Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Tessalyn's POV

My sister-in-law was wearing my lace lingerie. The same red silk nightdress I’d laid out for my anniversary with my husband tonight.

For the first few seconds, nothing clicked. My brain was blank as I stared, not quite believing the sight before me.

Selin with damp hair curled around her shoulders. My nightdress wrapped around her skin seductively, and her eyes, triumphant. Like she’d just walked out of my bedroom.

“Oh, Tessy.” She purred, mispronouncing my name for the hundredth time. “I didn't know you were home.”

I lost it.

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

For too long I’d had to endure this little witch while she inched closer and closer to my husband. It didn’t matter that Kaan had marked or made me his Luna three years ago. Ever since Selin’s own husband had died a year ago, she’d been hell-bent on making my husband hers.

Before she could answer, my husband entered the living room, crossing to me with a smile and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

But my spine went rigid and I pulled away. “Kaan. What is she doing in our house?”

Today was our anniversary. Like always, I’d left home for the pack office and worked all day planning a surprise for Kaan. But this year’s was different. The evidence, an ultrasound scan in my bag, I’d held on to all the way here.

I’d been so excited to show my husband and finally tell him about our pup. That I didn’t register that we a guest until I walked into a cloud of floral perfume.

“I ran into Selin on my way back from the meeting,” Kaan explained calmly. “She was caught in the rain and completely soaked, so I brought her home to dry her clothes.”

“You brought her home to dry her clothes,” I repeated. Biting my tongue before I spat what was really on my mind.

What part of bringing her here to dry her clothes gave her a right to our bedroom or the lingerie I’d laid on the bed?

Kaan’s eyes moved to her as though he’d only just noticed what she wore.

But Selin must have seen something in my expression because she quickly ducked her head. "I—the housekeeper gave me this dress. I should—I'll change back into my wet clothes immediately. I’m so sorry, Luna. I know how this must look—"

“It doesn’t look like anything.” Kaan cut her off firmly. “It looks like an Alpha helping the widow of his fallen brother. Nothing more.”

And that was the problem, wasn’t it?

My stomach twisted as I held in a breath.

Ever since Selin’s husband died protecting Kaan in battle, my husband had taken it upon himself to personally look after his brother’s mate.

And I understood. Truly.

As an orphan, I knew firsthand how hard it was to be lonely, so I’d been sympathetic. I’d even liked Selin at first.

But she had no concept of boundaries. Time and time again, she had consistently crossed the line. But this– this was new even for her.

“It was foolish of me to come here.” She sniffled meekly and coughed. “I- I don’t want to cause trouble between you.”

With that, she bowed her head and left the room.

Once Selin left, I let out the first full breath since I’d seen her and exploded.

“What the hell was that?”

“What do you mean?” Kaan paused, his face surprised at my outburst. “Is this because of the dress?” Then his face tightened with disappointment. “I can’t believe you’re this angry over a piece of clothing.”

What?

“Selin went into our bedroom, Kaan. She took something I had laid out for—”

“You need to stop.” He cut me off firmly. “Selin is all alone because her husband died protecting me. I’m the last family she has, and I have a responsibility to look after her.

Should I have left her shivering in the rain?”

“It’s not just about picking her from the rain!” I hissed. “Do you even realize today is— “

“Tessa, enough.” My stomach dropped as his voice hardened into the commanding tone he used with disobedient pack members. “Selin has lost enough. Stop treating her like an enemy every time she comes near me.”

Just then, Selin came in again.

This time, in a thin T-shirt dress that clung to her still-damp body.

To anyone with eyes, she looked pitiful. Reinforcing Kaan’s belief that I was bullying her.

With a sigh, I moved to hand her a blanket from the couch.

But then she sneezed loudly and faster than I could move, Kaan left my side, took off his jacket, and carefully draped it over her shoulders.

The exact jacket I had custom-made and gifted him for our anniversary last year—the one he swore he would never take off.

“You need to be more careful.”

I watched, frozen in absolute disbelief as he chided her gently. “You’ve only just recovered from your heat, and your body is still weak.”

Heat?

A low ringing sound started in my head. Since when did my husband track another woman's heat cycle?

I smelled my husband’s scent on the jacket mixed with the floral notes of Selin’s perfume, and I felt suddenly sick.

“Thank you, Alpha.” Selin sniffled. Placing her hand over his. "I—I don’t know how I’d have survived without you.”

Her lashes fluttered down slightly, then in an innocent voice, she praised. “You’re so lucky, Tessy. Most wolfless women spend their lives as pack outcasts. But you’re living well as the Luna.” She smiled softly. "With the Alpha beside you, you must feel so safe.”

How was I to respond to that or the scene before me?

Her hand was still on Kaan’s hand, and he hadn’t pulled away.

“I’d better go.” Selin chuckled awkwardly. “I just— I’m a little scared of being followed home. But I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m probably just imagining things.”

“No.” Kaan frowned immediately. “I’ll take you home and have more guards stationed around the house.”

He was leaving? On our anniversary night?

The gut punch in my stomach deepened.

“Kaan, wait.” I caught his wrist, pleadingly. “I have something important to tell you tonight. I’ve been waiting to tell you. Please– please don’t go.”

He paused for a suspended moment as something softened in his expression. Then he squeezed my hand with a sigh. “I’ll be back on time.”

There was nothing I could do as they left together.

Several hours after they’d gone. I sat at the dining table in a different nightdress. Holding my pregnancy scan as I stared at the empty chair opposite me.

The house was fully decorated now. Everything prepared for our anniversary night and the good news I had to tell Kaan. Everything was ready except my husband. He still hadn’t returned.

With an irritated sigh, I caved and called his phone.

It rang for some seconds before the call clicked, and Selin’s voice filled the phone. “Hello? Who’s this?”

She asked, even though the caller ID must have clearly shown I was calling.

For a second, I pinched the bridge of my nose. Fighting my annoyance as I breathed slowly. “Selin. Why are you answering my husband’s phone?"

“Oh,” she replied lightly. “He’s been so kind. I became frightened after we arrived, and he stayed back with me because he doesn’t want me to overthink things.

“Selin.” I drew out through clenched teeth. “Give my husband the phone.”

Her reply was cut off by the sound of Kaan’s voice filling the background. “I should leave now. “Tessa is waiting for me.”

My chest still felt tight, but I moved to end the call when I heard Selin faintly ask.

“Before you go, are you attending the annual gathering tonight? The border warriors have been asking about you.”

I felt my entire body flood with ice.

“I was hoping you might come,” Selin continued softly. “You haven’t attended in years, and some of them are beginning to think their Alpha has forgotten them. Besides,the bar is so close to the border, and after that night… I just hate going there alone.”

My grip on my phone tightened as I heard my husband hesitate.

No. Kaan wouldn’t go. He wouldn’t.

But my heart was pounding, and I knew before I heard his sigh of agreement.

Things had changed.

The call went dead then, and I stared at my phone motionless.

On cue, my phone screen buzzed with a text.

"Sorry, baby, I won’t be home tonight. Something urgent came up with Selin at the border camp, I have to sort it out. Don't wait up for me, eat dinner and go to sleep. Love you.”