

I kept my eyes locked on them—on Rogan and this female, flirting like unbonded pups in their first heat—and pulled out the small scrying mirror from my cloak pocket. I captured their images. One. Two. Three. Then I opened my bond-link with Rogan and stared at the scent-tagged missives he'd sent thirty minutes ago.

My moon, I have pack business running late tonight.

Don't wait up for the evening meal.

Yours always.

My eyes burned with unshed tears that I refused to let fall. My den-mate tugged at my arm, ready to leave, and I understood: if I pretended I hadn't seen anything, maybe Rogan and I could maintain the illusion a little longer. Keep the surface of our bond smooth and presentable to the pack.

But just as I reached the tavern entrance—

"How much longer do we have to sneak around like this?"

The female's voice, petulant and sharp, carried clearly to my heightened ears.

"My grandfather's moon-cycle celebration is next month. My mother keeps pressing me to present you to the pack formally."

Her words landed like hammer blows against my heart.

"I can't exactly tell them—" she said, each syllable a claw driven deeper into my chest, "—that I'm actually some bonded Alpha's scent-betrayal. That I'm the Omega consort nobody's supposed to know exists."

"And turn my whole bloodline into a laughingstock before the Pack Council."

My footsteps halted on the worn stone floor.

I had assumed—foolishly, perhaps—that she was innocent. That even if I had to confront this scent-betrayal, I shouldn't drag some naive Omega into the wreckage. That whatever needed to happen between Rogan and me, we should handle it cleanly, between ourselves, as bonded mates should.

I'd planned to tell her the truth. That she'd been deceived by a mated Alpha.

But this?

This made everything so much simpler.

A cold smile curved my lips as Rogan's voice floated over to me, his words sealing his fate.