Six years.

That's how long Sophia and I had been caught up in this thing.

Once upon a time, I was a college pup in Belmor Town, still a little shaky in my own skin. My roommate and I had gone out into the woods and gotten lost.

No signal, nothing but woods.

The only sound was my pulse beating wildly in my ears.

Running down a hill, slipping on all the rocks, and for just an instant I thought I was going to land, head first on the rocks, when something pulled me around. Sophia. ​

Her eyes were as cold as the mountain lake, bright enough to part the fear in my heart out, the voice sharp like the frost.

"You all right?" ​

I couldn't speak. My heart was beating so great, from the fall and from the scent that swirled all around me, warm. Wild.

The thing was, I think that my bones recognized it for all that. I was gone.

My ankle turned, so that she led me down the hill.

Took me in to the pack's healer.

I wanted to know her name. I wanted the number anyhow so I could thank her.

No, she sent me away.

I went right on. I was after her like a wolf trail bound from the hunting grounds. Showing myself at her tennis matches, now giving so large an appreciation to my own jokes at the cause they were dully good jokes, tried to melt the ice about her. Nothing. I found that the harder I ran after her, the more she pulled away from m.

Two years of that, and I was ready to let go. I was graduating, heading back to my pack, done chasing a she-wolf who didn't want me. Then, out of nowhere, she showed up outside my dorm. "Wanna form a sacred bond with me?" she asked.

Fireworks exploded in my chest. I said yes before she could blink, thinking she'd just been shy, that she felt something after all.

I was wrong.

After we bound ourselves, she wouldn't touch me.

I figured it was her germ thing, that she'd warm up eventually.

I tried everything-gifts, surprises, patience-hoping she'd let me in. Instead, she dodged me like I was a rabid beast.

Seeing her with that statue of Daniel, her body pressed against it, her voice thick with want? That was the final blow. She didn't just not love me-she loved someone else.

When I got home, eyes red and raw, I found her back from the old house, rifling through our safe.

She glanced at me.

"Where's that belt my mom gave you?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, dug out the million-dollar from the bottom of the safe, and handed it over. It was a gift from her mom, Catherine, when we set our binding date.

"What's it for?" I asked.

She inspected it. "Daniel's got a fancy dinner tonight. Needs something sharp. You don't wear it anyway, so it'll look good on him."

My stomach twisted. "But your mom gave it to me."

It wasn't about the watch. I didn't wear it because it was too precious, not because I didn't care. And it was part of a couple's set-her and Daniel wearing them together? That'd raise eyebrows.

Her eyes flashed with annoyance.

"It's a Lewis pack heirloom. Daniel's bound to our pack through my sister. It should've been his. Mom shouldn't have given it to you."

I went quiet. The Lewis pack and my Johnson pack are equals, and Catherine had approved of me, gifting us that with a smile. Daniel, though? He's a lowborn wolf who lucked into the Lewis pack through Sophia's sister.

Catherine never liked him.

Sophia grabbed the watch and strode out, tossing over her shoulder, "Don't make a thing of it. I'll get you another watch at the auction in a couple days to make up for it."

Before, I'd have been over the moon at the thought of her taking me to an auction, picking out a gift. Now? I just clenched my fists, bitterness flooding my chest.

Whatever. We were breaking the bond soon.

Sophia vanished for a week.

I only knew where she was because I saw her in Daniel's posts on X-hanging off his arm at a gala, hiking with him, sailing on some yacht. In one photo, she's got his jacket draped over her shoulders, standing close, her head tilted toward him, their vibe way too cozy.

Her long hair spilled over his arm, and her eyes sparkled with a joy I'd never seen.

Her germ phobia? Guess it doesn't apply to him.

Normally, I'd have raced to the old house, trying to win her back with some dumb gesture. Not this time. I blocked Daniel's posts and started counting down the days until our bond was severed.

On day eight, my phone rang. Sophia's voice was brisk. "Meet me. Auction's today."

I opened my mouth to say no, but she'd already hung up. Grudgingly, I headed out. When I got to her car, I reached for the passenger door, but the window rolled down, and there was Daniel, smirking.

"Hey, Andrew. Sophia figured I'd be bored, so she's bringing me along to the auction. Hope we're not crashing your vibe."

"Nah, you're good," I said, my voice flat. I slid into the backseat, ignoring the sting of not riding shotgun.

Sophia kept sneaking glances at me in the rearview mirror, probably thrown by how calm I was.

I popped on sunglasses, leaned back, and closed my eyes, tuning out the world.

