Five

My mind was a mess of impossibilities.

A doppelgänger. A fated mate. A kidnapping. My boys.

I had to get back to my boys.

I paced the length of the huge bedroom, my feet sinking into the cream-colored carpet, when I remembered my purse.

My hands trembled as I rummaged past my wallet and keys until my fingers closed around the familiar rectangle of my phone. Just as I pulled it out, it buzzed to life in my palm. Eve’s name flashed across the screen.

I scrambled to the door and pressed my ear against the wood. I twisted the lock. My heart pounded against my ribs as I answered the call.

“Where in the hell are you, Savannah?” Eve’s voice was equal parts annoyed and worried. “You’ve been out for over four hours. Did you find a school, or did you decide to elope?”

Four hours felt like an eternity.

“Eve,” I whispered. “Listen to me. Something’s happened.”

I told her everything. The words spilled out in a jumbled rush. The school. The little girl. The abduction. The mansion. The man who believed I was his missing wife.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Eve interrupted, her voice sharp with alarm. “He abducted you? Did he hurt you? Are you okay? I’m calling Noah. We’re going to the police.”

“No,” I said, panic rising in a fresh wave. “The police can’t help. You don’t understand. This man is powerful. And... and there’s something else.” I took a shaky breath. “We share a bond.”

The shriek on the other end was so piercing I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

“A what?” Eve’s voice was now thick with shock and curiosity. “Okay. Explain. From the beginning. Don't leave anything out.”

So I did. I told her about the pull, the scent of pine and cedar, and his eyes. I told her how they were all treating me like a traumatized mental patient who had lost her memory.

“They think my name is Sasha,” I finished, my voice trembling. “His name is Xavier.”

A dead silence followed. For a terrifying second, I thought the call had dropped.

“Eve? Talk to me,” I pleaded, my agitation growing. “Do you know him? Have you heard that name before?”

Her reply came slowly, each word landing like a stone.

“Savannah... the only Xavier and Sasha I’ve ever heard of are the Alpha and Luna of Wild Fangs. Sasha went missing almost a month ago. On the same day, Xavier was supposed to be inaugurated as the Regional Alpha over six territories.”

The air left my lungs.

Xavier’s immense wealth and the guards calling me Luna clicked into place with a horrifying snap.

“That explains it,” I breathed. “Eve, this house is a fortress. The man is clearly the richest, most powerful wolf I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m grabbing my laptop,” she said. I heard frantic typing. “Okay, I’m sending you a picture. FaceTime. Now.”

My phone buzzed with a video call request. I accepted it, and a news article filled my screen. 

Even in a two-dimensional photo, Xavier's commanding presence was overwhelming. Those intense hazel eyes seemed to pierce right through the screen, into my soul.

I nodded silently. My throat was too tight to speak.

“This is insane,” Eve breathed. “This man isn’t just a big name, Savannah. He’s practically a king. He controls everything.”

“I have to get out of here,” I said. Panic flooded back into my chest. “This is a nightmare. He’s not just some grieving husband. He’s the Alpha of the entire territory.”

But Eve’s tone shifted. The panic faded, replaced by something calculating. Her sudden amusement made my stomach twist.

“No,” she said thoughtfully. “No, you shouldn’t leave. Sav... don’t you see what this is?”

“I see that I’m trapped in a crazy man’s house, and I need to get back to my sons!”

“You’re missing the bigger picture,” she insisted, her voice rising with excitement. “This is your ticket. This is your path to freedom. A new heart for Jermaine. A stable life for your boys. Don’t you see? Fate hasn’t screwed you over. It’s given you a golden opportunity.”

I was floored. “Are you insane? This isn’t about money, Eve. This is someone’s life. His wife is missing.”

“Oh, stop sounding like a saint,” she snapped. “The world hasn’t exactly been kind to you. Sasha is probably dead. And you look exactly like her. Tell me—are you sure it’s just a coincidence? Are you absolutely certain you’re not related?”

I hesitated.

After seeing that portrait, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

“Exactly,” Eve said, seizing on my silence. “I have a feeling something much bigger is going on here, and you’re the only one who can figure it out. You need to stay.”

“Pretending to be a missing Luna is the worst idea in history,” I argued, my voice rising. “They’ll find out. I could be killed.”

“You share a bond with him,” she reminded me. “That has to mean something. That’s your trump card.”

“What if someone from my old pack sees me?” I whispered, the old fear of Ethan coiling in my gut. “What if Ethan recognizes me?”

Eve snorted. “Ethan? That idiot? He was so blinded by his own ego he couldn’t even see the snake sleeping beside him. Don’t worry about him. You’re smarter now.” Her voice turned persuasive. “Think of it as roleplay.”

“Roleplay?”

“Yes. You need to become Sasha. I’ll help you. We’ll find her videos, watch her interviews, and study everything about her. The way she dressed, her friends, her favorite foods. You will own this role, Sav. You will become her.”

The audacity of it left me speechless. “You want me to scam an Alpha? A powerful Alpha with a missing wife and a grieving daughter?”

“No,” Eve said, her voice softening. “I want you to survive. And I want you to give your sons the life they deserve.”

She knew exactly where to strike.

Jermaine. His surgery. My desperate, single-minded goal.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she added before I could respond. “You’re a single mother. In our world, that’s a scandal. He’ll find out.”

“Exactly. He’ll never accept me.”

“You’re being paranoid. He already thinks you have amnesia. It’s the perfect cover. Just try, Savannah. Go along with it for a few days. Find out what you can. Maybe find some money. Some answers. Your boys are safe with me. I’m their second mom. I was planning to resign anyway. This just speeds up the timeline.”

I groaned and sank onto the bed. “You are a terrible friend,” I muttered, though my voice lacked conviction. “You’re going to get me killed.”

Just as she was about to reply, I heard a soft sound in the hallway, followed by the click of the doorknob turning.

My heart leaped into my throat. “He’s coming back,” I whispered.

I ended the call, shoved the phone under the pillow, and sat up straight, trying to arrange my face into an expression of calm confusion.

The door swung open. Xavier stood in the doorway, a hopeful smile on his handsome face.

And all I could think was, Eve is going to get me killed.