Chapter 3

Elle's POV

"Mrs. Miller..." I started, trying to sound normal despite everything that had just happened.

"Elle." Her voice cut through the line, sharp and cold.

My stomach dropped.

"Jason has been selected by the Turing family. Do you understand what that means?" She didn't wait for my answer. "A werewolf family has chosen him to work directly under their protection. This is the opportunity of a lifetime."

I leaned against the elevator wall, my legs suddenly weak.

"That's... wonderful for him," I managed to say, though my heart was breaking all over again. "I'm happy for Jason."

"Are you?" Her tone was accusatory. "Because this is exactly what our family has been working toward. Surely you didn't think someone from the human community—especially from the edge district—would be suitable for my son long-term?"

The elevator doors opened, but I couldn't move. A couple waiting to enter glanced at me impatiently, and I stumbled out into the lobby, finding a quiet corner near a decorative plant.

"Mrs. Miller, Jason and I have been together for two years. We've talked about our future."

She laughed, a short, dismissive sound. "Future? What future could you possibly offer him? Working in that sad little human division at Rayne Group? We both know that human won't get promotion in that division. No, Elle. Jason deserves better."

I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. "I should hear this from Jason himself."

"There's more you should know," she continued, ignoring my comment. "There's a girl there. Her father holds significant influence in that city. She's taken quite an interest in Jason."

My free hand curled into a fist. "So you're calling to tell me Jason is leaving me for a girl he just met?"

"I'm calling as a courtesy," her voice hardened. "To suggest you make this easier on everyone. End things yourself. Don't make Jason have to do it. He's always been too soft-hearted for his own good."

Tears blurred my vision again. After everything we'd been through together—the late nights studying, supporting each other through family problems, saving for our future—it was over because a werewolf family had offered him protection.

And after what had happened tonight with Brad Rayne, what right did I have to feel betrayed? I was damaged goods now. If anyone from the human community found out I'd been with a werewolf—an Alpha at that—I'd be ostracized. No human man would want me.

"I understand," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'll do as you ask."

"Good. That's very... sensible of you." She sounded pleased with herself. "Jason will send for his things later. Goodbye, Elle."

The call ended, leaving me standing alone in the hotel lobby. People moved around me—laughing, talking, living their normal lives—while mine had just shattered into a million pieces.

I made it back to my apartment somehow, though I have no memory of the journey. The moment I closed the door behind me, my legs gave out. I slid down to the floor, silent tears streaming down my face.

Two years of love. Two years of dreams. Gone in a single night.

I stayed there on the floor until morning light filtered through my thin curtains. Sleep never came. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Jason's face, then Brad Rayne's amber eyes, then the disappointment my mother would feel if she knew what I'd done.

When my alarm went off, I almost called in sick. But I needed the money—especially now that I'd be paying rent alone. So I dragged myself to the bathroom, wincing at my reflection. My mismatched eyes—one green, one blue—were swollen and bloodshot from crying. Dark circles shadowed them like bruises.

I arrived at Rayne Group looking like death warmed over. My department head, a harried human who kissed up to the werewolf executives, took one look at me and frowned.

"You look terrible," she said by way of greeting, dropping a stack of folders on my desk. "All of these need to be processed today."

I nodded mechanically. As she walked away, a werewolf manager from the sales division passed by, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Why is the human section always so inefficient?" he muttered, loud enough for us all to hear.

My coworkers kept their heads down, but I noticed how several of them discreetly pushed their overflow work onto my desk throughout the morning. On a normal day, I might have said something. Today, I silently accepted it all.

By noon, my hands were shaking so badly I couldn't properly operate the copy machine. I pressed the wrong buttons twice, wasting paper and time. When I finally got it working, I knocked over the toner cartridge, staining my only decent work blouse.

"Nice one, Odd-eyes," sneered one of my human coworkers, using the nickname I hated. My heterochromia had always made me stand out, and not in a good way.

In the break room, I jumped at every sound, terrified that Brad Rayne might appear. Every time the door opened, I whipped around, heart pounding.

"You okay?" asked Tina, one of the few decent people in our department. "You seem really jumpy today."

"I'm fine," I lied, spilling hot coffee on the reports I'd just finished. "Shit!"

I tried to salvage the papers, but they were ruined. I'd have to start over.

"He wouldn't come down here anyway," I muttered to myself as I blotted at the coffee stain. "Someone like him would never visit the human section."

By evening, I was the last one left in our department. Everyone else had gone home, leaving me with mountains of unfinished work. My vision blurred as I stared at the screen, the words swimming before my eyes. When I dropped a file for the third time, I finally admitted defeat.

I gathered my courage and walked to the supervisor's office. His door was open, and he looked up with annoyance when I knocked.

"What is it?" he asked, not bothering to hide his distaste.

"I would like to request a two-day sick leave." I said, my voice barely audible.

He looked me up and down, taking in my coffee-stained blouse and tear-streaked face. "You're a mess. It's unprofessional to come to work looking like this. You're representing Rayne Group."

I swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Fine. But this will affect your performance review." He turned back to his computer, dismissing me.

I left the building in a daze, staring at the busy street before me. Werewolves walked confidently, talking loudly, while humans scurried past with downcast eyes. Two separate worlds sharing the same space.

I dragged my exhausted body to the bus station and boarded the long-distance bus headed for the human community at the edge of Moonshade Bay. The journey took nearly an hour, the bus rattling and swaying as we moved from the gleaming werewolf neighborhoods through the mixed zones and finally to the shabby outskirts where my family lived.

My heart felt hollow in my chest as I watched the landscape change, becoming increasingly run-down with each passing mile. All I wanted was to see my mother, the only comfort I had left in this world.