Chapter 1 Do You Want to See the New Lingerie You Bought Me

Liora's POV

I sat on the edge of the bed with a book called "Planning for Pregnancy" open in my lap.

Ethan Doyle and I had decided we wanted a pup, and we had been trying for four months.

To give us the best chance, I had circled the fertile days on the calendar around my ovulation window.

Lately, our intimacy hadn't been as frequent. Ethan was always on duty, so I felt like I had to plan every opportunity we had to be together.

"Traditional positions may offer a slight advantage because gravity can help. Some healer recommendations suggest lying flat for 5 to 15 minutes afterward to support the sperm's movement," the book said.

My cheeks warmed as I skimmed those pages, and my pulse picked up.

With my hearing, I could track the sound of Ethan in the shower. My mouth went dry, my heartbeat kicked up, and I took a long drink of cold water until the heat in my face finally eased.

We had been married three years. We weren't fated mates, but we loved each other.

Ethan had married me over his family's objections, and our married life had been sweet.

He was a considerate and thoughtful husband. Even when he was busy, he took care of me and looked after my family.

We had been together eight years and had never had a real fight.

Things in bed had been good, too. Ethan liked to keep it playful, and he had always seemed a little obsessed with me.

Just then, his phone buzzed on the table.

Was that an emergency? A patrol alert?

Ethan hadn't been home in a month. As a warrior of the Frostmane pack, he led a patrol team and was constantly on the move.

People said he was this busy because the Gamma seat was open and he was aiming for it.

If he became Gamma, he could work at the pack house, spend more time at home, and finally leave life on the road behind.

His uncle, Kieran Doyle, had defeated all challengers this year and become the new Alpha of Frostmane pack. If Ethan rose to Gamma, he could help his uncle handle pack business.

I glanced at his phone, worry tugging at me.

What if he missed something important? If it mattered, I could call out to him right away.

We didn't keep secrets. We knew each other's passcodes. So, I picked up his phone and unlocked it.

The moment I read the message, a tightness gripped my chest, stealing the air from me.

It was a message from Olivia. "I'm wearing the new lingerie you bought me. Ethan, want to see for yourself? Come to our usual hotel. Tonight's going to be unforgettable."

A selfie followed. The black lace lingerie barely covered anything. It looked too small for her boobs, and the whole thing left very little to the imagination.

She puckered at the camera like she was blowing Ethan a kiss.

My mind went blank. The message turned my whole body to stone.

After what felt like forever had passed, I finally moved. I scrolled up and saw nothing but work chatter. Only then did my heartbeat crawl back into my chest.

Had she sent it to the wrong person?

I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe her boyfriend's name was Ethan too. Or maybe...

"Lio, I'm out of the shower. Want to come check?" Ethan's voice came from behind me.

He wrapped his arms around me from the back. His chest was warm against my back, his palm slid over my waist, and his damp hair brushed the side of my neck.

I didn't turn to kiss him like I usually did. I took two steps forward to slip out of his hold.

That message felt like a grenade. I still hadn't recovered.

But Ethan didn't let go. His hands stayed at my waist. He licked my ear, and his whisper made them burn red.

Heat surged through me on instinct, my knees buckling as I leaned into his chest. My breath came uneven, and so did his. His warm breath brushed my ear, sending goosebumps down my arms.

"Do you want me on the bed or the couch tonight?" he whispered.

I turned to face him, searching his expression for anything suspicious.

His light brown eyes were already burning with desire. His grip on my waist tightened, and a gentle pull sent me stumbling into him. He dipped his head for a kiss, but I turned my face away.

"Lio?"

He froze at my rejection. Confusion clouded his eyes, as if he couldn't understand what was wrong with me.

Every time he did something wrong, he would give me that same look, like a stray dog lost in the rain. It had worked on me before.

But this time, I couldn't get that photo out of my head. If it meant what I thought, then he had cheated on me and broken our vows.

I hardened my heart and shoved his arms off me. A red mark flared on his forearm. I swallowed the instinct to apologize, forced myself not to care, and held the phone up to his face.

I took a deep breath and kept my tone even. "I need a real explanation, Ethan."

I stared at him intently, watching every shift in his expression, though I wasn't sure what answer I was hoping to find.

He only looked baffled until his gaze dropped to the screen. His brows furrowed, and his face went taut.

He took the phone, tapped call, and lifted it to his ear.

The contact name on the screen was Olivia.

