Chapter 1 The Perfect Plan Goes Wrong

~~SERAPHINE~~

I stared at the matching luggage tags in my hand, running my thumb over the engraved hearts that spelled out "Raymond & Seraphine Forever." Two years of saving every penny from my part-time job at the campus bookstore had led to this moment.

Tomorrow, we'd fly to Seattle for our graduation trip, and I was certain Raymond would propose at the Space Needle, just like we had dreamed about during our late-night study sessions.

The spring evening air felt warm against my skin as I strolled toward Raymond's apartment. I had told him I'd see him tomorrow morning at the airport, but I wanted to surprise him tonight.

Maybe we could have one last romantic evening before our big adventure. My heart fluttered thinking about how his face would light up when he saw the tags.

Getting to his apartment, I used the spare key he had given me last year, smiling at how he trusted me completely. Or at least, I thought he did.

The living room was dark, but soft music drifted from his bedroom. Maybe he was packing. I pushed open the door, ready to shout "surprise!"

The word died in my throat, and my legs wobbled in sheer panic.

Raymond was in bed, but he wasn't alone. My best friend, Olivia lay beneath him, her blonde hair spread across the pillow where I had slept just last week.

They were so lost in each other that they didn't even notice me standing there. The luggage tags slipped from my numb fingers, hitting the floor with a small thud.

That tiny sound made them freeze. Raymond's head whipped around, his brown eyes widening when he saw me. Olivia grabbed the sheet, pulling it up to cover herself, but her expression wasn't surprised. It was almost smug.

"Seraphine!" Raymond scrambled off the bed, grabbing his boxers. "This isn't what it looks like!"

Really? That was the best he could come up with? I found my voice, though it came out coherent than I felt. "It looks like you're having sex with my best friend!"

Olivia sat up, not even trying to look ashamed. "Oh, come on, Seraphine. You had to know this would happen eventually."

"What?" I stared at her, unable to process her casual cruelty.

"You're wolfless," she uttered, as if explaining something to a child. "Raymond is a Beta. He needs someone who can actually shift, someone who can give him strong pups. You should be grateful he stayed with you this long."

Each word felt like a slap. Raymond proceeded toward me, but I retracted my steps. "Seraphine, please. Olivia doesn't mean it like that. You're special to me, you really are.”

"It's just that my family expects me to mate with someone who has a wolf. We can still be together, though. You could be my girlfriend, and Olivia could be my official mate."

I actually laughed. It came out sharp and bitter like a bile of gall. "Are you seriously suggesting I be your mistress?"

"Not a mistress!" Raymond chimed in. "My girlfriend. My love. Olivia would just be for appearances, for pups."

Olivia snorted. "Actually, Raymond, I'm already pregnant."

The room seemed to spin. Raymond turned to stare at Olivia, clearly as shocked as I was. "What? But we've only been together for..."

"Three months," Olivia finished. "Right around the time you started planning this whole graduation trip with Seraphine."

Three months?

They had been lying to me for three months. Every movie night, every study group, every time Olivia asked me about my relationship and gave me advice. It had all been a lie?

"I need to leave," I snapped, turning toward the door.

Raymond grabbed my arm. "Seraphine, wait! The trip tomorrow... we can figure this out."

I yanked my arm free, rage finally breaking through the numbness. "Figure what out? How you've been sleeping with my best friend while planning our future? How you got her pregnant while telling me you wanted to wait until marriage? Go to hell, Raymond."

"You don't understand what it's like!" he shouted as I headed for the door. "Being with someone who can't shift, who can't feel the moon's pull. It's like dating a human! I have needs, Seraphine. Wolf needs that you can never fulfill."

I paused at the door threshold, not turning around. "You know what? You're right. I could never fulfill your needs, because I could never be shallow and cruel enough for someone like you."

The cool night air hit my burning face as I stumbled out of the building. My phone buzzed with texts from Raymond, then Olivia, but I deleted them without reading.

Three years. Three years I had given him everything, supported him through his father's pack politics, helped him with his business degree when he struggled. And this was how it ended.

My apartment felt too quiet and empty when I entered. The suitcase sat in the corner, already packed with the new sundresses I had bought specifically for this trip, thinking about how Raymond would love them.

The plane tickets were on my desk, non-refundable because I had chosen the cheaper option to save money.

I sat on my bed, staring at those tickets. Eight hundred dollars. That was what I had saved, working extra shifts, eating ramen for months. Eight hundred dollars for a trip to celebrate a relationship that had been dead for three months without me knowing.

Ouch! I've been so stupid.

I grabbed my phone and changed the hotel reservation from a couple's package to a single room. It cost extra, but I didn't care. I had been looking forward to seeing Seattle my whole life, and no heartbreak should change that.

Hence, I ambled to zip up my suitcase with new determination. Maybe this trip wouldn't end with a proposal, but it would be the start of something. My new life without Raymond, without Olivia, without anyone who thought I was less than worthy.

As I set my alarm for the morning flight, one thought kept running through my mind. Tomorrow, I would be in Seattle, alone but free. And maybe that was exactly what I needed.

The alarm clock glowed at 11:47 PM. In twelve hours, everything would change. I just had no idea how much.

~~~

The next morning, I stood at the airport gate alone. My phone showed seventeen missed calls from Raymond. I blocked both their numbers and turned off my phone.

As the plane lifted off, I gazed out the window at the city getting smaller below. Maybe being wolfless meant I would never have that fairy tale romance with a strong Alpha or Beta. Maybe I would always be seen as less than others in our world.

But at least I would have this week to myself, to figure out who Seraphine Johnson was without Raymond, without the constant reminder that I wasn't enough.

But little did I know that my real adventure was about to begin, and it would start with the la

st thing I ever expected: a stranger walking into my room at the worst possible moment.