Chapter 1

Leah POV

I was different from the others in my pack.

My wolf could hear the truths hidden deep in someone’s heart.

Whenever someone lied, she would immediately whisper their real thoughts to me.

I was never fooled by fake smiles from the girls or sweet words from a charming guy.

My wolf would growl softly, warning me whenever their words didn't match their hearts.

To protect myself from the constant noise, I learned to avoid eye contact—to keep my gift from activating.

But the day I first met Jace, my wolf was strangely quiet.

"Hi, I'm Jace. What's your name?"

"I'm Leah."

My heart fluttered. A smile spread across my face as my wolf purred softly, no warnings, no doubts.

Through our time together, my wolf stayed silent.

Jace never lied to me.

Every word he spoke, every gesture he made, was genuine. His love was true.

I fell for him, believing he was my destined mate.

But on the day before our marking ceremony, my wolf finally spoke up.

Jace had just taken over his father's role as Alpha King of the pack, making his schedule much tighter.

The ceremony planning kept me busy, and in the past two months, we barely saw each other.

Today was the day to choose my dress and makeup. And only after I begged did Jace make time for me.

I stepped out of the fitting room in a stunning gown, but his brow was furrowed, his attention on a phone call.

"Please don't... I'll be right there..."

His voice was soft, soothing someone on the other end.

My breath caught.

Still, I twirled slowly, showing him the dress.

"Jace, how's this one?"

Maybe I was just overthinking it. Jace was always kind to everyone.

He didn't seem to hear me, walking away while still on the call.

"Jace!" I hurried to block his path. "Do I look good?"

His focus finally came back to me, a strained smile on his lips.

"Oh. Yes, you look great."

But the moment our eyes met, my wolf's voice cut through the silence.

"He plans to mark a woman named Elena tomorrow. She's pregnant."

The shock stole my breath.

Who was Elena?

Wait...he was marking her tomorrow?

I froze. The smile on his face looked fake, and my own had gone stiff without me realizing.

It was scorching outside, yet a cold shiver slid down my spine and spread through every inch of me.

I turned inward to my wolf, "Are you sure you heard that right? You silly thing."

Her growl was low.

"Who do you trust, him or me?"

My mind went blank. I'd never had a reason to doubt her.

I tugged at Jace's arm, hoping he would change his mind.

"Can you stay a little longer? I really wanted to get ready for this with you."

He checked his watch, masking the frustration that flashed across his face.

"Go try on the dresses."

But when I came out in a new gown, all I got was a quick kiss.

"I'm sorry, Leah, but I have something very important to take care of. I really have to go."

"All the dresses look great. Buy them all if you like. It's on me."

My eyes burned.

Did he seriously think this was about the dresses?

Tomorrow was our marking ceremony. What the hell was going through his head?

I searched his face for a hint of what he was hiding, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

My wolf had gone silent, reading nothing more.

And then he walked away, leaving me standing there.

"Jace—" I called after him.

He turned, forcing a smile.

"I'm really looking forward to the marking ceremony tomorrow. I love you."

That's when my wolf spoke again.

"Elena's pregnant. She can't get upset. Everything will be fine once she gives birth."

I watched Jace disappear, my thoughts spinning.

My perfectly planned marking ceremony was in trouble. Big trouble.

But crying wouldn't fix anything.

I took a deep breath and dialed a number.

"Robert, I was hoping you could walk me through the marking ceremony details for tomorrow..."

Robert was Jace's best friend and the event planner.

If I could just get him talking, my wolf might pick up more.