001

Daniella’s Point of View  

Liam is my mate. But I wasn’t his.  

The thought had carved itself into my mind like a wound that refused to heal, raw and stinging no matter how many years passed. Ten years. Ten years of loving him in silence, enduring his indifference and callousness. Ten years of my heart beating for a man who would never truly be mine, of chasing shadows, holding onto fleeting moments, and pretending it didn't hurt every time I saw him smile at someone else.

After a stroke of faith, I got a job as Liam's secretary, and for seven years, I became a shadow at his side, his ever-loyal secretary, his secret lover when he felt like it.  

**************

The morning air was crisp as I stepped into the Garvalle Holdings towering headquarters, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. The receptionist gave me a quick, pitying glance—an expression I had grown used to. They all knew. Everyone in this building had seen how Liam treated me. 

I tugged at the hem of my blouse and pressed the elevator button. The familiar burn of my mate mark pulsed faintly beneath my skin, a cruel reminder of what was and might never be.

The doors opened, and there stood Jessica Garvalle, Liam's sister. Her gaze raked over me like I was dirt on her designer shoes.  

“Still here, Daniella?” she sneered, stepping into the elevator beside me. Her expensive perfume filled the confined space, suffocating and sharp. “I’d have thought by now even you would’ve realized you’re wasting your time.”  

I bit the inside of my cheek. “Good morning, Jessica.”  

She ignored me, leaning against the mirrored wall. “You know Matilda’s coming back, right? She’s the perfect match for my brother. Beautiful, accomplished, and from a real pack. Not some… half-blood without a wolf.”  

Her words hit their mark, but I didn’t flinch. Years of enduring this treatment had taught me how to hide the cracks.  

“I’m sure Alpha Liam’s decisions are his own,” I said quietly.  

She laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. “Oh, Daniella. Sweet, naive Daniella. You’ve only lasted this long because you’re convenient. But now that Matilda’s back, your little fantasy is over.”  

The elevator dinged, and she swept out like a queen descending her throne. I followed, keeping my head down.  

**************

The door to Liam’s office was slightly ajar. His deep voice rumbled from within, low and commanding, and then came a soft, feminine laugh.  

I pushed the door open cautiously.  

Liam sat behind his massive desk, his broad shoulders tense beneath the tailored suit that only emphasized the raw power he carried so effortlessly. His dark hair was slicked back, his piercing gray eyes lifting briefly to meet mine before returning to the papers in front of him.

“You’re late, Daniella,” he said without looking up.

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” I murmured, setting the reports down. He hated it when I called him that in private, but I couldn’t stop myself. Calling him by his name felt too intimate, too presumptuous.

“You’re always sorry,” he muttered, almost to himself.

I bit my lip, swallowing the retort that bubbled up. I’d learned long ago that talking back only made things worse.

Matilda’s smile widened. “Oh, is this your secretary? I’ve heard so much about you.” Her voice was syrupy sweet, but her gaze was sharp, predatory.  

“Yes, this is Daniella,” Liam said, already dismissing me with a wave of his hand. “She’s competent enough.”  

Competent enough.  

I clenched my fists at my sides, swallowing the bitter lump rising in my throat. This was the man I loved. The man I had sacrificed everything for. And yet, here he was, effortlessly crushing me with his words.  

For a brief moment, my gaze drifted to the scar along his jawline, a faint reminder of the night that changed everything—or nothing, depending on how you looked at it. Three years after I got a job as his secretary, he’d been injured during a rogue attack, and I’d stayed by his side. Someone had switched his painkillers with something stronger, something that dulled his sharp mind and lowered his defenses.

That was the first time Liam touched me like I was more than just his secretary. He reached for me, his touch burning against my skin, and I foolishly, selfishly let him. His lips had crashed against mine, a desperate, frenzied kiss that left me breathless. For the first time, I felt the mate bond sear through me, an undeniable resonance that confirmed what I had always suspected.

He was mine.

But when he woke up, it was as though the night had never happened. “What are you doing here?” he had demanded, his voice cold, his eyes devoid of any recognition of what we’d shared.

 “I was—”

“Leave,” he interrupted, his tone sharp enough to cut. “And whatever might have  happened, best believe it would never repeat itself, Understood?”

I nodded, my heart breaking even as I clung to the memory of his lips on mine, his hands tangled in my hair, the way my soul had burned when our bodies connected. It wasn’t just physical—it was a resonance, a soul-deep recognition.

It was the moment I realized he was my mate.

I’d asked him then, trembling and desperate, "Do you feel it? The bond?"

His answer was a dagger to my soul. "I feel nothing."

The cruel truth was clearer than ever.  Liam was my mate. But I wasn’t his.  

I shook my head bringing myself back to the present. I forced a polite smile, even as my heart fluttered. “If there is nothing else, Alpha, I’ll return to my duties,”  I said to avoid further humiliation from him

Liam didn’t even look at me. “Go.”  

I turned on my heel and left, the sound of Matilda’s laughter following me down the hall.  

**************

By the time I reached the quiet sanctuary of my small office, the tears were already threatening to spill. I sank into my chair, clutching my abdomen where a faint life stirred within me.  

My child.  

Liam’s child.  

I had hoped, foolishly, that this might change things. That maybe, just maybe, he would see me as more than an afterthought. 

I’d known for weeks now, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. What difference would it make? He wasn’t my mate. Not really.

I placed a protective hand over my stomach, tears blurring my vision. "Maybe you’ll be enough," I whispered to the life growing inside me. "Maybe he’ll stay for you."

As if I had not suffered enough, the intercom buzzed. Liam's deep voice resonated through the speaker. "Daniella, coffee. Now."

I sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I took a deep breath, steadying my hands as I prepared the tray. My heart raced—not with excitement anymore, but with a dull, familiar ache.

Balancing the tray with two steaming cups, I nudged the door to his office open. Liam didn’t look up, engrossed in his call, his hand waving absently in acknowledgment of the coffee.

Matilda leaned closer, filling the space between us. "I just thought you should know," she whispered, her tone dripping with mock sympathy. "I’m Liams' true mate."