She and Daniel chatted the whole way, her voice warm, laughing at his stories about their week together.

I just gritted my teeth, swallowing the hurt.

At the auction, Sophia fussed over Daniel, guiding him to his seat like he was pack royalty. I trailed behind, feeling like a stray. My seat was on the edge, Daniel in the middle, Sophia glued to his side.

I flipped through the auction catalog, spotting a few pieces I liked. But every time I thought about bidding, Daniel's voice cut in.

"Sophia, this one's slick."

"Sophia, doesn't this match my gray suit?"

"Sophia, I want that one."

She bid on everything he pointed out, her patience endless.

Me? I might as well have been invisible.

Near the end, she glanced my way, like she suddenly remembered why she'd brought me. Daniel, smirking, handed me a pair of cufflinks from his pile of winnings.

"Andrew, you didn't bid on anything. Don't like the selection? Take these. Don't go home empty-handed."

My grip tightened on the auction paddle, the edge slicing my finger. Blood dripped, but I forced a smile. "Thanks, but I'm good."

I stormed off to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face to keep from losing it. As I was about to leave, I overheard Daniel's voice from a stall, smug as hell.

"I went after Sophia's sister, Grace, 'cause she was the Lewis pack heir. Got her drunk, slept with her, locked that in. But Grace turned cold after we bound ourselves. No big deal-Sophia's the backup. She thinks I saved her life once, so she's all over me. I keep her dangling, and she eats it up. Andrew's a Johnson pack prince, but so what? She-wolves don't want what's easy. They chase what they can't have."

My blood boiled.

I pulled out my phone, hit record, and let his words burn into the file.

Sophia showered Daniel with a haul of collectibles worth a fortune, and he couldn't resist showing off to his buddies.

When he stepped out of the bathroom and saw me standing there, his face went pale, his phone clattering to the floor.

"You. you heard everything?"

I shot him a cold look and turned to leave.

Panic flashing in his eyes. He lunged forward, grabbing my arm. "You gonna run to Sophia and snitch? You think she'll believe you?"

I gripped my phone tighter, the recording burning a hole in my pocket. "If you're so sure she won't, why're you shaking?"

His eyes darted over my shoulder, and before I could react, he yanked my hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

He stumbled back, collapsing dramatically, clutching his cheek like I'd decked him.

"Andrew, I swear, there's nothing between me and Sophia. She just felt sorry for me, gave me a few nice things. I know I'm no match for a rich wolf like you. Don't be mad. I'll give it all back, I swear. I won't dare again."

Before I could process his act, Sophia's voice cut through.

"Daniel!"

She rushed over, shoving me aside.

I wasn't ready for it.My side slammed into the edge of the sink, pain shooting through me, my face draining of color.

I looked up, and there she was, helping Daniel to his feet, not caring about the grime he'd picked up from the floor. She fussed over him like he was fragile, precious.

Daniel played it up, pushing her hands away.

"Sophia, let go-don't let Andrew get the wrong idea."

She spun on me, her eyes like daggers. "Andrew, who gave you the right to throw punches?"

I clutched my side, pain throbbing. "I didn't-"

She laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "I saw it with my own eyes. You gonna lie to my face?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but her icy glare stopped me cold. What was the point? She'd never believe me.

She grabbed Daniel's hand, pulling him away, her voice soft with concern. "I'm taking you to a healer."

Daniel leaned into her, glancing back at me with a smirk, mouthing, "You lose."

I swallowed the pain, limping downstairs to catch a cab to a healer for my side. But before I could even reach the street, two wolves jumped me.

A damp cloth clamped over my face, reeking of chemicals. My breath hitched, my vision blurred, and everything went black.

When I came to, I was in a strange room, hands and feet bound, slumped on the floor. One wolf stood over me, filming with his phone. Another stepped forward and cracked me across the face.

The sting burned, my head snapping to the side. He grabbed my collar, yanking me close.

"Who. who are you?" I rasped.

He sneered. "Andrew, you pissed off the wrong wolf."

Daniel's smug face flashed in my mind. Who else could it be?

Before I could speak, he hit me again. And again. My mouth filled with the taste of blood, my head spinning. I couldn't get a word out.

Just when I thought it was over, he grabbed my right hand. Dread coiled in my gut. A sickening crack echoed as he snapped my wrist.

I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat as I collapsed, twitching in agony.

As my vision faded, I heard one of them on the phone, voice respectful. "Sophia, the wolf who hurt Daniel's been dealt with."

Her voice came through, cool and familiar. "Good. Get him to a healer."

Tears slid down my face.

The one who broke me was my mate.