Chapter 4 - Raine's POV

"Raine, pick up the phone!" Torin’s voice crackled through the speaker, sounding breathless and desperate. "You have to let me explain. It’s not what it looks like."

I stared at the blinking timer on the call screen. "Save your breath, Torin. I’m done. We’re over."

"What? No! Raine, listen to me," he pleaded, his tone shifting into that slick, manipulative register I used to mistake for passion. "The marriage to Twyla is just business. It’s an alliance my family forced on me. I’m going to end it as soon as the contracts are signed. You’re the only woman I actually love. Just give me one more chance to fix this."

A sharp, jagged laugh escaped my throat. It tasted like copper. "A family alliance? Do you actually think I’m that stupid, Torin?"

"Watch your tone," he snapped, his true colors bleeding through the cracks of his apology. "I’m a Wright. I have noble blood in my veins. You’re just a pathetic, unranked omega. You should be thanking your lucky stars I ever looked at you twice."

I gripped the phone tighter, my knuckles turning white.

"Twyla’s father is a powerhouse Beta from the Nexus Pack," Torin continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. "The fact that I’m even talking to you right now proves how generous I am. If you had any sense, you’d realize that being my mistress is the best life you could ever hope for."

I didn’t just laugh this time. I howled. The sheer absurdity of his ego was better than any comedy.

"What is so funny?" he barked.

"I’m laughing because you’re a joke," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I’m laughing because you’re a small, weak coward who thinks he’s a king. Your head is so far up your own ass you can’t even smell the garbage you're spewing."

"You little bi - "

I ended the call before he could finish. My thumb moved with surgical precision as I blocked his number and deleted every trace of him from my contacts.

I leaned against the wall and took a slow, shaky breath. My heart was thudding against my ribs, but for the first time in five years, it didn't feel like it was breaking. It felt like it was waking up. I dialed Zanna.

"Raine? Oh thank god," Zanna said, her voice thick with worry. "I just saw the headlines. Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm fine," I said, surprised by the stability in my own voice. "I finally took out the trash. Weren't you supposed to be in Paris?"

"I caught the first flight home the second I saw the news. I'm landing soon. I sent you a pin for dinner tomorrow night. Do not even think about cancelling on me."

I looked at the address. It was The Chrome Talon, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. It was funny, really. Everyone assumed I was a penniless nobody, but I was one of the silent investors who had funded that place.

The next evening, I took my time getting ready. I ditched the baggy, plain sweaters Torin always insisted I wear and slipped into a silk dress that hugged every curve he’d tried to make me hide. When I walked toward the restaurant entrance, I felt the weight of every gaze in the lobby.

Unfortunately, two of those eyes belonged to Torin.

He was standing near the host stand with Twyla clinging to his arm. A thick white bandage was wrapped around his forehead, though I had no idea who had finally clocked him. When he saw me, his jaw dropped. Twyla noticed his distraction immediately, and her face twisted into a mask of pure spite.

"This is a high-end establishment, Raine," she said, her voice loud enough to make the surrounding couples turn and stare. "It isn't a place for stray dogs to wander in. It’s pathetic that you followed us here. Torin is my husband now. Stalking a married man is a new low, even for you."

I kept my back straight and my chin up. "The world doesn't revolve around you two. Move. You're blocking the path."

Torin opened his mouth, looking like a fish gasping for air, but no sound came out.

"As if you could afford a glass of water in this place," Twyla sneered, stepping closer. Her perfume was cloying and cheap. "Everyone knows you’re obsessed with him. You’re just a desperate slut trying to find a way back into his bed."

Torin stood there like a statue. He didn't defend me. He didn't tell her to stop. He just watched, his eyes roaming over my body with a hunger that made my skin crawl. Inside me, my wolf, Tyra, paced with bared teeth. She was done being silent.

I didn't yell. I didn't cry. I simply stepped forward and swung my hand.

CRACK.

The sound of my palm hitting her cheek echoed off the marble walls. Twyla stumbled back, her hand flying to her face as a bright red mark bloomed on her skin.

