Chapter 7

Ethan's eyes went wide. He bit down and called again.

All he got was the same message.

"Impossible. This isn't happening."

He said it to himself.

Since Elara had become his Beta aide, her phone had always been on, twenty-four hours a day.

Whenever he needed her, she was there.

A flash of delight crossed Seraphine's face.

Then she put on a pitying smile. "Ethan, don't worry. After seven years you know her. How could she just throw you away?"

"You two were the envy of the circle. She wouldn't walk away from that."

"She's angry, I think. But it's just a tantrum. If you cave in to her now, she'll..."

Ethan's eyes lowered.

She was right. Seven years. He didn't doubt Elara's love.

If he ran to her now and bowed his head, she'd have the upper hand in everything after.

And besides — this time she was the one in the wrong.

She shouldn't have touched Seraphine and the pups.

His brow pulled tight.

"You're right. I've been hard on her, but she started it. I won't go to her."

Seraphine smiled and reached for him again, wanting to finish what they'd started.

Ethan pushed her away again.

He grabbed a stack of files from the desk, tossed out a line without looking at her, and walked out.

"These are urgent. I'm going. Look after the pups."

Seraphine clenched her teeth. Once he was gone, she swept everything on the desk onto the floor.

Ethan didn't go to the Pack Headquarters. He drove to a place he used to go with Elara and sat there staring.

There was a Pack Infirmary across the street. Watching people come and go, he remembered something.

To punish Elara for refusing to apologize, he'd cut off her mother's Healer fees.

The only thing Elara cared about other than him was her mother, still lying there.

Maybe it was that — that was why she was this angry.

That was why, after all these days, she wouldn't call.

A flicker of relief in his eyes.

He called his assistant.

"Pay Elara's mother's Healer fees back into the Infirmary account. Have the Infirmary notify Elara."

He hung up and waited.

He was certain the moment the Infirmary told her, she'd call.

Ten minutes later, his phone rang again and again. He kept answering, kept being disappointed.

Seraphine called. The Headquarters called. No Elara.

Half an hour in, the Infirmary finally called.

"Alpha Sterling. The patient you've been covering has passed. We've refunded the payment you just made. Please check your account."

His phone slipped out of his hand and shattered on the floor.

He didn't care anymore.

His face went still. The panic in his chest broke loose.

On the other end of the line the Infirmary was still calling his name, but he couldn't hear it anymore.

When I landed, Adrian was already waiting at the airport.

His serious face softened when he saw me.

He reached for my bag. His voice was steady. "How are you feeling?"

I didn't answer. I just nodded, exhausted.

I'd gone through too much. My body was at its limit.

If not for the last bit of spite keeping me upright, I'd have collapsed at the airport.

Seeing my face, Adrian didn't push.

In the car he brought me to an apartment.

It wasn't Sterling Manor, but it was safe here.

Here I wouldn't have to worry about being blamed.

Wouldn't have to worry about my hands being shoved into a boiling pot.

After I set my bag down, I went toward the door like I was showing him out.

He looked at me like he wanted to say something and didn't.

Seeing how tired I was, he swallowed it.

"I'll go. The apartment is what the Pack arranged for now. Once you're settled into the job, you can move."

He explained it to me carefully.

I nodded, said a few polite things, and walked him out.

When I'd seen Adrian back when I was with Ethan, he hadn't been like this at all.

Maybe that was the difference between a rival Alpha and someone's own Beta aide.

I didn't think about it. I closed the door.

With my bag down, I felt something I hadn't had in a long time. Freedom.

The place was big. More than enough for one.

I found a spot for my mother's ashes and lit three sticks of incense. I spoke to her quietly.

Mom, I've Severed the Bond with Ethan.

I've got a new job. Things will get better.

When I finished, my eyes were wet.

My mother waking up from her coma should have been a good thing.

And so fast, I lost her again.

She didn't even know her daughter had never broken anyone's Mate Bond.

I started to sob. My hatred for Seraphine thickened.

Ethan had protected Seraphine well. I couldn't touch them yet.

But I'd spent seven years as Ethan's aide and his mate.

I knew every secret the Sterling Pack had.

Give me an opening. I'd take it. I'd bring them down.

My eyes darkened.

But my body was done. I couldn't think about it anymore.

After I settled my mother's shrine, I went to bed and slept hard.

The next day I reported in at Adrian's Pack.

Strange — someone pulled in from a rival Pack like me usually gets watched for a while.

But from day one, Adrian put me in the chief Beta aide position.

On day one, I had access to the Wyndham Pack's most confidential matters.

I didn't ask. I noticed.

Adrian seemed to read my face. "Just stay with me for a bit and learn how we work. I know this'll be easy for you."

"If you want to try a different position later, I can arrange it."

My brow pulled together.

I'd thought Adrian wanted to pull Sterling Pack secrets from me.

That all this kindness was bait.

If that was it, I'd take every perk without guilt.