Chapter 5

I found Scarlett retouching her makeup in the ladies' room mirror after her dramatic performance, her wolf's agitation evident in the way her eyes kept flashing amber.

"Quite a show out there," I said calmly, setting my purse on the marble counter. My wolf was perfectly controlled, radiating the quiet dominance I'd inherited from my Alpha bloodline. "Very convincing tears."

She looked at me through the mirror, those innocent doe eyes hardening into something much more calculating. Her wolf surfaced, trying to assess if I was a threat.

"Vivian."

"I have to admit, the victim act was a nice touch. You've had practice, I assume. How many mate bonds has the Crimson Fang Pack helped you destroy?"

"Dominic's already filed the bond-breaking papers with the pack court, you know." She turned to face me directly, her vulnerability replaced by cold, triumphant confidence. Her wolf's aura pushed against mine, testing my boundaries. "I'm going to be the new Mrs. Crawford within the year. We'll complete our mating ceremony under the next full moon."

"Is that what he promised you?"

"I'm going to be Sophie's stepmother too. We're going to be a proper pack family, the kind she deserves. My bloodline will strengthen her wolf."

I laughed, surprising both of us with the genuine amusement in my voice. My wolf was utterly calm, unimpressed by her posturing. "You can absolutely have him, Scarlett. But you'll get him exactly as he is—a cheating liar with mounting debts, no pack standing, and absolutely no moral compass."

"We'll see about that once we're mated and the bond is sealed."

"The prenup I signed seven years ago is ironclad, sweetheart. And adultery is still grounds for a very favorable divorce settlement in this state—even more so when it involves breaking a sacred mate bond."

Her confidence wavered for the first time, her wolf's ears flattening submissively. "You can't prove anything substantial."

"Twenty-seven thousand, four hundred and thirty-two text messages say otherwise. Plus testimony from three pack witnesses who've seen you together. The Alpha Council loves evidence."

I walked toward the door, then paused with my hand on the handle. "Oh, and that gorgeous house you're living in? The one with the floor-to-ceiling windows and the expensive ward spells? It's in my name. The mortgage was secured against my trust fund."

When I emerged from the restroom, Dominic was pacing outside like a caged wolf, his anxiety making his scent sharp and acidic.

"How dare you conspire with Isabelle to publicly humiliate Scarlett like that?"

"I didn't conspire with anyone, Dominic."

"She was crying! Her wolf was distressed! If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me!"

"Oh, I am angry at you. But she made her choice when she decided to sleep with a bonded male for two years. The Crimson Fang Pack taught her well."

Scarlett appeared beside him, slipping her hand into his with practiced ease, her wolf deliberately scent-marking him in front of me. "It's okay, Dominic. I can handle whatever she throws at me."

"No, it's absolutely not okay." He pulled her closer protectively, his wolf rising to shield her. "You shouldn't have to deal with her jealousy and vindictiveness."

"I knew what I was signing up for when I fell in love with you. When our wolves recognized each other."

He kissed the top of her head, his eyes challenging me over her blonde hair, his wolf deliberately displaying his new allegiance. "I'll protect you from her from now on, I promise."

I turned and walked away, leaving them to their romantic delusions and empty promises.

Some promises, I knew from bitter experience, were completely impossible to keep—especially when they went against the sacred laws of pack hierarchy and mate bonds.

---