I clutched those papers to shatter our sacred bond like a lifeline I was ready to snap, stepping into the archery range just as the echoes of some wild romp faded out.

My mate, Julian Payne, was still huffing and puffing, but he couldn't resist planting one last sloppy afterglow kiss on the she-wolf curled up in his arms.

Her pale back pressed against the target wall, cheeks flushed like she'd just run a marathon, legs still quivering like a leaf in the wind.

My breath hitched hard.

I knew her, that she-wolf was none other than Nancy Ryan, the golden girl from the Ryan pack's top alphas in Galathia Town, the one Julian had personally groomed into Payne Business's shiny new manager.

No wonder every lead I'd chased on his hidden side fling had dead-ended like a bad trail.

No wonder my little sister, Molly Stone, had her private snaps auctioned off like trash by that monster of a brother, Stuart Ryan, and every case got yanked before it could stick!

Julian had wrapped that Ryan pack siblings up tighter than a full moon hunt, so tight he'd driven Molly-the pup who'd saved his sorry hide-to slash her wrists more times than I could count.

I let out a cold, bitter laugh, yanking an arrow from the quiver and stabbing it straight through those bond-shattering papers.

Then I nocked it, drew back the string, and let it fly-straight as an enforcer's shot at the cheating pair not twenty paces off!

The next heartbeat, the arrow grazed Nancy's scalp, pinning the papers to the wall right behind her.

Her scream ripped through the range like a banshee wail, "Ah-!"

Julian's face went dark as a storm cloud, staring at the blood trickling down her forehead. "Jade, you've gone too far. She's just a sweet, innocent pup-you really can't stand her that much?"

I snorted a laugh, sharp as shattered glass. "Sweet and innocent? Y'all screwing right out in the open, and she had the balls to yank the pack office lawyers off my sister's case, pushing her to the edge-you blind as a bat or what?"

My mind flashed to Molly, my baby sis who'd been my rock through hell, all bubbly and full of life-now a ghost , skin and bones after dropping thirty pounds, hollow-eyed and broken.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting the sob clawing up.

"This arrow? Just a warning shot. Either she hands over the reins, or we break this bond for good. Your call, Julian."

His eyes shadowed over, like storm clouds rolling in. "Your sister's thing with Stuart? That's just young wolves in heat, snapping a few pics when the moon's high. Nothing wrong with that. You're getting on in years, Jade-can't you cut the buzzkill? Nancy's only got the one brother. I promised her I'd keep him safe. As for breaking the bond..."

He scoffed low, ripping the papers off the arrow and shredding them to confetti. "Jade, we formed our eternal bond in Isolaria, remember? The only way out there's a pine box. I don't do bratty she-wolves. Time you learned your place."

He dropped that ice-cold line like it was nothing, scooping up Nancy and striding out.

She looped her arms around his neck, shooting me a smug, taunting grin over his shoulder.

I knew right then-we were done. Unbound. Over.

Before all this mess, folks whispered that Julian was my sharpest blade, the one I could always count on to carve through the crap.

At eighteen, he'd gouged out the eyes of my leering stepfather-the wolf who'd been sniffing too close-and boxed 'em up in pink wrapping as my coming-of-age gift. "Born into this shitshow pack? You ain't cut out for silver spoons and silk sheets."

I'd glanced at Molly, the pup who needed me more than air, and torn up my fancy college acceptance letter with a grin. "Then let's rot together, you and me."

At twenty-two, I'd thrown myself to the wolves to save him, landing in enemy claws. They ripped me open, gutted our pup right out of me-left me barren as a winter house.

Julian stormed their hideout, emptying seventy-one rounds from his clip, wading through the carnage to kneel by our lost little one's grave, his voice cracking as he mourned.

At twenty-five, I'd scrubbed his name clean of the blood money, turning him into the golden boy everyone bowed to-chasing off the flock of she-wolves buzzing around him like flies on fresh kill.

He'd grabbed my hand that night, dragging the tip of his blade across the inside of his thigh, carving "Jade's Only" in jagged script.

Then he pinned me against the floor-to-ceiling windows, taking me till my legs buckled like wet noodles.

His teeth grazed my earlobe as he growled, "Everyone sees the polished alpha CEO. But you? You've seen the real me-the filthy, broken mess underneath."

