Chapter 1

They’d promised to wait, but when I came out, all four of them were gone.

I didn’t bother looking for them. I followed the crowd toward the lake.

Across the water, attendants were boarding guests for the park’s sunset cruise.

Sadie stood at the front of the line, laughing between Miles and Nolan while Everett handed over tickets.

“That’s the private deck,” a girl beside me told her friend. “You need to reserve a month ahead.”

A month ahead.

I watched Everett hand over four tickets

Apparently, they’d forgotten me again.

The last time we’d come to this park, Everett had held my hand through every ride.

He was an Alpha everyone else was afraid to cross, but with me, he’d been endlessly patient, happy to indulge my every whim.

Nolan, our thoughtful Gamma, had carried the giant stuffed wolf he’d spent half an hour winning for me.

Miles, our usually impatient Delta, had insisted we squeeze into a photo booth together, then kept feeding it quarters until we got a picture I liked.

Back then, they’d never gone anywhere without making sure I was with them.

Now they were sailing away without checking whether I’d come out of the restroom.

After the cruise, they found me near the gift shop, just as I was about to leave.

“Audrey, where have you been?” Everett took my hand. His fingers were warm, mine had gone numb. “Come on. We’ve got a dinner reservation.”

“And a birthday surprise,” Nolan added.

Miles grinned. “Been sitting on this one for weeks.”

I looked from one face to another.

“You planned something?”

Everett squeezed my hand.

“Of course we did.”

A little warmth spread through my chest.

They’d actually planned a surprise for me. They remembered my birthday after all.

We walked toward the restaurant overlooking the lake.

Warm air washed over us when Everett opened the door.

But the hostess stopped us.

“I’m sorry, your reservation is for four, and we can’t fit another chair at that table. I can put you on the list for a larger one.”

My smile froze.

I felt like a fool for getting my hopes up.

Everett glanced at the screen.

“Guess I miscounted.”

Right. Even my own mate had started overlooking my faint scent.

Sadie pressed a hand to her stomach. “I’m starving.”

All three turned toward me.

Everett paused.

“Audrey, would you mind—”

“I’ll go.”

His shoulders relaxed before I’d finished speaking.

“You’re the best.” He brushed damp hair away from my cheek. “Besides, aren’t you on a diet?”

I’d said I wanted to eat less sugar. That didn’t mean I wanted to skip my own birthday dinner.

“Go find something fun to do while you wait,” Miles called as he followed Sadie inside. “We won’t be long.”

Through the window, I watched Everett pull out Sadie’s chair.

Nolan said something that made her laugh. Miles reached across the table to straighten the little birthday centerpiece.

I didn’t wait. I just walked away.

December in Southern California wasn’t supposed to feel this cold.

But I couldn’t stop shivering. My wolf stirred weakly beneath my ribs.

She’d never been strong enough to keep me warm the way their wolves could. Never strong enough to let me shift and run when I needed to.

They knew that. Once, they’d been my knights.

Then Sadie came along, and everything changed.

Last time we’d gone hiking, Everett had bought the last four tickets for the gondola down.

Before I could say anything, Sadie doubled over, clutching her stomach.

“Everett, my stomach…” She reached for his arm. “It really hurts. ”

Everett immediately decided.

“We need to get her down.”

“I’ll bring the car around,” Nolan said, stepping into the cabin.

Miles followed, taking Sadie’s other arm.

“Easy. Lean on me.”

Neither of them looked back.

“Audrey, stay here,” Everett told me. “We’ll be back for you in a bit.”

I waited until the lights went out.

My phone had no signal. I couldn’t shift, and I was too exhausted to make it down on foot.

Darkness swallowed the trail. Somewhere in the trees, a wolf howled.

A border patrol found me before the rogues did and escorted me down the mountain.

By the time I got home, the four of them were watching a movie.

Everett looked up from the couch.

“There you are. What took you so long?”

Nolan frowned.

“We thought you were upstairs.”

They looked so genuinely confused that I knew they’d forgotten all about coming back for me.

Then was our graduation trip, I’d already been feverish before we left for Europe.

“You have to come,” Everett had said. “Audrey, we’ve been planning this forever.”

“We’ll take care of you,” Miles promised.

On our last morning, I lay in the hotel room, shivering beneath two comforters.

Everett set a bottle of water beside the bed.

“Get some sleep. I’ll wake you before checkout.”

I woke to a housekeeper shaking my shoulder.

They’d checked out. All four of them.

No one answered my calls. A healer from the local pack eventually contacted my mother and helped get me home.

Three days later, Everett walked into my living room with souvenirs.

He didn’t even ask how I’d gotten home.

I’d been gone for three days, and not one of them had noticed.

Sadie laughed and held up her phone to show me how much fun they’d had.

Had none of them noticed I wasn’t in a single photo?

My phone rang as I reached the park gates.

Mom.

“I spoke to your Aunt Helen,” she said. “The overseas office is ready for you. Are you sure you want me to start the pack transfer?”

“Yes.”

“All right, sweetheart. Three days.”

A boom rolled across the park.

Above the lake, fireworks burst gold against the dark.

The giant screen beneath them lit up with the birthday package Everett had booked.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Then came a photograph from that afternoon.

Everett. Miles. Nolan. Sadie.

The four of them beneath a bright blue sky.

Once again, I wasn’t in the picture.

I was getting used to it.

“Happy twenty-fourth, Audrey,” I whispered.

For years, I’d wished we would always be together.

This year, I wished for the strength to leave them behind.