Chapter 2

"Surprise!"

Elias eagerly threw open the doors. The hall was decorated with lilies of the valley, my favorite flowers.

He held out a beautiful gift box.

"Open it, Layla. I promise you're going to be so happy when you see what's inside."

When I didn't react, Elias opened the box himself. Inside was a bracer made from the rare giant-bear hide I'd always wanted but had never been able to obtain.

"Layla, let me put it on you!"

With that, he slid the bracer onto my wrist.

As I looked at the gift I'd wanted for so long, I wondered if he'd acted on impulse and let the former Alpha talk him into taking Morwen as his mate.

"Layla, Elias nearly got himself killed on Great Bear Ridge to get you this gift! So what did you get him?"

Kyle Barrett, one of Elias's closest friends, jerked his chin at me.

He'd always thought that because I hadn't been born into the pack, I wasn't good enough for Elias.

"Layla, I'll do anything for you as long as it's something you want." Elias pulled me close and kissed my forehead.

Just then, Kyle spotted the box sticking out of my pocket and snatched it.

It was a necklace made from a toe bone!

A murmur went through the crowd. "She really took a bone out of her own body."

When Elias saw the necklace, he took it with obvious delight and turned it over and over in his hands.

He pulled me into a tender hug. "Sweetheart, you really gave up one of your own toe bones for me? I was only joking. How could you take it seriously? I'd love anything you gave me."

I was about to explain.

"Elias, you won the bet. This power stone is yours!"

Morwen had appeared behind us out of nowhere. She pulled out a golden power stone and tossed it to Elias.

"Won the bet? Elias, what did you bet on?" I had a bad feeling.

"Everyone's just joking. Nothing—"

Before he could finish, Morwen cut in. "You still don't know, Layla? Elias made a bet with me. If you really took out one of your own toe bones to make him a necklace, I'd give him this rare power stone."

"Shut up, Morwen. Stop talking nonsense!"

There was an edge of anger in Elias's voice, but the panic in his eyes confirmed that Morwen was telling the truth.

Another stone.

For a moonstone, he'd sleep with Morwen. For a power stone, he'd bet on whether I would mutilate myself for him.

I finally understood. What he wanted had never been just strength. It was anything that could make him stronger.

And I was just one more of those things.

Again and again, my husband had used me, sacrificed me, and even hurt me, all to make himself stronger.

"Nonsense? Everyone here can back me up. Right, Kyle?" Morwen turned to Kyle and arched an eyebrow.

"She's right, Elias. Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

Kyle glanced at the toe-bone necklace and gave me a scornful smile. "Layla, I guess you're good for something after all. At least you got Elias a power stone."

He leaned in close to my ear and murmured, "Quit dreaming. A low-ranking Omega like you could never be good enough for an Alpha. If you know what's good for you, you'll let him go and leave the pack."

"Shut up, Kyle!"

Elias cut him off, then quickly took my hand.

"Layla, let me explain. I never thought you'd actually—"

"Enough!"

I cut him off.

"So you only wanted that toe-bone necklace because of the bet! You really didn't think I'd do it, Elias? Then why did you keep asking me about it every single day?"

Seeing his panic, I smiled bitterly at my own foolishness.

For days, he'd kept telling me he'd heard that a husband who wore a necklace made from a loved one's toe bone would be protected for life.

So all that talk had been for a power stone I barely cared about.

Luckily, I knew a werewolf's strength came from their bones. Those bones were the foundation of our ability to hunt and fight, so I would never risk damaging mine. The toe bone I'd used came from a giant fox I'd hunted.

I'd even sought the Moon Goddess's blessing to keep him safe. Thinking about that now made my heart ache.

"It's not like that, Layla. I just..."

"Stop making excuses, Elias! It's over between us."