Chapter 3

• Serelina’s POV
• By dawn, the snow had stopped. It had fallen all night, burying the courtyard and cutting through everything like ice.
• I drove to the Snownight Pack’s TV station.
• Snownight Pack was one of the oldest in the Northern Dominion.
• Summer there was a blink. Winter dragged on forever. The brutal weather had forged a pack that was tough and warlike.
• For a long stretch of history, Snownight had torn itself apart. Factions everywhere, constant turf and resource fights. Peace never lasted.
• Until Emeric took over.
• He crushed the infighting, pulled power into one chain of command, and gave the pack its first long run of stability.
• Then, he focused on the economy. He modernized everything fast. Now, Snownight led the Northern Dominion in pretty much everything.
• That also pissed off other packs. Plenty of wolves were gunning for Emeric. The rogue attack a while back proved that.
• TV only really took off in the last decade. After I graduated from the Wolf Academy, I became an anchor on the news channel.
• By day, I was out on the front lines. At night, I juggled housework. I had turned my life into a pressure-cooker schedule.
• If not for that, I probably would've lived a few years longer.
• I let out a bitter laugh, and before getting out, I popped a birth control pill.
• I had bought it on my way in. Emeric hadn’t worn a condom last night. I couldn’t risk it.
• We had been bonded for three years. I had wanted so badly to have his child. Three years and nothing. Maybe that was the proof that we were never meant to be.
• But since I had decided to end the bond, I had to kill even the tiniest chance.
• I had forgotten to buy water. I swallowed it dry. The pill scraped my throat and burned all the way into my gut. It stung like hell.
• I leaned back against the seat and took a few deep breaths. After a minute, I slipped on my heels and got out.
• I hadn’t even made it to my desk when Aren rushed out, grabbed me, and hauled me into his office. “Serelina, what the hell is going on with you?”
• I frowned. “What?”
• He was rattled. “The Hawthorne Group ad contract—right before signing, they suddenly said things have changed and they need to ‘reconsider.’ That’s basically them bailing on renewal! You handled this yourself. What the hell happened?”
• I went quiet for a beat.
• Aren got more frantic. “Did you piss off someone in their C-suite? Our whole quarter’s revenue hangs on that ad. If they walk just like that, next year, this station’s gonna be dead broke!”
• Hawthorne Group was Snownight’s biggest conglomerate. Emeric had built that empire from scratch.
• I had brought up ending our bond last night—and today, the contract suddenly hit a wall.
• I didn’t need to guess. It was Emeric’s handiwork.
• I just didn’t think he would be shameless enough to drag personal crap into my job.
• Aren snapped, impatient. “Say something, princess! New Year’s right around the corner. If this blows up now, nobody’s having a good time.”
• “I’ll handle it,” I said through my teeth.
• …..
• A little after seven, I wrapped the day’s broadcast. Exhausted, I dragged myself back to Ravencrest Manor. I had barely stepped into the yard when a pair of headlights flashed.
• A familiar Maybach.
• The rear window rolled down a third. Emeric was buried against a woman, and it looked like they were making out.
• I froze on the spot. Stared. I couldn’t believe it, but it was right there.
• If I still had my wolf, she and I would’ve been dying from the mate-bond breaking.
• I thought of that red lace panty. Thought of Emeric’s three years of cold indifference. Thought of the hit I had taken from a rogue for him.
• All of that had already cost me half my life. And still, none of it hurt as much as seeing this with my own eyes.
• If I had any guts, I would've dragged them apart. If I were weaker, I would've run off crying.
• Instead, I just stood there, letting it stab me. Like if I watched long enough, I’d love Emeric a little less.
• Then, the woman shoved him off and stepped out of the car.
• That was when I saw her face. Long golden waves, a knockout chest, full hips, bold features—beauty with bite.
• That red lace panty fit her vibe perfectly.
• She was Emeric’s secretary. Tamsin. One of the rare female Alphas.
• In the back seat, Emeric wore a black suit, jacket rumpled, alcohol staining his face. His hand rested easy on Tamsin’s waist. The two of them were way too cozy.
• “Alpha, easy,” Tamsin cooed against his ear as she helped him out. “I know you feel bad for me, but you didn’t have to drink that much for me.”
• I stood in the courtyard, silent and cold, watching them.
• I’d known about Tamsin for a long time. Not just his secretary, she was a Pack-sponsored student who had started working by his side right after she graduated.
• But seeing the two of them now…
• I just felt sick.
• As she helped Emeric out, Tamsin met my eyes.
• There was no shame. She even looked smug as she brought him right up to me.
• “Alpha drank way too much for me tonight. He’s blacked out.” She shoved a jacket into my hands, the fabric stained red with wine. “This one’s custom, handmade. Do him a favor and hand-wash it, yeah?”
• I couldn’t help the bite in my voice. “Is that how you talk to your Luna?”
• Most people didn’t know about Emeric and me. But Tamsin did, she was his personal secretary.
• She blinked, then flashed a sugary smile. “What’s wrong with that? You don’t expect me to wash it, do you? I still have to take care of Alpha. Not really convenient.”
• I took the jacket, then dropped it on the ground. “Then, toss it. Alpha never runs out of clothes.”