We'd clawed through bullet storms and danced on death's doorstep together. I figured we'd ride out the storms side by side till the end. Until Nancy dropped those anonymous bed pics in my lap, snapshots of Julian tangled up with her.

He'd stonewalled every probe I made, burying the trail deep.

But I never dreamed she'd sink her fangs into something so vile-siccing her twisted brother on my innocent little Molly...

If they wanted to corner me like a rabid lone wolf, fine. I'd serve up a gift basket of hell they couldn't stomach.

That text I'd fired off to Meridona? It just blinked "read."

Boris Jones burst through the doors, phone shaking in his paw, wild-eyed. "Jade, it's bad-real bad! Stuart called again, mouthing off to Molly, and she... she couldn't take it. Jumped from the roof!"

I barreled into the healer's ward like a freight train, and there was Molly, all alone on that gurney in the trauma bay.

Her breaths came shallow as whispers, blood pooling under her like a shallow crimson pond.

My brain flatlined. "Where's the healer...?"

I spun on Boris, tears burning hot tracks down my face. "Go find one, damn it! I need my pup breathing-I need her alive!"

Boris tore through every hall in that place, even dropped to his knees outside the head healer's office, begging like a whipped pup. Nothing. Not a single healer would budge.

"Jade, every healer in Galathia Town's tied up-Julian's got 'em all tending to Nancy's scratch."

I bit down on my lip till I tasted copper. "What about the pack office healers, then?"

Boris's face twisted in agony. "Nancy's got her claws in every resource at Payne Business-won't loosen her grip. Julian's orders: her word's law, whatever makes her smile. And get this-he said if you want Molly pulling through, head up to the penthouse suite... and grovel at Nancy's paws. Beg forgiveness on your knees."

My heart seized up, like some bastard had wrapped it in barbed wire and yanked.

Molly fluttered her eyes open in my arms, weak as a newborn. "Sis... don't... I know bending the knee to that she-wolf would gut you worse than dying... I'd rather fade out than watch you break for me... Sis, trust me-I'm no bad pup... I really thought Stuart was my forever, that's why I let him snap those pics... made you look like a fool. I'm sorry..."

Seeing her like this, half-gone and still fretting over me, cracked my chest wide open.

My fingers trembled as I cupped her cheek. "Hush now, Molly... ain't your fault. It's those twisted wolves who don't know right from wrong. You'll always be my shining star, pup-don't you forget it."

It felt like a gale ripping through the raw hole in my soul.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Hang on for me, okay? I swear, you're coming out of this."

Up in the VIP suite on the top floor, Nancy was playing the damsel, whining and nuzzling into Julian's chest about her boo-boos.

She clocked me in the doorway, and that watery-eyed innocence flipped to a vicious gleam-like a predator scenting blood. "Jade? What're you doing here? Don't tell me... you're here to make nice?"

I ground my teeth. "Yeah. You want me on my knees, head to the floor, eating crow? Fine. Long as you call off the healers and let one save my sister."

Nancy cooed at the mangy hound in her lap, stroking its fur with a sly smile, and nodded slow.

*Thud.* I dropped straight down, spine ramrod straight.

The hall filled with gawkers, murmurs buzzing like angry hornets.

"She really did it? Word on the street was Julian couldn't get enough of her."

"That was then, pup. Hearts shift like the wind in these packs."

"Hell, in alpha circles? Even a battle-scarred pair like them's just a pretty title at the end of the day..."

Every whisper clawed at the memories, shredding the Julian who'd once looked at me like I hung the moon-loyal, fierce, mine.

I nearly cracked a molar biting down.

But I bowed low anyway, banging my forehead three times on the cold tile. "Sorry, Nancy. I shouldn't have loosed that arrow-shouldn't have nicked you."

Ripping my own pride to ribbons, I lifted my head. "That square? Now send a healer for Molly?"

Nancy waved her phone like a trophy, giggling like a schoolyard bully. "Aw, Jade, old age hitting that memory? When'd I say anything about saving your pup?"

I surged to my feet. "You nodded. Right there."

"Did I?" Her laugh dripped honey and venom. "Oops, changed my mind. My little mutt just shivered-probably caught a chill. All healers on deck for him now. Tough luck."