"That’s for the insults," I said, my voice ice-cold. "And for the record, I’m not stalking you. I’m celebrating the fact that I finally stopped wasting my life on a coward. Torin, we are done. If either of you ever breathes in my direction again, a slap will be the kindest thing I do to you."

I brushed past them, gave the hostess my name, and was led straight to a private VIP suite. I could feel Torin’s stare burning into the back of my neck. Even through our dying bond, I could feel his confusion. He thought I was beautiful tonight. He probably thought I was doing this to win him back.

He really didn't get it. He thought he was doing me a favor by offering me a life in the shadows. He thought I should be grateful for the crumbs of his affection while he played house with a woman he didn't even like.

I sat in the plush velvet chair and waited. Ten minutes later, the door burst open.

"I am so sorry!" Zanna panted, tossing her designer coat onto the sofa. "The airport traffic was a nightmare."

I smiled, and this time, it reached my eyes. "It's okay. I had a bit of a show in the lobby to keep me entertained."

Zanna started pulling boxes out of a shopping bag. "Forget the lobby. Look at these! I found this necklace in a boutique in Zuker and knew it was yours. And this silk scarf? It matches your eyes perfectly."

I looked at the gifts, my throat tightening. This was what loyalty looked like. Not contracts or alliances, but someone thinking of you from three thousand miles away.

"Thank you, Zanna. Seriously."

"Oh, hush. We're having expensive wine, and then we're going to that new club downtown," she said, leaning in with a devious grin. "I know some models who are dying to meet a girl like you. They make Torin look like a gargoyle."

We spent the next hour laughing and eating. It was the most peace I’d felt in years. Eventually, I excused myself to use the restroom.

I was at the sink, washing my hands, when the door behind me swung shut. Before I could turn, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist.

"Raine," Torin whispered. He smelled like expensive scotch and desperation. "Why did you block me? I know you're just hurting. You still love me, don't you?"

His grip tightened, his fingers digging into my hips.

"You have to understand the pressure I'm under," he groaned into my hair. "My position in the pack is shaky. My half-brother is circling like a vulture. Once I secure my spot, I’ll get rid of Twyla. We can have everything we talked about. We can have pups. Just wait for me."

I felt a wave of pure nausea. "Get your hands off me, Torin."

"Are you still playing hard to get?" He spun me around, pinning my back against the cold tile wall. His eyes were bloodshot and frantic. He tried to lean in for a kiss, but I jerked my head away.

That’s when he saw it. The dark, purple-red mark on the side of my neck that Xavier had left behind.

Torin froze. His gaze locked onto the bruise, his face turning a sickly shade of gray before erupting into a deep, furious red. "What the hell is that on your neck?"

"It's exactly what it looks like," I said. "A mark from a real man."

"You’re lying!" Torin screamed, his voice cracking. "You wouldn't do that! I’m your boyfriend! You’re just trying to get back at me."

He slammed his hands against the wall on either side of my head. "For five years, I stayed away from you. I didn't touch you because I wanted to keep you pure. And you go and throw it away on some random stranger? You want to be a whore? Fine. I’ll give you what you want right now."

He lunged at me, his hands fumbling for the zipper of my dress. He wasn't looking for love; he was looking for proof. He wanted to see if I was 'ruined.'

"Stop it!" I shoved at his chest, but he was fueled by a mix of alcohol and Alpha rage.

"You're mine, Raine! I’m the only one who gets to touch you!"

Suddenly, the door didn't just open - it practically flew off its hinges. A massive hand reached in, grabbed Torin by the collar of his suit, and ripped him backward with enough force to send him flying across the room.

I looked up, my breath catching in my throat.

Xavier stood in the doorway. He looked like a god of war carved out of granite, his eyes glowing with a dark, predatory light that made the air in the room turn heavy.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Torin spat, scrambling to his feet. Then, he looked at Xavier's face, and all the color drained from his skin.

"I’m the man who is going to kill you if you don't start running," Xavier said.