Chapter 1

The labor induction had just been administered when my mate, Cain Thorne, spoke.

"I have three other children."

"Their mother is your Pack sister."

As if he thought I wouldn't believe him, he pulled out his phone and showed me a photo.

He handed it to me and sighed with a helpless look on his face.

"Serena is so fertile — other wolves take three years to have two pups, but we've had three in five years."

"Half the time I wasn't even satisfied before she was pregnant again. But I'll say this — a she-wolf carrying a pup is something else."

"You can't compare to her in that way."

I froze. My throat locked shut.

Outside the window, Serena was still waving at me with excitement, eyes red, cheering me on.

"Right as you were wheeled in here, she was just getting off me."

"She left quite a mess."

He let out a low, savoring laugh, then turned to look at me, something close to guilt in his eyes.

"Ivy, I've always cared about you. That's why I'm telling you the truth."

"Whether you deliver or not — that's your choice."

The tearing pain from below reminded me.

This was not a dream.

Cain wasn't joking.

"Made up your mind?" The man towered over me, his eyes looking down, like he was asking what I wanted for lunch.

My blood ran cold. I held on to him through the pain, gripping as hard as I could.

"Why... are you telling me this now?"

My voice shook when it came out, but I still held on, stubborn, needing an answer.

Cain's warm fingers came to rest on my face and gently wiped away the cold sweat, his eyes somewhere between guilt and relief.

"We've both been pretending for five years. We're exhausted."

"Serena is your Pack sister. She doesn't resent your title as Mrs. Thorne, and she never planned to tell you."

"But I'm the one who thought it wasn't fair to keep her and the children hidden away like that."

Tears slid from the corner of my eye. I bit down and smiled.

"So... you want me to step aside?"

He hesitated when he saw me crying, then shook his head.

"You're the Luna who built this Pack from nothing with me. That won't change. But I want us to share the position from now on."

"Push first. We can talk about the rest after the pup arrives."

He shook my hand off and walked away.

"Cain Thorne! That's impossible!"

The only answer I got was the slam of the door.

A wave of agony hit from below, and hot fluid rushed out.

Next to my ear, the nurses were calling out in a panic, somewhere between pity and urgency.

"Mrs. Thorne! Hold on..."

Mrs. Thorne.

I cracked a broken smile.

He'd called me that when he confessed, when he proposed, and now when he told me about his affair.

The first time he couldn't look at me, ears red, saying he wanted to marry me the moment he saw me.

The second time he went down on one knee, ring in hand, his eyes bright enough to scare me, as if he wanted to pull the stars down for me.

And this time, he told me he'd been with my best friend.

Everything went blurry in front of me.

The machines screamed. Voices shouted in a panic around my ears.

When I came to again, I reached instinctively for my belly.

"The pup... when we delivered... there was no heartbeat. I'm so sorry."

The nurse wouldn't look at me.

A long time passed before I found my voice, rougher than I'd imagined.

"The surgery consent — who signed it?"

The nurse was quiet, then handed me the form.

The twisted, blood-stained letters spelling out "Ivy Colton" were written in my own hand.

While I and my pup were fighting to survive.

Cain was tangled up with someone else.

Serena walked through the door just then.

She saw my swollen eyes and rushed over.

Her nails dug into my arm. "Ivy... you're still young. You can have more pups."

I slowly turned my head. "Aren't you pleased with yourself?"

"My pup is gone, and you've given birth to three."

Her pupils shrank. "You know?"

I said nothing. She trembled and started making excuses.

"Cain and I... it was an accident. Ivy, just hear me out..."

An accident.

What kind of accident goes on for five years and produces three pups?

What kind of accident makes Cain change his insurance beneficiary from me to her?

I was the fool.

I'd been blind, letting her trample through my Bond like it was nothing.

When I thought of all the times she'd shown concern to my face while mocking me behind my back.

Rage burned through me.

I grabbed the water bottle and hurled it straight at that face.

The glass shattered. A man's voice cried out at the same moment.

Cain spun and pulled Serena into his arms, and when he turned back his forehead was bleeding.

"Take it out on me if you need to, but don't touch her!"

His eyes locked onto mine, cold and sharp.

"Serena has put you first in everything! She never competed with you for anything. She gave way to you on everything."

"Having a Pack sister like that, Ivy — what the hell is wrong with you?"

The fury in Cain's eyes burned into mine.

I chewed over those words slowly.

Then I covered my face and couldn't stop laughing.

Years ago I'd pulled him out from under that car, dragged him to the hospital, and nearly given my life along with half my blood.

Six years of Bond. Not one pup.

And they'd been carrying on right under my nose, using the names of the people I loved most.

Then they told me she put me first. He asked me what the hell was wrong with me.