Chapter 1

Zoe Simmons

My mind was wrapped up in the thoughts about my fiancé, John as I walked into the large auditorium that we used for pack meetings. Here at the Silver Moon Pack, we are always accepting new members in attempts to grow our pack. It was one of the few things we did that made our pack different from others. Some of the surrounding packs thought of us as the “pack of misfits,” but that didn’t stop my father from being the welcoming man that he was.

Being the Ex-Beta’s daughter of the pack had its perks but also downfalls. I bowed my head in thought— When I turned sixteen, I expected to meet my amazing wolf, but to everyone’s surprise, she was a no-show.

Yet at eighteen, I was still human. No wolf. No shift. Just silence where my other half should be.

A rustle in the distance made me tense, but before I could react, a deep voice cut through the icy morning air.

"Zoe."

I turned to see John, my boyfriend, standing at the edge of the trees. His usual warm smile was gone, replaced by something unreadable. He stood stiffly, his eyes shadowed.

I went to kiss him but he just hugged me.

He hesitated, "Please seat down. There's... someone you need to meet."

Something was wrong. I could feel it deep down. And as I followed him back toward the pack house, I had no idea my world was about to fall apart.

There were many esteemed members of the pack. Some lower-status wolves and I joined for certain announcement meetings only, like today.

Once the Alpha and Luna of our pack arrived with a guest the meeting started. We all sat in specified seats. Due to my status being lower and my lack of a wolf, I sat farther down the table, while John being the new beta sat to the right of the Alpha and Luna, who were at the head of the table.

The guest sat beside John. She was introduced to be sister of the Alpha of an important Ally Pack, the Blood Cresent Pack. She was sent to bring the two packs closer together and act as a bond between the packs. Her name was Alyssa.

Alyssa was a gorgeous twenty-three-year-old bleached-blonde girl with a perfect hourglass figure accentuated by her tight black tube dress, that showed off her beautiful legs. She had walked in perfect heels like a runway supermodel.

The meeting began and the topics shifted from one to the next according to their importance.

Despite being comfortable in my relationship, I couldn’t help but notice how John leaned in to talk to Alyssa throughout the meeting. The way he smiled when he talked to her softly, to avoid disrupting the meeting. The way he looked at her legs and dress.

I was not insecure but I knew I’d rather talk to him when we got home today.

He had to stay at the pack house till late for some work so I returned home alone. I had a plan.

I went to my room and chose the red lace lingerie that Maisy, my best friend, had chosen for me when I had first gone out with John years ago. That was before I knew I had not been granted a wolf.

John and I had been together for years but he had never shown too much affection. I always thought he wanted to wait and see if we were mates which could only happen when I got my wolf. We had kissed many times before but never slept together even though we lived in the same house.

I was going to change that today.

I put on some makeup and attached my long sexy stockings with a garter belt. The dress and I were ready. I waited on the couch for John to come home.

He came back late. I sat up straight as I heard his keys in the door. I was ready to surprise him and see his reaction. He walked in and glanced once at me. Nodded with a, ‘I’m going to my study, don’t disturb.’

I was so upset. I knew I was not ug-ly. I had several boys ask me for prom the day it was announced. And since then, I have to keep telling boys who approach me that I am taken. Surely that accounted for something.

John had locked his study door like always. Since he became the new Beta of the pack, he had been spending all his evenings in the study and only came to sleep after I had already gone to bed. But I had had enough. So I dared to sneak closer to his study door. I didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping, but when I heard him talk inside, I had to hear it.

“Be patient, I'll stay with you this whole weekend and I'll see you tonight. Alyssa.” John was definitely talking on the phone.

Wait, did he say Alyssa? Was it the same Alyssa who had joined our pack today? The gorgeous one we met at the meeting? The one John couldn’t keep his eyes off of?

I had a pit in my stomach.

Something was very wrong.

I barely made it back to the living area and plopped on the couch.

It couldn’t be true, right? John loved me. He had been with me despite the fact that I didn’t get my wolf at sixteen, four years ago.

Five minutes later he walked out of the study, hair combed and clad in a new shirt, “I’ve got some business to attend tonight. You are on your own for dinner.” And just like that, he grabbed his keys and left.

I was stunned. What had happened?

My mind was creating awful scenarios. John was loyal to me all these years. I hadn’t given him any reason to act otherwise. I had been expecting to get engaged in a year or two.

I paced the living room, tense. Something went off in my head.

I made a decision.

If John were to act suspiciously, I would do what is done to suspicious people.

I rushed to grab my keys. On the spur of the moment, I made the bold decision to follow my boyfriend. I kept telling myself that once I saw John meeting with elders of the pack or his friends for whatever business, I’d feel better and could come back to cook something for a solo dinner.

I followed John’s car to a hotel and waited as he stepped out of his car.

In less than a minute a tall blonde rushed at him and jumped right into his arms. He held her and spun her around before placing her on the floor and kissing her like he had never kissed me before.

The night’s cold air nipped at my skin through my thin dress but I didn’t care. My blood was boiling. I walked closer to confirm that it indeed was Alyssa from the meeting today.

“John!” I shouted to get their attention. I didn’t care how ridiculous I looked.

John was clearly not expecting to see me. The surprise on his face was the confession of his guilt. “What are you doing here?” He asked keeping his hands flippantly on Alyssa’s perfect as-s in front of me.

Tears burned my eyes as I asked in a desperate tone, “Is this what your business is?”