Julian-the wolf who'd once sworn off lies like they were poison-chuckled soft, ruffling her hair. "You sly little vixen."

That did it. The rage I'd bottled exploded like a full-moon frenzy.

My eyes locked on that killer hound in her lap-the one that'd mauled folks before, even nipped at Molly once.

I slipped the blade from my belt, snatched the beast by the scruff, and slit its throat clean.

Tossed the gushing corpse back in her lap, wiped the splatter from my cheek casual as spit. "Problem solved-no more sniffles. Now, healers for my sister?"

Nancy's pretty mug twisted in pure terror, her shriek splitting the air like shattering ice. "Ah... ahhh!!"

She bawled, diving into Julian's arms. "Julian! Your mate slaughtered our Zack-waaah!"

Zack.

The name hit me like a gut punch, my grip tightening on the knife till my knuckles bleached.

Blood dripped from my fingers, steady as the other shore flowers that'd bloomed under me that cursed day.

That was the name Julian had picked for the pup in my belly-whispered it through seven months of midnight tales.

Every night, his palm splayed warm over my swell. "Zack, Daddy's here right on time with your story..."

But those hands-the ones that'd slathered on the stretch-mark salve, kneaded the aches away-now stroked Nancy's hair over and over, eyes soft in a way I'd never earned. "Easy now, baby. I've got you-no one's laying a paw on what's mine."

I chewed the inside of my cheek raw.

Julian finally deigned to look up. "Jade, enough's enough. Nancy's pure as fresh snow-can't stomach blood or filth. Your mess? No healer's touching your sister now. If Molly checks out, that's on you-your own kin's blood on your hands."

My vision dimmed for a beat.

Once upon a time, I'd been that spotless college-bound she-wolf myself.

Julian was the one who'd yanked me into the shadows, taught me to paint my paws red just to breathe another day.

Now I was too grimy for his tastes?

Fine. Whatever.

My hands were already a slaughterhouse floor- what was one more soul?

I lunged, hauling Nancy close by the collar, blade kissing the necklace of red love bites on her throat. "Call a healer for Molly, or I paint this wall with you."

Julian's face hardened to granite, yanking his piece and jamming the barrel against my temple. "Try it."

First time in all our years he'd drawn down on me. First time I'd seen that arctic chill in his stare.

I laughed, hollow and wrecked. "What the hell did my pup ever do to deserve this? She's barely eighteen! Fresh into college! How can you stand by and watch her fade?"

"All your fault!" Nancy sniveled, twisting to glare. "If you'd kept your legs closed! Jade, you still don't get it? Julian can't stand that other wolves have marked you-ruined you. Can't forget how they toyed with your shared pup! Word is, that rival pack's second-in-command had been drooling over you for years!"

Her words sliced deeper than any fang, gutting me clean.

So all this time, he'd never bought my story from back then...

What about me lopping off that second's head to guard my honor, right as he pounced? Sparking the boss to gut me open in revenge?

What about bleeding out our pup, doomed to a barren life?

Julian razing their hideout in a red haze, dropping to his knees by my bedside with vows of forever?

All for nothing?

I cracked a smile then-wild, tears streaming hot.

I shoved Nancy aside, guiding his gun barrel to my chest. "If my lights-out buys Molly a healer, pull the trigger."

Our eyes locked, his flat as a dead moon. "Nancy calls the shots here."

My voice cracked. "So if she says no... Molly's just gone?"

Dead air answered.

Rage roared through my skull, vision gone scarlet. I twisted, wrenching the gun free in a blur. "Then you can join her in the dirt!"

Barrel to his forehead, I squeezed without a flicker of doubt.

"Julian, watch out!" In a heartbeat, Nancy lunged, shoving him clear with a desperate screech.

The shot whispered past her hair, burying hot in her chest.

She crumpled light as a fallen autumn leaf, slumping into his hold.

"Nancy..." Julian's voice broke, ragged and raw, each syllable a shudder.

Then his gaze snapped to mine-ice-cold murder, like he'd already diced me to scraps.

Healers hauled me from the room as I watched the wolf who'd taken bullets for me, sworn to shield me through every storm, shatter to pieces over her-frantic, gutted, unraveling...

My fingers clamped the gun white-knuckled, pulse a faint drum in my ears.