Chapter 2 Do You Really Think It Was Sent to the Wrong Person

Liora's POV

"It does surprise me, Miss... What? Whatever. I didn't expect you to spend your off-hours trolling to get clients."

Ethan's tone was sharp and needling. He was being deliberately cold and impatient to make Olivia squirm.

I wanted to stop him. It wasn't exactly gentlemanly. But then, that photo flashed in my mind, and I kept my mouth shut.

I couldn't pretend that photo didn't get to me.

Silence hummed on the other end of the line. It lasted only a few seconds, yet my heart slammed against my ribs.

I held my breath and waited for her answer.

At last, a flustered voice came through, panicked and stammering. "Captain Doyle, I... I'm really sorry. It was my fault. Those messages were meant for my boyfriend. You both have the same name. I must have sent it to the wrong person."

Ethan gave a short snort, his expression cold and detached. I had never seen him look so merciless before.

He ignored her flustered tone and warned, "Don't even try to upset my wife again. If you do, you're off my squad!"

He hung up without waiting for a reply.

The instant he looked at me again, the cold edge was gone. He softened into the man I knew, his gaze warm and pleading.

He always said his gentleness was reserved for me, and he proved it.

He slid his arms around me again, his voice coaxing. "Lio, believe in me, will you? I'm loyal to you. She's just a member of my patrol team. It hurts that you'd doubt me over a text.

"You'd better make it up to me tonight. It's been a month since we've touched each other. I miss you. Do you want me to show you just how much?"

He nuzzled my nose, our breaths tangling. He kissed the corner of my mouth. His hand slipped from my waist to my hip.

Something hot pressed against my back. I felt it, and heat pricked my skin.

I tightened my grip on his shoulders and pushed him away.

Even if the story sounded like a simple mix-up, something in me still snagged.

Was it really a mistake? She just sent it to the wrong person?

I couldn't shake the feeling it wasn't that simple.

My gut said I was missing something. Maybe that photo had rattled me too much to act like nothing had happened.

"Sorry, Ethan. I'm tired tonight. Another time, okay?"

He studied my face for a long beat, as if testing whether I meant it. When he realized I did, he sighed and pressed a goodnight kiss to my forehead.

"Alright, Lio. Get some rest. I'll go finish some paperwork."

"Don't stay up too late."

I waved him off, stretched out on the bed, and closed my eyes, forcing the cursed photo out of my mind.

Ethan switched off the light as he left.

At some point, I drifted under.

...

Sometime after midnight, a crack of thunder yanked me out of sleep.

Rain hammered the windows. My heart pounded wildly as a stabbing headache split behind my eyes. Cold sweat drenched my forehead, dripping down as I swiped it away with a trembling hand.

Maybe it was the photo. Or maybe it was something else. I had been trapped in nightmares all night.

In the dream, Ethan held Olivia's hand with one hand and a little boy's with the other. The boy looked about three years old, with blond hair and light brown eyes exactly like Ethan's.

Ethan looked down at me, cold and impatient. "I already told you, Liora. I don't love you. I have a wife and a son now. Leave the Frostmane pack, or I'll have you expelled!"

He walked away with them.

I chased him, crying, but no matter how far I reached, I couldn't catch up.

Panic and grief surged. I grabbed for Ethan's side of the bed on instinct and found it cold, as if no one had slept there.

My heart kicked hard.

Where was Ethan?

In this storm, where could he have gone?

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. It was already 4:00 am.

Notifications began to flood the screen.

"Do you really think it was sent to the wrong person?"

"Ethan's not with you, right? The storm's terrible tonight, and the thunder's so loud. I was scared, so he came to keep me company."

The last message had arrived ten minutes ago.

"Don't you want to know how he's comforting me? Come to the Hollowpine Suites, Room 408. I've left the door unlocked."

"Will you come? I'm curious."

Chapter 3 Could It Be a Misunderstanding

Liora's POV

Olivia? Her again?

My vision darkened as the dream replayed in my mind—Ethan walking away with her.

I could almost taste blood in my throat. I shot up from the bed, barefoot, and eased open the study door.

The light was on, but the room was empty. The desk looked exactly the same as it had days ago, as if no one had touched it.

I stood there, stunned, my mind blank.

Ethan wasn't in the study. I checked every room carefully. The jacket he had left on the couch was gone, and so were the leather shoes he wore most.

It was obvious Ethan had gone out.

I didn't stop to think. I grabbed the keys and drove into the downpour.

