Chapter 2

The next morning, a voice slammed into my mind.

Rose Blackwood—Killian's mother, the former Luna.

In this pack, no one refused her command.

“Freya, you will attend the pack alliance dinner tonight.” Her voice was elegant but firm. “Vivian has not arrived yet. Killian needs someone by his side who knows the rules.”

Someone who knows the rules.

Not a mate, not family.

Just a well-behaved servant.

...

That evening, I stood at the entrance to the manor.

I once thought this was my home.

For five years, I’d run this place like its mistress, even without the title.

Now I knew the truth.

This wasn't my home. It was just where he kept his tool.

The head housekeeper led me to a side room to change.

"Miss, your gown is in…" She stopped.

The closet was empty.

Where my custom gowns used to hang, there was now a row of pink dresses. Vivian’s favorite color.

"I'm sorry, Madam said to have it reorganized," the housekeeper explained, embarrassed. "Perhaps you could wear this?"

She handed me a plain black dress.

The kind the staff wore.

"It's perfect," I said, taking it. "Thank you."

The dining hall was buzzing.

Vivian sat at Killian's right hand, in the Luna’s seat, wearing a custom Chanel gown. Her smile was picture-perfect.

Killian looked up, his eyes sweeping over me without a hint of guilt.

"What are you standing there for?" He pointed to the far end of the long table, to a seat for the staff. "Sit. And don't say a word tonight."

Just then, an elder Alpha from a northern pack sniffed the air. His cloudy eyes locked onto me.

“That scent…” the elder murmured, his gaze flicking between Killian and me. “Alpha Killian, this Omega… she reeks of you. The scent of a Fated pair.”

The air in the room froze.

Everyone stopped.

Dozens of eyes turned on me like searchlights.

Hiding a Fated Mate was the ultimate sin. A desecration of our most sacred law.

My heart pounded. I automatically looked at Killian.

All he had to do was nod.

Just admit it once.

Killian set down his wine glass.

He didn't even look at me. He just smiled at the elder.

"You're mistaken, Elder."

His voice was smooth, without a ripple of emotion.

"Freya is my assistant," he said smoothly. "My scent is on everyone who works in my inner circle. It's unavoidable."

The elder was clearly unconvinced. "But this is more than just rubbing off…"

"Enough." Killian's voice turned cold, laced with an Alpha's undeniable command. "I think we are all clear that Vivian is my only choice for Luna."

He shot me a dismissive glance, as if looking at a piece of furniture.

"As for any other scent you're picking up," he shot me a dismissive glance, "I can't speak for her private life. But I assure you, we are nothing more than colleagues."

No connection beyond a professional one.

The words were a slap across my face, so hard my soul left my body.

He would rather slander me than risk Vivian’s position.

Under the table, my hand clenched the solid silver fork.

The silver fork hissed against my palm. Searing pain. The smell of my own burning flesh filled my nostrils, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

Only this pain could stop me from screaming.

"Miss Freya?" the elder pressed.

I unclenched my burnt hand. I looked up and gave the most perfect, practiced smile of my career.

"Mr. Blackwood is right."

I looked at the man I had loved for five years, my voice dead calm.

"I have nothing but a subordinate's loyalty for Mr. Blackwood. No other feelings. The only one worthy of being the Blackwood pack's Luna is Miss Vivian."

Killian’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed.

He shot me a look of cool approval. The same look he’d give a dog that had successfully played dead.

...

The dinner ended. The guests left.

I was putting on my coat in the foyer when Killian walked over.

He smelled of wine. As he got closer, that familiar, oppressive feeling washed over me.

He leaned in, his lips almost brushing my ear, his warm breath on my neck.

How ironic. An hour ago he was denying me, and now he was being intimate in the shadows.

"You did well tonight," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "Very... obedient."

"Don't mind what those old fools say. After Vivian and I are mated, you'll still be the one by my side, handling my affairs."

He pulled a black card from his jacket and slid it down the collar of my dress, his fingers brushing my collarbone suggestively.

"A little bonus," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "For your performance."

I took a step back, putting distance between us.

The card fell to the floor.

Killian frowned, annoyed by my retreat.

I looked at him, and the last shred of hope in my heart died.

"Thank you, Mr. Blackwood," I said softly, a mocking curve to my lips.

Keep it, I thought, my heart turning to ice. Consider it my severance pay.

In six days, we’ll never see each other again.