The Alpha’s Temporary Mark
I was Alpha Kade's secret mate for four years.
The night he marked me, in the throes of passion, he gazed into my eyes for a long, long time.
"You know, Anya," he'd said, his voice husky, "what I love most about you are your beautiful eyes."
To protect his claim to the Alpha title, I agreed to remain by his side, posing as a Beta warrior.
That is, until I watched him publicly wrap his arm around my half-sister's waist, beaming with pride.
It was only when the whispers grew louder, when everyone murmured that the beautiful she-wolf the Alpha brought home had my eyes, that the devastating truth finally hit me.
It was never me he loved.
I confronted Kade, demanding an explanation.
His face was a mask of contempt. "An explanation?"
"What did you think this was? It was a temporary mark, nothing more. I've only ever seen you as a sister."
I didn't cry. I didn't make a scene.
I simply opened a mind-link to my childhood friend.
"I accept the invitation to become Head Warrior of the Silver Crest Pack."
Later, when Kade discovered I had caught the eye of his greatest rival, he went absolutely insane.