Chapter 1: The Perfect Lie

LORA

The wine glass broke against the marble floor. Red liquid spread like blood across the white stone. Two hundred of Seattle's rich people turned to stare at me. I was the girl who just had her heart broken in front of everyone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Senator Wellington's voice was loud from the stage. "I am happy to announce that my son, Mark Wellington, will marry Miss Sophia Blackwood!"

The words hit my head like bullets. Marriage. Mark. Sophia Blackwood.

Not me. Never me.

People clapped around the ballroom while my world fell apart. Mark stood on that stage in his black suit. He put a big diamond ring on Sophia's finger. I had imagined wearing his ring. I had been silly enough to believe we would get married.

I could not speak. I could not breathe. I could only watch as my boyfriend of three years kissed another woman in front of everyone I knew.

"Oh, do not look so surprised," Sophia said. Her blue eyes were mean and happy. "You knew you were just practicing, right? Like warm-up before the real thing?"

The words hurt like someone hit me. Practice. Warm-up. Three years of my life meant nothing to him.

"Mark and I have been planning this for months," she said. Her voice was loud enough for all the people to hear. "Have we not, darling?"

Mark looked at me across the room. For one second, I saw something that might have been sorrow in his face. Then it was gone. He smiled like a politician.

"Sophia is everything I have ever wanted in a wife," he said into the microphone. His voice went across the quiet ballroom.

Was I not good enough?

The crowd began to whisper. I felt their stares like bugs crawling on my skin. Their pity made me want to scream.

"Poor thing," someone said behind me. "She had no idea."

"How embarrassing," came another voice. "How could she not see this coming?"

How could I not see this coming? Because I had been living in a fairy tale while everyone else knew the real story. Because I believed in love while they were planning a business deal.

Because I was a fool.

Mark walked down from the stage. Sophia held his arm like she owned him. Which she did. As they came close, I could see he felt bad, but it was too late.

"Lora, I wanted to tell you," he started, but I held up my hand to stop him.

"Do not." My voice sounded empty. "Just... do not."

"I tried to find the right time, but there never seemed to be—"

"The right time to tell me I have been living a lie for three years?" The words came out sharp. I did not care about making a scene anymore. "When would have been good, Mark? Before or after you slept with me last Tuesday?"

People gasped around us. Sophia's smile turned mean.

"Watch your language, darling," she said sweetly. "This is a nice gathering."

Something inside me broke. Something that had been bending under the weight of being the perfect girlfriend. The understanding partner. The woman who never made trouble.

"Nice?" I laughed, and it sounded harsh. "You want to talk about nice? How nice is it to fool someone for three years while you plan your real future? How nice is it to embarrass someone in front of half of Seattle's rich people?"

The room went very quiet. Everyone wanted to hear every word.

Mark's face went white. "Lora, please, you are making this harder than it needs to be."

"Harder than it needs to be?" My laugh was harsh and bitter. "You just said you will marry another woman at what I thought was a family party. You let her call me practice to my face. How am I supposed to make this easier for you?"

"By accepting reality," Sophia said. Her voice was fake sweet. "Mark needs someone who can help his career. Someone with the right connections and background. You understand that, right?"

The right background. That meant money, status, and political connections. Everything I was not and would never be.

I looked at Mark one last time. I tried to remember the face I thought I loved. "You are right. I do understand. I understand that you are scared and could not even break up with me in private. I understand that you let me believe we had a future while you were planning one with someone else. And I understand that you are not worth another second of my time."

I turned to leave, but Sophia's voice stopped me.

"Oh, and Lora?" She waited until I looked back. That mean smile was still on her lips. "Do not worry about being alone. I am sure you will find someone eventually. Someone more... right for your level."

She was saying I was beneath them now. I was the thrown-away toy. The embarrassing mistake. The girl who reached too high and got hurt.

But as I walked toward the exit, my heels clicking against the marble floor like gunshots, I felt something new grow in my chest with the embarrassment and heartbreak.

Anger.

Pure, hot anger that burned away the tears and shock and need to please everyone around me.

I reached the ballroom doors and stopped. My hand was on the fancy handle. The crowd was still watching, still whispering, still feeding on my pain like vultures.

Forget them. Forget all of them.

I turned back to face the room. My voice carried clearly across the marble and crystal and fake niceness.

"Congratulations on your engagement," I called out. My words rang with fake sweetness. "I hope you will be very happy together. After all, you both got exactly what you deserve."

Then I walked out into the Seattle night. I left behind the girl who believed in happy endings and fairy tale love.

That girl was dead.

But something else was being born in her place. Something with sharp teeth and claws. Something that would not be anyone's practice round ever again.

The cool air hit my face like a slap. I realized I was smiling. Not the polite smile I had perfected over the years, but something wild and fierce and completely my own.

My phone buzzed in my purse. Maya, no doubt, having heard about the disaster already. Seattle gossip moved very fast.

But I ignored it. I was not ready for Maya's anger or her comfort. I was not ready for anyone's pity or advice.

I was ready for something else.

I was ready to burn it all down.

ERIN

Three blocks away, in the top floor suite of the Meridian Hotel, I loosened my tie and poured myself whiskey. The human political meeting had ended hours ago, but the taste of pack politics and fake smiles still stayed in my mouth like poison.

My phone buzzed against the wooden desk. Another message from Vivienne, probably wondering why I had not called her back. I ignored it, just like I had ignored the twelve others.

The city lights sparkled below the big windows, but they could not hold my attention tonight. Something felt... wrong. Different. Like the air itself was charged with possibility.

I had felt restless all evening. My wolf was pacing under my skin like a caged animal. It was unusual. I had perfected complete control years ago. Executioners did not have the luxury of losing control.

Another buzz. This time it was not Vivienne.

Brother, your presence is needed at the Supernatural Relations Gala. Political necessity. - Lucian

I stared at the message. My lip curled. The last thing I wanted was to play nice with human politicians, especially the Wellingtons with their barely hidden hate for "our kind."

Send Marcus. I am not in the mood for games. - E

It was not a request. - L

Forget your royal commands. - E

But even as I typed it, I was already reaching for my jacket. Lucian might be my brother, but he was also the Alpha king. And despite what the human politicians thought, werewolves understood loyalty.

My phone rang as I headed for the elevator.

"This better be good," I growled into the device.

"Trust me, brother," Lucian's voice had amusement that made my wolf sit up and take notice. "Something tells me tonight is going to be very interesting for you."