Broken bonds.

one. 

Natasha's POV

"Matt? I'm ready," I drawled in a singsong voice, waltzing out of the closet with a robe on. My husband hadn't been around for a while now—two weeks— and I had missed him.   

I was married to Matt Langston, a high-ranking executive at the Blackwood Pack Corporation. Last year when he proposed, it felt like a dream come true.  Neither of us had found our true mates but we got along pretty well. With his uncle as the Alpha of the pack, I thought I had everything I could ever want.  

What more could I have asked for? Nothing. My life was perfect.  

I checked myself in the mirror on the wall and smiled at my choice of robe—skimpy, sheer, and revealing just enough. 

"Matt?" I called again, bouncing over to the bed to wait for him.  

"Coming, Babe." He responded from the shower. 

"Take your time, darling," I teased, loosening the robe so my breasts were partly visible. If all went well, Matt and I would finally make love again—

His phone buzzed on the bedside table.  

I glanced at it, noticing the screen was unlocked. He had been chatting with someone. I ignored it and instead shifted my pose, making myself look as irresistible as possible. Not that I ever had to try so hard. With my jet-black hair and the striking grey eyes—“popping”, as my friend Emily always said—I knew I could turn heads.  

Still, I hoped she was right tonight. Matt hadn't touched me in over two months and I was close to losing my mind.  

The phone buzzed again.   

And again. 

Curiosity got the better of me and I leaned forward, peeking at the screen. 

My heart stopped. 

Pictures. 

A woman sending pictures of herself… in lingerie. 

In my lingerie!

We had bought that lingerie on vacation, but when I couldn't find it, Matt said we must have lost it during the rush to catch our flight. 

I checked the contact name. Just the letter M. No face in the photos, only a body. But as I scrolled through the older messages, my stomach twisted.

Matt was cheating.

That bastard!

My wolf snarled and I could feel the anger burning through my veins.

And then I saw it—a tiny mole above her breast.

No. It couldn’t be.

But it was.

Emily. My best friend.

The shower turned off. Panic surged through me. He couldn’t know I’d seen this—not yet. He’d deny it. I needed proof.

The shower turned off. Panic surged through me. He couldn’t know I’d seen this—not yet. He’d just deny it. I needed proof.

I quickly dropped the phone back and stood as Matt came out, towel-drying his hair. Blond, handsome, blue-eyed—everything I once thought was perfect.

And I had trusted him.

“Where are you going?” He grinned, sliding an arm around my waist. “I’m here now.”

He kissed my neck, but instead of desire, all I felt was disgust. I made an excuse about feeling unwell and slipped away.

The next day, I sat in Sofia’s Café, nerves buzzing.

“Would you relax?” Sofia, my friend and the café owner, whispered. “Everything’s set. Just play along.”

“I know,” I muttered, blinking back tears. “I just… I can’t believe they’d both betray me. Why, Emily? Why would she do this?”

“Because she’s a bitch,” Sofia muttered darkly.

The café bell chimed. Emily walked in, smiling as she spotted me.

“And here comes the bitch now,” Sofia hissed, disappearing behind the counter.

“Hi, Natasha,” Emily greeted cheerfully. My chest burned. She was supposed to be my sister in everything that mattered. But she’d been sleeping with my husband.

“Hey.” I forced a weak smile, sipping my coffee so I wouldn’t scream.

“So, what’s up?” She asked, sitting across from me.

“I thought we could catch up. Matt should be here soon,” I said softly.

Her eyes widened. “Matt’s coming? Finally! You always hog that husband of yours.” She laughed lightly, but my stomach churned as she touched up her makeup and unbuttoned her shirt a little more.

I had been blind. So, so blind.

“Hello, ladies,” Matt greeted, sliding in beside me and kissing my cheek. I saw it—the quick, stolen look he gave Emily.

“And who is this lovely lady?” He asked.

You know her, I thought bitterly.

They played at being strangers. My blood boiled.

“To hell with this!” I snapped, throwing my coffee all over them.

“Natasha, what the hell?!” Emily screeched.

“My suit!” Matt groaned, fussing over the stain.

I slammed the divorce papers on the table.

“Shut up. Both of you. I know you’re screwing each other. You disgust me.”

Emily paled. Matt’s eyes widened before narrowing into a glare. “Are you crazy? Why would I—”

“Don’t play dumb, Matt. You’re cheating. It’s over. Sign the papers.”

He chuckled darkly. “Do you even realize the consequences? One of us leaves the pack. And we both know it won’t be me. My uncle won’t choose you over me. You’ll lose everything.”

“He’ll believe me when he sees this.”

The café lights dimmed as the TV flickered on. A censored video from our home’s CCTV began to play—for everyone to see.

Matt and Emily.

Gasps filled the café. Their faces weren’t visible for the world to see, but the truth was unmistakable.

“Turn that off!” Matt roared. He inched closer to me but I pointed to the crowd. He quickly got the message and shifted back. 

“Sign,” I said coldly, pointing to the paperwork that was still on the table. I shifted the paper to his side and gave him a pen. 

Grinding his teeth, he snatched the pen and scrawled his name on the divorce papers. When he was done, he threw the pen at me. 

“You won’t get away with this,” he spat. “With my uncle as Alpha, you’re going to lose everything, Natasha. Everything.”