Chapter 2

Cade’s eyes fell on my flat stomach, where his heir used to be.

His pupils constricted. His Alpha instinct screamed that something was truly lost.

But a second later, he turned to Kenna, his brow furrowed in accusation.

"You two have this act down perfectly," he sneered. "Spinning lies just for a little drama."

He strode toward me, looking down at me. "Where is the pup? Did you induce labor early and hide him somewhere? Stop playing games, Evelyn!"

I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"You think I would play games with my own child's life?" My voice shook.

"You're capable of anything!" Cade sneered. "Moon Eclipse Sickness? Premature birth? The heir's death? You've really cooked up a sob story."

Just then, his phone rang.

The caller ID read: Lilah.

Cade’s expression changed instantly. "Lilah? What's wrong?" he answered.

"Cade…" Lilah’s delicate voice came through the speaker. "The silver hound still seems a little unwell. She won't stop whining, I'm worried…"

"I'm on my way!" Cade cut her off. "Don't worry, I'll be right there."

He hung up and walked to the door without a backward glance.

"I'll deal with you after I'm done with Lilah's emergency," his voice was cold and final. "Evelyn, I expect you to have thought this through by the time I get back."

The door slammed shut.

Lying on the bed, I felt an invisible hand squeeze my heart.

Kenna moved to block his path, furious.

But her mate, Rhys, had arrived and stopped her.

His face was just as dark as his brother’s.

"Kenna, that's enough," Rhys repeated the same baseless accusations. "This little scheme of yours needs to stop."

Kenna whipped around, her eyes like daggers. "Scheme?"

"You think I don't know what you're doing?" Rhys scoffed. "I can handle your drama, Kenna. But turning a new mother against her Alpha? What's your game? Five years we've been mates, and you pull this? I'll forget you mentioned rejection this time. Don't say it again."

He hurried after Cade, and the two brothers left together.

A few minutes later, they appeared on Lilah’s Pack Net live stream. They were gently checking on the newborn silver pups.

Comments flooded the screen:

"Alpha Cade is so gentle!"

"Lilah is a saint!"

"The way they look at the pups… so much love! Like they're their own kids."

Cade smiled for the camera, accepting all the praise.

He looked so happy. So content.

Like our fight had never happened.

Kenna slammed her phone down in a rage, the screen shattering into a spiderweb.

"Do you see, Evelyn?" Her voice was filled with despair. "This is what they chose."

My heart turned to ash.

My son was dead, and his father was celebrating the birth of Lilah's dog.

My baby died to show me the truth. He died to prove this twisted triangle had to end.

My tears had run dry.

"Contact the Elders," I said, my voice terrifyingly calm. "I'm initiating the Rejection Ceremony."

Kenna nodded. "Me too."

We contacted the pack Elders and had the rejection papers drawn up. But we couldn't reach the brothers. We couldn't find them anywhere.

Late that night, I was lying alone in my hospital bed, scrolling through the pack's internal social network, Pack Net.

Suddenly, a video made my breath catch in my throat.

It was on Lilah's Pack Net profile. A new post.

She was wearing Cade’s white button-down shirt, standing on the terrace of our penthouse apartment.

Moonlight cascaded over her long hair as she cradled a fluffy silver pup.

I could hear the shower running in his bathroom. His tie was tossed on the floor.

The video’s caption shattered my heart completely:

"He said this little one's place in his heart will always be higher than any future heir."

A sharp pain shot through my chest.

People in the pack had whispered for months that if I hadn't come along as his fated mate, Alpha Cade would have chosen Lilah.

Now, it seemed he was done pretending. He was ready to betray our bond completely.

I took a screenshot and sent it to Cade.

[Call me back. Or I swear I will tell the entire Alliance you broke your mating vows. Your choice.]

Seconds later, Cade's panicked voice flooded my mind.

"Evelyn! It's not what you think!"

The mind-link was back.

"Lilah was just… she was worried about the pup, so I let her rest at the apartment!" Cade’s explanation was frantic and weak. "She made that caption up! I never said that!"

"So she gets to wear your shirt in our home?" I shot back through the link.

"It was just… it was for the pup's sake…"

"And me?" my voice began to tremble. "Where were you when I was dying in the hospital?"

Cade was silent for a few seconds. Then his voice turned angry. "Enough, Evelyn! You're always overthinking, always causing drama! I only feel responsible for Lilah. She saved my life!"

"Responsible?" I screamed through the link, finally breaking. "Our pup is dead! I almost died! Cade, were our lives—mine and our son's—worth less than Lilah's damn dog?!"

The last words came out as a sob I couldn't hold back.