Chapter 1

I watched Jared Hamilton tangled up with Luciana Rose in the crystal orb. One of them was my mate, and the other was my best friend. Every drop of blood in my body seemed to freeze.

I sat on the couch, as though my soul had been ripped out of my body, and stared blankly ahead. The imagery in the orb continued playing, and I couldn't quite look away as they kissed their way from the living room to the bedroom.

He pushed her down on the bed, fingers sliding over her clothes like he had done a thousand times. "Can we do it tonight?"

She pretended to blush, covering her eyes with the tips of her fingers. "At this point? Just do it already."

Their bodies tangled together, and every moment of witnessing it was a blade twisting deeper into my heart.

When Jared and I first got together, I even introduced Luciana to him. Before meeting her, I had told him, "She's my best friend. We basically grew up together, and I trust her with everything. If she approves of you, our bond will only be stronger."

He had put on the perfect smile and promised me. "I'll make sure of it. Consider it done."

I had gone with him to buy gifts, arms full of bags, as we sat outside a cozy cafe waiting. The moment Jared saw Luciana, his eyes widened—just for a heartbeat—before he snapped back and greeted her with a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jared Hamilton, Monica's mate."

Luciana dropped her usual gentle, sweet act in an instant. The first look she gave him was pure hostility.

"I don't care if you're an Alpha. I'm not convinced you can take care of her. I know just how debauched you Alphas can be behind closed doors. Who knows how many women you've got on the side?"

Back then, I wanted so badly to defend him and tell her that Jared wasn't like the others. Before I could say anything, though, Luciana dragged me away. The whole meeting ended up a mess.

I couldn't understand why she disliked him so much just from a first impression, but then, watching them wrapped around each other in the vision, I finally understood.

After they finished, Luciana curled into Jared's arms and asked softly, "Do you really only love me? What if you fall for someone else?"

Without missing a beat, he answered, "Never. You're the only one I'll ever love, Luciana."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears broke through like a dam bursting, and I cried so hard my chest felt like it was splitting open. I couldn't remember what happened next, as I felt like I had lost all my senses.

It wasn't until the light snapped on that I finally came back to myself. From the doorway came Jared's quizzical voice. "Monica? Why are you sitting on the floor?"

He walked closer, only to be caught off guard when he saw how swollen and puffy my eyes were from crying. He quickly rushed over without kicking off his shoes, then crouched in front of me to gently wipe off my tears.

"Hey… Why are you crying? What happened? You can tell me. Whatever it is, you know I can take care of it."

His voice was so tender and delicate that it almost made me believe he still loved me. For a stupid, desperate moment, I wondered if the crystal orb had glitched.

He continued, "I'm your anchor. You can count on me for anything—always."