Chapter 7

~DANTE~

She was more fragile than I expected. More fragile… and more dangerous.

Camille. My second chance mate.

Her eyes were too wide, too careful. When she pierced them into me, I felt naked. It was as though her eyes had peeled me of everything and could see through the plans I had for her.

And when she spoke back without thinking twice?

That wasn’t the behavior of an innocent woman. It was too chaotic for a woman who had barely escaped death. It was the behavior of someone who had been trained to be a pawn. She was fearless, ready to strike at any second.

And the way she suddenly showed a sign of fear, flinching at every word and asking me not to come closer? None of those looked real. She seemed like one who had been trained to garner empathy from targets rather than one who had truly lived in fear for years.

I couldn’t afford to be careless.

The Silverfang Pack had been testing my borders for months, probing for weaknesses. We had been enemies for years, but they crossed the line five years ago. The Alpha of Silverfang killed my mate—the first and only woman I had loved in my life. She was killed just two days before our wedding ceremony.

Ever since, the enmity we shared only increased. Silverfang knew I would never forgive them, which was the reason they had been finding ways to get through my weaknesses.

Those fools. How could they forget that they had eliminated the only weakness I had? My mate, Kimberly, was my only weakness, and she had been taken away from me.

And then… fate handed me this Omega, washed up half-dead on my shore? No. It was too neat. Too perfect. Too pathetic.

I didn’t trust fate. I didn’t trust her. She was a Silverfang. How did she get to the seashore that belonged to Moonveil Pack? That couldn’t be fate. That was planned. She was a spy sent by the Silverfang Pack.

But gods, the bond. The bond was vicious. Every part of me was awakened.

When she whispered, “Am I alive?” with those whitish, trembling lips, I almost broke. I wanted to kiss her, to stake my claim, to end every fear she carried with a single command: “You’re mine now. And you are safe.”

But safety was a lie. I had no intention of keeping her safe if she turned out to be a spy.

And lies were poison. I would not hesitate to eliminate her if I found out a lie about her.

I touched her as though she were made of glass. I spoke to her softly, like she was a secret the world wasn’t meant to hear. Every softness was calculated. Every smile was a leash. I would let her grow comfortable, let her feel my warmth… because that was when secrets spilled the easiest.

Since I set my eyes on her, though, the mask felt heavier.

When I saw her at the shore three days ago, I immediately felt a sense of attachment toward her, even though she was half-dead and half-alive. Despite knowing she could be the enemy’s trap or a danger, it didn’t stop me from helping her. It didn’t halt me from taking her home and putting her in the care of the special healer. I was tempted to hug her when she finally woke from her deep slumber and let out a sound for the first time. The sense of relief I felt couldn’t be described.

I could swear she had the most monotonous voice on earth. Everything about her screamed perfection. But what a shame! Her perfect mask would be unraveled by me when the time came. For now, I should sit back and allow them to play their games before playing back.

I sat alone in my study, the candlelight flickering across the maps of contested borders. My jaw clenched until it ached.

If Camille was truly his pawn, then she was the sharpest dagger he had ever sent against me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had struck a deal with the Moon Goddess, because how else would I describe this horrible fate?

My wolf howled for her—the same woman I might end up slitting with my sword. My wolf wanted to claim her. He needed her.

I poured a glass of whiskey, staring into the amber liquid.

Mate or spy? Treasure or trap? Fate or façade?

Whatever it may be, I would find out soon enough. I wouldn’t let Silverfang beat me in this game. And if she was both, then the bond would not save her.

I would avenge the precious gift that was snatched away from me years ago.