Chapter 1

Dominic Knight looked every bit the part of an Alpha heir in his perfectly tailored suit, his tall, lean frame exuding an unmistakable presence.

When I walked into the banquet with my arm linked through his, countless people looked at us with envy.

A few she-wolves winked at me and laughed.

"You two are absolutely perfect together. You're the Alpha heir's fated mate, after all."

But I only tugged the corners of my lips into a smile, bitterness spreading through my chest.

From the moment we entered the banquet, Dominic's attention wasn't on me. He kept his head lowered, staring at his phone, opening and closing it every few moments.

I handed him a glass of champagne. He took it but didn't drink.

His eyes remained fixed on the screen. He didn't even notice when the glass began to tilt in his hand.

I knew who he was waiting for.

Sloan Daniel, the Omega our pack had taken in two years ago. Her parents had both been killed by rogues, and she'd barely survived herself.

At first, Dominic had only admired her courage as an Omega.

But later, he started teaching her how to hunt, having dinner with her, and even giving her the birthday present he'd prepared for me in advance.

There were always she-wolves looking at me with pity.

I had cried and fought with him over it again and again, only to be met with his favoritism every single time.

Dominic had said, "Sloan is all alone. She's had it so hard. I'm just taking care of her. Stop making a fuss over nothing."

Fine. This time, I wouldn't make a fuss.

Five minutes after the dance began, Sloan arrived. She was wearing a red velvet gown with a trailing hem. The fabric looked a little cheap, but she'd clearly put a lot of effort into getting dressed up. She looked completely different from her usual plain appearance.

The moment Dominic saw her, a smile appeared on his face. It was exactly the same smile he'd worn when he'd confessed his feelings to me—admiration, heat, and the faintest hint of affection.

"If you hadn't come soon, I would've gone to get you myself." He visibly relaxed, as though he'd been afraid she wouldn't show up.

Sloan raised a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Shyly, she pulled out a small box and said softly, "I dressed up for the dance. This is for you."

Dominic opened it.

Inside was a black onyx cufflink that had no shine to it and looked like something cheap. He took it out, pleasantly surprised.

"You even had our initials engraved on it!"

Sloan nodded, her cheeks turning faintly pink.

Dominic's delight was impossible to miss. He reached up and removed the wolf-engraved cufflink from his sleeve, the one I'd given him. I'd won it at an auction, a one-of-a-kind piece, and then personally engraved the wolf on it. I'd stayed up for several nights to finish it.

On his birthday, surrounded by expensive gifts, mine was the one he'd loved the most.

I'd asked him, "It's just a cufflink. Do you really like it that much?"

He'd said, "Of course I do. You gave it to me. I'm going to wear it for the rest of my life."

Now he'd taken it off without a second thought.

He put on the ordinary cufflink instead, smiling so broadly the corners of his eyes lifted.

I stared at the wolf cufflink he'd taken off, my heart feeling as though someone had given it a gentle squeeze.

It didn't hurt. It just felt heavy.

I looked away. I didn't want to see it anymore.

"Adelaide Reynolds." Dominic sounded so pleased, as though he were mentioning something completely ordinary. "I want to dance with Sloan."

Before I could say anything, Sloan spoke, "Dominic, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

She lifted her eyes slightly. Her voice carried a hint of hesitation, but her eyes were filled with anticipation. "After all, Adelaide is your mate. You should dance the first dance with her."

As she spoke, her gaze briefly swept over me before settling on Dominic.

There was a trace of contempt in her eyes. She thought she'd hidden it well.

She hadn't. It was perfectly clear.

Dominic didn't look at Sloan. He looked at me instead, waiting for me to react the way I had last time.

The last time I'd seen him let Sloan ride in the passenger seat of his car and drive her home.

The last time I'd frowned and demanded to know what was going on, losing my temper with him.

"Sloan doesn't have many friends, and she's too timid to ask anyone else to dance," he explained casually, trying to get me to give in first.

"You're kindhearted. You wouldn't want to see her standing alone in the corner while everyone else has a dance partner and she doesn't, would you?"