Chapter 2

Jessa had barely settled in before she started causing trouble.

A few pack members close to me didn't like that she'd taken my room, and they let it show at the communal meal.

She threw down the clay bowl of meat and flung herself into Aiken's arms, her eyes red.

"I know I don't belong here." Her voice trembled as she put on her most pitiful expression. "But Mira, why would you send them after me like this?"

"What are you talking about?" The accusation caught me off guard. I turned to Alice.

"She said the meat was overcooked today," Alice said with a snort. "I told her to eat it or get out."

"Enough!" Aiken cut Alice off sharply, then turned to me. "Mira."

His voice turned cold, heavy with disappointment. "Why did you have Alice and the others freeze her out?"

"I didn't!" That was the truth.

I didn't like Jessa, but I would never go after her that way.

Aiken didn't believe me.

He shook his head. "Remember when I first came to this pack? The pups all looked down on me for being weak. Behind my back, they called me the crippled mongrel. You stood there with that same look on your face, as if none of it had anything to do with you."

His eyes went red, and he stared straight at me. "You didn't do a thing, did you? You watched them treat a rogue Omega like that, and you never once stopped them."

"Or is all that kindness and decency of yours something you put on for me?"

His shouting stunned me. I stood frozen, staring at him.

"Apologize to her!" Aiken's chest heaved as he released his Alpha aura, and the wolves around us began to tremble.

I fought to stay upright, but his aura pressed down on me like a mountain, forcing me to bend over.

My knee gave out, and I hit the ground hard on it.

A spear of pain shot through it.

The air around us seemed to turn solid.

Many pack members knew about my old knee injury. They looked at me with pity, but not one of them dared speak up for me.

Aiken seemed to realize he'd gone too far.

He gave the crowd one quick look, picked Jessa up and walked away.

"You're the one who brought him home. How can he act like this now?" Alice was angry enough to hit the table. "You're the strongest fighter in this pack."

What Alice said reminded me of something.

I became a fighter at ten. At twelve, I brought down a white bear alone. At thirteen, I broke my leg saving him. If I hadn't saved him, he might not be the one sitting in the Alpha's seat now.

I swallowed hard and steadied myself. "Everyone, keep eating."

Back in my quarters, I'd barely lain down when Aiken came in after me.

He sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Jessa can't chew anything hard because of her injury, so of course she's irritable." His voice softened. "She told me herself. Alice didn't cut up her portion on purpose. I had it wrong."

I tucked the pendant back inside my collar and said nothing.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment?" He frowned. "I've explained it."

I shut my eyes, too tired to talk to him.

My knee was still swollen with pooled blood, round as a ball.

"At least what I said about the past was true!" Aiken shouted.

"Then why did you never see any of them again?" I sat up and looked him straight in the eye. "Because I begged my father to send them to the edge of the territory!"

The color went out of his face and he reached for my hand.

Outside the door, his Beta, Jacob, called out. "Alpha, it looks like Jessa's wound has opened up."

He hesitated for a second, told me quietly to wait for him, and left.

I watched him go and touched the pendant at my throat.

Maybe this thing was never supposed to be mine.

That evening it started to rain.

A boulder crushed my left knee years ago while I was rescuing Aiken. Ever since then, whenever the weather changed, a piercing chill spread from the joint, as if someone were twisting the bone apart from the inside.

Aiken used to wrap me in the fox fur, rub his palms together until they were warm, and hold them over my knee.

Not that night. I clung to the windowsill and stared into the darkness for a long time, but he never came back.

In the end, I couldn't take it. I curled up on the wooden floor, doubled over and drenched in sweat.

I messaged Faye.

"Faye, do you have any pain medicine left?"

She answered in seconds, as usual. "All gone, sweetheart. Aiken took every bottle I had."

"Sending you a hug. If it gets bad, a hot water bottle helps a little."

"Don't worry. Everything the ritual needs is ready. We can start next Saturday."

I swallowed and traced the numbers on the screen with one finger.

Next Saturday.

Seven days.

After that, Aiken, we won't be anything to each other anymore.