Chapter 2

On the way to the man's place, I learned his name.

His name was Cade Lester.

The woman in the footage was Alia Garcia, his fiancee.

He came from the most powerful family in the Northern pack and was one of the top contenders to succeed the current Alpha.

Cade was supposed to be handling business in the neighboring district, but he'd changed his plans at the last minute to surprise Alia for her birthday.

He wanted to give her a surprise, but he didn't expect her to give him a much bigger one first.

"What about you?" Cade asked casually while driving. "What brings you to Sableford?"

My mind was a mess, and I wasn't in the mood for small talk. I pulled a lie out of thin air. "A witch told me I'd have a bad day today, so I came looking for Reynolds."

It was bullshit, of course.

I was actually here to discuss the details of next month's marking ceremony.

Some things were hard to explain over the phone, and since he'd been too busy to visit lately, I decided to come to him.

And this was what I walked into.

"God, they're still at it?"

Cade glanced at the footage and said sincerely, "Honestly, your boyfriend's got impressive stamina. It's just… His kink is a bit intense."

I tried to pull a smile, but couldn't even manage a fake one.

The Reynolds on that screen was nothing like the man I knew.

Around me, he was always gentle, restrained, and considerate—the perfect gentleman.

That was what made this so absurd.

The man on that screen and the Reynolds I knew felt like two entirely different species.

"Look, she's even using a silver whip."

Cade nudged the phone toward me. "Your boyfriend's ass—"

"Shut up!"

I snapped my head away. My ears were burning, and my hands were itching to hit him.

Cade just laughed harder. "They certainly know how to have a good time."

I gave up on talking to him.

He had the face of a refined aristocrat, but he was clearly out of his mind.

I watched the city blur past the window. Just then, I realized that my heart was racing and my palms were slick with sweat.

Was I actually ready to catch them in the act?

What would I even say to Reynolds?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't want to talk at all.

I wanted to punch him in the face.

After everything, if I didn't give him a piece of my mind, I'd never forgive myself.

The car pulled into a high-end neighborhood.

I froze for a second.

I knew this place. It was the core residential area of the Northern pack, where only people of notable status lived.

Cade really was a big deal.

Which made Alia's cheating even bolder.

I shook the thought away.

I couldn't worry about her. I had to focus on my own mess.

"Don't be nervous." Cade tried to calm me down.

"Catching someone cheating is always hardest the first time. I'll go in first so you don't get overwhelmed and throw up on me again."

"…Okay."

Gripping the hem of my shirt, I couldn't stop myself from asking, "How do you sound so experienced at this?"

Cade gripped the steering wheel, his smile turning cryptic. "Don't ask. Let's just say this isn't my first time."

The car stopped.

We were there.