Chapter 2

After the gathering's announcement, the Pack community feed was buzzing.

"Cade graduates next year — guess the wedding comes right after. Professor Whitmore's father is the Pack Alpha, so who's going to stop them."

"Eight years of being a doormat — a Wolf's Den fighter thinks he can land a Pack Academy professor? Someone needs to hold up a mirror."

I thought about the past.

My father left. My mother got sick. To pay for her treatments, I gave up my scholarship to an elite overseas Wolf Academy and went to work at the Wolf's Den instead.

Every wealthy She-Wolf there wanted to get their hands on me. Evelyn was the only one who draped her coat over my shoulders.

She covered my dignity.

"Forget everything here. Start over."

She was the light that came into my darkness. In the happiness of our bond, I slowly forgot the ugliness of the past.

But she had promised to keep my secret. She clearly hadn't kept that promise.

Cade had replied to a post on the Pack board.

"I've got something even juicier. He had his belt undone by some sixty-year-old wealthy She-Wolf. He really does take anyone."

He posted a photo in the comments — me surrounded by those women at the Wolf's Den.

My vision blurred.

So this was how Evelyn treated my real feelings. She used my most painful memories to entertain her student.

And if that was how it was, what did going public even mean anymore?

One comment woke me up.

"No wonder Professor Whitmore won't acknowledge him."

I understood.

The reason Evelyn had never gone public with my identity was because she had never respected me.

I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen with tired eyes.

The next morning I walked out of the house we'd shared for eight years with my bag in hand.

"Running away from what you did, Rhys?"

Evelyn came storming toward me and threw an envelope at my face.

"Tell me — did you write this?"

The sharp edge of the paper cut my face. Everything went dark for a second.

"What — what letter?"

Evelyn tore the envelope open and shoved the contents in my face.

"You recommended Cade for an overseas exchange program. That's your former Academy's program. Don't tell me you didn't know what happened to him over there."

The next second a stack of photos flew at me.

In them, Cade Pemberton had been stabbed dozens of times. He was lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing. The wounds covering his exposed skin were brutal.

Most striking was the blood still pouring from his lower body.

"You — you think I did this?"

"Who else?"

Evelyn's voice pitched high. She could barely get the words out.

"Rhys, I knew your patience was all an act. Did you think I wouldn't suspect you just because you played it cool? I see right through you."

I was about to respond when the doorbell cut me off.

Cade Pemberton appeared at the door, covered in wounds, putting on his best pitiful look.

"Professor Whitmore, please don't blame Rhys. He wouldn't have let me go if I hadn't asked..."

He clutched his chest. Evelyn's face filled with concern.

Her eyes came to rest on me, cold as frost.

"Rhys. What did you do to him behind my back? Is this what you learned at the Wolf's Den?"

"What — what are you —"

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come.

I had never imagined Evelyn would rip open my old wounds in front of someone else. In front of him.

The air went completely still.

Cade let out a sharp cry of pain. Evelyn's attention snapped to him.

"Don't worry about me, Professor. Just let me suffer."

She looked at him with real worry, stepping toward him.

"Come here. Let me treat those wounds."

Cade made a show of glancing in my direction and blocked her hand.

"Professor Whitmore, maybe not — your mate is still here..."

She took his hand anyway. Her cold stare stayed fixed on me as she said flatly, "My mate? He has no standing here."

My vision went blurry.

It felt like every last thread of hope I'd been holding for eight years finally snapped.

In the bedroom.

Cade had already removed his shirt. Evelyn's hand moved carefully over his wounds, and then she pulled him into a hug from behind.

I had accepted the affair. I had accepted the pup.

But watching them hold each other like that cut into me in a way I couldn't explain. It felt like my heart was bleeding.

Time passed. I didn't count it.

Cade came back out, shirtless, his shirt draped loose over one shoulder. He stood in front of me with a look that said he almost felt bad.

"Sorry about that, Rhys. Evelyn and I are used to this kind of comfort. Don't be angry..."

I pushed down what I felt.

"It's fine. Take your time in there. You'll get what you want soon enough."

Cade's eyes lit up. But Evelyn grabbed my wrist and kicked over my bag.

"You think I believe you're just quietly accepting all this? Who are you saying that for? Don't you dare walk out of here thinking this is over — you're going to get down on your knees and apologize to Cade in front of everyone.