Chapter 2

I had barely reached the stairs when I heard it—muffled laughter echoing faintly behind me.

“Alpha Jack, did you see her face? We fooled her again,” Ryan snickered. “That Rogue is really too stupid for her own good.”

“Next time, I’ll have her gather even more dangerous blood thistles. Maybe if she bleeds enough, she’ll finally learn her place.”

Then his tone dropped, laced with sleaze. “Oh, and Jack… I’ve got a little gift coming to your bed tonight. You’ll love this one.”

There was a long silence. Then Alpha Jack’s voice came, low and careless.

“…Got it.”

I stopped in my tracks, my fingers curling tightly around the edge of my sleeve as if it could shield me from the sharp sting of betrayal.

The cold night air hit my skin, but it was nothing compared to the hollow ache inside my chest. I pulled my threadbare sweater tighter and made my way down the hall, their cruel voices still echoing in my mind.

Step by step, the image of the man I once loved shattered like glass underfoot.

As I stepped outside, the sharp click of heels caught my attention.

A tall woman with a tight dress, flawless makeup, and long legs strode confidently toward the house. She reeked of perfume, lust, and arrogance.

So this was the gift.

She gave me a once-over and sneered.

“Move. You’re in my way,” she snapped, not even bothering to mask the disdain in her voice.

I stepped aside wordlessly, letting her brush past.

She tossed her hair over one shoulder with a scoff. “I don’t know why Alpha Jack keeps allowing people like you around. It’s honestly disgusting.”

I stared after her, emotionless. For a second, I thought she might be Vivian—Jack’s ex-girlfriend. But the second she opened her mouth, I knew she wasn’t.

Vivian was a white wolf born into nobility. She had poise. This woman? A poor, pathetic knock-off. Just another plaything Beta Ryan had dug up to entertain the Alpha.

I turned away and started the long trek back to the house Alpha Jack had insisted I live in—the “sanatorium” recommended by the Pack doctor for his spinal injury. A place isolated deep in the wilderness, far from the city, with only blood thistles and silence for company.

He said it was the only way to treat his condition. That his recovery depended on peace and quiet. I’d believed him. Of course I had.

The path was brutal—brambles tearing at my clothes, branches scratching at my skin. But I knew the way by heart now. Over two mountains, through the dense woods.

And every time, I returned with fresh wounds and herbs in hand. Because I was loyal. Because I was stupid.

This time, as soon as I stepped inside, I grabbed the phone and dialed the only person I still trusted.

Judy.

My best friend, the only soul who ever saw through the cracks in my forced smiles.

Three years ago, I had turned down her invitation to join the Lake Shadow Pack—chose Alpha Jack instead. I stayed behind to care for a man who pretended to need me.

This time, Judy didn’t ask questions.

“I’ll handle everything,” she said quietly. “I’ll send someone to meet you when you’re ready.”

My throat tightened. “Thank you.”

Until then, I would keep pretending. I’d deliver the herbs one last time. I’d smile when I needed to. I’d play the part one final time.

Just long enough to make it to the hundredth delivery.

Then I’d be gone.

But Jack didn’t contact me for three days.

When I asked, Beta Ryan smiled smugly. “Alpha Jack’s getting stronger. He can sit in a wheelchair now. Isn’t that great?”

Later, Jack called me.

“Anna,” he said over the line, his tone light. “The Pack doctor says I’ll be able to leave the sanatorium soon. Maybe in a few days.”

His voice dropped, more intimate. “While I’m gone, promise me you’ll take care of yourself. And don’t go wandering off alone. You know I worry.”

It was the same line he’d used since the day he brought me into the pack. Years ago, when I’d wandered into the woods and he’d rescued me from mutated spiders, he’d insisted I always let him know where I was.

It was our thing. A ritual. A promise.

And now… it felt like a chain.

Just as I was about to reply, I heard her.

A woman’s sultry voice drifted through the phone. “Alpha Jack, come look at this necklace! Don’t I look stunning in it?”

He didn’t even bother to mute the phone. “Don’t be naughty,” he said with a laugh in his voice, not an ounce of anger in it.

I hung up before I could hear more.

The lies were unraveling faster now. And that woman—whoever she was—wasn’t even trying to hide.

Jack had claimed paralysis for years, refused to see his own pack members, let Ryan run everything in his name… and now this woman was playing house in the sanatorium?

How many more secrets was he hiding?

No matter.

A storm was coming—literally.

The forecast predicted a week-long blizzard starting in just three days.

Perfect.

While the snow buried the world in silence, I would disappear without a trace.

Let them rot in their lies.

I had my own plans now.