Chapter 3

Zoe's POV

After my conversation with my father, I immediately went to look for John. 

Since he was the Beta, he was often at the Pack house’s office wing. I was hoping to find him there today as well.

I stepped into his office without knocking and found him sitting in his big chair like he owned the world, a glass of champagne in his hands so early in the morning.

“What’s the occasion for this early celebration?” I asked upset. Heartbreak was one thing, but he had also attacked my only family. 

This was not the man I had fallen in love with all those years ago.

“Who allowed you to come in? You, like everyone else, need an appointment for a trip to the Beta’s office. You can’t just drop in like this!” John stood up, daring to act disrespectedly.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, my mind racing but struggling to find the right words. My heart was shattered, and the frustration made it hard to think straight.

"What am I doing?" He leaned against the big wooden table, acting like he had no idea what I was talking about.

"What did we ever do to you for you to pull this crap? My dad didn’t steal that money, and you know it! So why are you setting him up?" I almost shouted.

He gently placed his glass on the table and then marched towards her in anger, grabbed me roughly by my arms, and pulled me closer to growl in pure malicious anger, “Lower your danm voice!” Then pushed me away to claim, “I did not do anything, yet.”

He circled back to his desk and picked up his glass, toasting to my misery, “You were only a stepping stone, love. Don’t take it personally. I had to become the Beta. You were ex-Beta’s daughter. It was all fun and games. My chosen mate could not be anyone less than Alpha blood. Someone like, Alyssa. She is pretty, belongs to a strong family, and most importantly, she is the daughter of the Alpha of her pack. The one with the Alpha blood, who could give me Alpha-blooded pups.” He sipped in triumph as I staggered back.

“But then, why frame my dad?” I whispered in disbelief.

“Why? Well, isn’t it obvious? I needed money to woo my lady, and somebody had to take the fall, right?” But he wasn’t done yet, “By the way, I have some good news to share.” He went to open a drawer from his desk, took out a card, and handed it to me, “I was going to send it to you by mail but since you are already here, you might as well take it now.”

I opened the card to find out that it was an engagement invitation for John and Alyssa’s wedding in a few days.

That was the last straw.

With my blood boiling, I gave in to my intrusive thoughts, gathered my courage and pain, and slapped him hard on his cheek.

For a second, he was too stunned to react.

Without waiting for him to respond I marched out of the room barely holding in my rage and pain.

All the way home I kept thinking about ways I could save my father from going to the dungeons from where no one had ever returned. He had told me that only the Werewolf council could find out the truth. 

I kept planning on how and when to beg the council to start an honest investigation into my father’s unjust arrest. As I reached home, my phone rang. It was Maisy.

“Hey, girl. You cut off the call so abruptly in the morning. I was so worried.”

“Hey. Yeah, Sorry to worry you. I went to the pack house to confirm everything.”

“And?”

“And it’s all true. John broke up with me last night, he had been cheating on me with the new girl Alyssa and he embezzled the pack finances and framed my dad. We have no proof.”

“That backstabbing bast-ard!

I'm coming to your house now.”

“Thank you. Hon.”

In a few minutes, the two of us were sitting in my lounge where Maisy had big information for me.

"The Werewolf Council will be at John and Alyssa's engagement party," Maisy said urgently, grabbing my arm. "Alyssa's brother is rumored to be both a council member and an Alpha of a key ally pack. This is our chance!"

I stiffened. "To do what? Get myself killed?"

"To clear your father's name!" Maisy's nails dug into my skin. "The council actually listens to allied Alphas. If we can get proof of John's crimes to Alyssa's brother..."

The ice in my drink cracked as I clenched the glass. Images flashed—my father's bloody cell, John's smug smile when they dragged me from the pack.

"They'll tear me apart on sight," I whispered.

"Not if we use this." Maisy slid a silver invitation across the table. "Alyssa sent it 'by mistake.' She wants to gloat. Let her."

The engraved letters blurred as I traced John's name. Every instinct screamed run.

Then I heard my father's last words before the arrest: "Truth survives where wolves don't."

"Fine, let’s go there. " I said, snapping the invitation shut. Despite myself and my pain, I decided to attend the engagement.

###

Finally, it was the day of engagement.

John had not called or even texted me since our breakup. It was like he didn’t need time to move on since he never truly cared for me. I was the only one stu-pid enough to believe his lies.

I chose an elegant, backless, knee-length, black dress that accentuated my waist and flattered my lean figure, hugging my upper body and flowing like a flower downwards. I put my hair to a side, showing off my under-cut on one side of my head, and wore glittery black high heels that pulled focus to my long legs. I applied light makeup and was ready to go on my mission to save my father.

I had refused to sit and cry for an a-hole like John. I had chosen to lock my pain and use it later to make sure he felt the same as he had made me feel.

Despite all my preparations, when John slid his ring on Alyssa’s perfect finger and then kissed her in front of the clapping audience, it still hurt me. I turned around and headed straight for the bar or-dering myself a neat whiskey. I needed to drown my sorrows.

One after another I downed the drinks until I couldn’t see clearly.

I saw John in the distance and decided to give him a piece of my mind. I stumbled in his direction but instead bumped into someone and was headed for the ground but the stranger enveloped me in his arms and saved me from falling down.

I looked up apologizing, into his stormy grey eyes and felt instantly drawn to him. The mysterious stranger wearing an expensive tux and an alluring cologne steadied me on my feet before looking me up and down, assessing me.

---

“Care to join me for a drink?” he asked, as if this dull evening could be slightly salvaged by spending a moment with me, the girl who looked so out of place.

“Sure,” I replied without thinking.

If John could cheat on me with another woman, why couldn’t I have a drink with this handsome stranger? His jawline was so sharp it could cut through steel. Even though I’d already had more to drink tonight than I ever had in one sitting, it still wasn’t enough to numb the pain. Not even close.

He led us to the bar, and I or-dered the same thing I’d been drinking all night: “Whiskey, neat.”

“A woman of class, I see,” he remarked, or-dering the same for himself.

When the drinks arrived, he reached out to slide my glass closer to me. That’s when I noticed the edge of a tattoo sleeve peeking out from under his tuxedo jacket. John didn’t have tattoos. Not a single one. I’d even told him once how much I liked them, how I’d wanted us to get matching ones. Now, I was glad we never did. It would’ve hurt even more to see that reminder of him.

I took a large sip from my glass, my eyes flickering over to him. That’s when I caught sight of a shiny pin on his coat. It read: ‘Werewolf Council - Alpha Shaw’.