Chapter 2

The back of the frame wasn't just a blank board.

It was hiding a photo.

In the picture, Ethan looked triumphant, his arms wrapped around a woman in a red dress.

I held my breath, my fingers trembling as I flipped the photo over.

On the back, in handwriting I knew too well, was a line.

[Sophia, no matter who I mate, you are the mark on my soul.]

The date was the day before our mating ceremony.

Early the next morning, after dropping Sam at the pack school, I didn't head to the clinic.

I drove to the luxury gift shop downtown where Ethan had a VIP account.

I handed over my ID, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Hello, I need to check our gift customization records. Some items at home don't match the boxes."

The clerk worked quickly and pulled up the purchase history for the past six months.

I immediately saw a list of expensive items that I had never seen before.

Diamond necklaces, designer handbags, and custom perfumes.

All of them were sent to an address in a neighboring province.

I memorized the address and left.

That evening, while Ethan was showering, his phone was on the nightstand charging.

It needed a passcode.

I typed our old shared code.

Wrong.

Then I tried his birthday, and other dates significant to us.

All wrong.

Finally, mocking myself, I typed the date from the back of the photo.

Correct.

My heart sank.

The home screen lit up.

There was a single memo pinned at the very top.

It contained the exact same address from the gift shop records.

My blood ran cold. He didn't just save the location; he kept it prioritized above everything else.

That address clearly meant the world to him.

I locked the phone and placed it back on the nightstand.

My hands were shaking, but my mind was made up.

I quietly put the phone back and called my Gamma, Ryan.

"Check who lives at this address. As fast as you can!"

...

I hung up and crept into Sam's room.

He was sleeping soundly.

Ethan used to say he looked like me, but now... I saw nothing of myself in his eyes or nose.

The thorn in my heart dug deeper.

During the school's annual health check, I accompanied Sam to the clinic.

When the nurse wasn't looking, I drew an extra vial of blood and hid it in my coat.

That afternoon, I drove to the undercity and found a black market lab.

"Run a paternity test against my sample," I told the hooded figure.

"I need the results yesterday."

The week I waited for the results, Ethan started coming home late frequently.

He used pack business as an excuse.

Before leaving, he would spend extra time grooming his fur in the mirror.

One day, after he left, I followed him.

My car drove across half the city, finally stopping at a resort hotel on the outskirts.

I watched Ethan get out.

A woman in a red dress was already waiting there.

I recognized her.

She was the woman from the photo.

Ethan naturally took her bag, his other arm possessively wrapping around her waist.

He whispered something in her ear.

At just a few words, her face flushed red.

They whispered for a moment, their bodies pressed tight against each other as they walked into the hotel.