Chapter 2

When I turned around, Brandon had already finished washing the dishes and was drying his hands. His gaze landed on the phone in my hand.

"Liz, what are you doing with my phone?"

"I think someone messaged you." I handed it back to him without missing a beat.

"It kept buzzing while you were busy, so I grabbed it for you."

He took it, glanced at the screen, then looked back up at me. It looked like he was trying to figure out whether I was telling the truth.

Finally, the suspicion in his eyes faded. "I'm going to shower."

The bathroom door closed, and the sound of running water started up quickly. I sat on the edge of the bed, listening to that steady stream of water, my mind filled with those photos I'd just seen.

A few minutes later, the water stopped. Brandon walked out with only a towel loosely wrapped around his waist, his black hair still damp, water droplets sliding down his neck and collarbone.

The air was thick with his scent—cedar, cold mist, and a faint trace of sweetness that didn't belong to me.

In the past, whenever he got this close, I'd soften immediately. But now, that lingering scent of another she-wolf only made my stomach churn.

He walked over to the bed and leaned in close, his voice dropping low. "Liz, it's been a long time since we've really been close."

Usually, a hint like that would've made me ecstatic. He knew exactly how to soothe me, exactly how to use a little tenderness to make me forget all the things that didn't add up.

But now, all I could see was a different image. Him on a different night, just like this one.

On all those full moon nights when I'd been home alone listening to wolf howls, waiting for him to come back, had he held Liana like this too?

I turned away almost instinctively, dodging his touch. Brandon froze.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm a little tired."

I stood up and walked over to the cabinet to pour myself a glass of cold water. The icy liquid slid down my throat, barely suppressing the dull ache in my chest.

"I went to a lot of places today."

He stood there in silence, his shoulders tensing slightly. I kept my back to him, staring out the window at the darkness, and spoke quietly.

"Brandon, hypothetically speaking, what would happen if a she-wolf who didn't belong to the pack crashed a full moon banquet?"

Behind me, I heard the soft rustle of fabric. Brandon tightened his towel, and his voice turned cold.

"Liz, you know the Blackstone pack is very strict. We don't allow she-wolves who don't meet the requirements to enter the full moon banquet. If one actually did, she'd be punished. So would the guards who let her in.

"Liz, just wait a little longer. Once the pack finishes evaluating you, we can attend the full moon banquets together."

A little longer? I'd waited three whole years for Brandon to say those words. And what did I get?

My mate brought another she-wolf to the banquets while I stayed home alone, spending every full moon by myself.

I gripped the glass tighter. "I understand. I'm going to sleep in the guest room tonight. I'm tired, and I need some space."

He looked at me like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

That night, I lay awake until dawn.

I thought back to the first full moon night three years ago. Brandon and I had just completed our mate bond not long before that, and I was alone in the empty house, listening to the distant sounds of the banquet.

I had texted him. He said the banquet was lively, the Alpha and Luna were both there, and he couldn't step away. He just told me to go to sleep early.

I believed him. I even felt touched that he still thought to reassure me while surrounded by all those people.

Year after year, it was the same. Every full moon brought the same words, the same tenderness, the same brush-offs. And I spent three years convincing myself over and over again, waiting for him. Until those three photos cut through everything and showed me the truth.

Just before dawn, I heard faint sounds from the master bedroom. Brandon was getting up.

Soon after, I heard him washing up, changing clothes, and closing the door softly. He didn't come to wake me like he usually did.

I got up immediately, grabbed my coat and car keys, and followed him out. In the underground garage, his black SUV pulled out slowly. I kept a few cars' distance behind him and tailed him quietly.

He didn't drive toward the banquet hall where the Blackstone pack held their gatherings. Instead, he turned toward the east side of Neutral City.

The car stopped outside a high-end apartment building. After a moment, a beautiful she-wolf walked out.

She wore a soft, light-colored coat with her long hair draped over her shoulders. Her features were striking.

She opened the passenger door and got in. It was Liana. The she-wolf from the photos was finally right in front of me.

They didn't leave right away. Through the car window, I watched Brandon lean over and pull her into his arms. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

The movement was practiced and natural, like this kind of intimacy had been repeated countless times before.