By the time I reached the hotel, it was 4:30 am. Eighteen miles only took me half an hour.

I ignored the front desk and headed straight for Room 408. When I reached the door, everything felt unreal, like I had stepped into a bad dream.

I held my breath, gripped the handle, and pushed the door open.

A shredded black lace bra lay just behind the door—the same one from the selfie. A string thong was tossed nearby.

Then, my eyes caught on a man's suit jacket, a crumpled dress shirt, and a torn deep-blue tie, all scattered across the floor.

I recognized the tie by the rose-gold clip still fastened to it. I had given Ethan that set for his birthday last year.

My fingers clamped around the knob until my knuckles turned white. It was the only way to keep my legs from giving out.

I could picture their frenzy, ripping at each other's clothes, bodies tangling in feverish desire.

After a long time, I stepped inside and picked my way over the mess toward the inner room.

The door was ajar, a slice of light cutting through the dark. The sounds were loud enough to make my ears ring.

"Yeah... Ethan, harder! You were so mean on the phone. You really hurt my feelings."

Ethan spat words I'd never heard from him before. "Fuck you! You really are a whore! You sent those photos just to lure me here to fuck you, didn't you?"

Whatever thin hope I had left broke. I wished it were only a dream or some mistake, but that illusion was shattered. I saw everything with my own eyes.

I could never mistake that voice. It was the same voice that had once asked me to marry him in front of everyone.

"I love you, Lio. Marry me. I swear by the Moon Goddess I'll be faithful to you for the rest of my life."

Now, I was listening to him with another woman.

Tears blurred my vision. Through the haze, I saw their bodies tangled on the bed.

Olivia lifted her head from beneath him and gave me a smug smile.

I couldn't hold it together another second. I turned and ran away.

...

"What happened? Are you okay, Liora?"

I lifted my head from my glass. The faces before me wavered and blurred, then sharpened into my friend Sarah's.

"No," I said, then tossed back the rest of my whiskey. The burn tore down my throat, and my eyes watered from the sting. "Not really."

I wasn't going to cry. Ethan didn't deserve my tears. It had to be the alcohol.

I tapped the bar and shoved the empty glass toward the bartender. "Another."

The bartender was a tall woman. She held up her hands to Sarah. "She's been here half an hour. That was her seventh drink, and now, she's having her eighth."

She pointed to the line of empty glasses and poured again, sliding the new one to me.

I raised it, ready to drink.

Sarah sighed, caught my wrist, and leaned in until I had no choice but to meet her serious gaze.

"Calm down." She gripped my shoulders and spun my stool until we were face-to-face. "Now, tell me what happened."

I closed my eyes. The whiskey fuzzed the edges of my sight, but my mind was painfully clear. Even after eight glasses, that filthy scene was etched into me, deeper than memory.

The moment I closed my eyes, I saw the clothes scattered across the floor, the naked bodies tangled on the bed, and Olivia's triumphant smile.

All those eight years with Ethan suddenly felt like they meant nothing.

I pressed my lips together as tears streamed down my face. I broke into sobs, and it took me a long time before I finally found my voice.

"Ethan cheated with another woman."

I went on, "We've been together eight years. I guess I never really knew him. We were even trying to get pregnant, but he..."

Sarah's eyes went wide. She almost screamed. "Are you serious? He actually did that?"

After a beat, she tilted her head and spoke carefully. "How did you find out? Liora, I'm not defending him. I've known you two since the beginning. But..."

She hesitated, then spoke more softly, as if not to set me off. "Could it be a misunderstanding?"

Chapter 4 Would You Like to Spend a Wild Night with Me

Liora's POV

I shook my head and tugged the glass from Sarah's hand.

I tipped it back in one go. The whiskey burned all the way down, and my eyes watered like they always did.

"No. I saw them having sex in the hotel room," I said with a mocking smile. "It was disgusting, Sarah. The whole thing was disgusting!"

I slid the empty glass toward the bartender for a refill, but Sarah caught it first.

She turned my stool again so we were face-to-face. Her brown eyes held mine, and she spoke slowly, like she wanted me to hear each word clearly.

"I know it feels like the sky's falling, Liora. But don't punish yourself with booze, okay?"

Her tone grew firm as she looked at me seriously. "What are you going to do now?"

My hand, halfway to the glass, stilled. The fog in my head shifted, and my thoughts started clicking into place.

"What should I do?" I asked.

Sarah patted my shoulder, offering comfort in the quiet way only we understood.

"I know this is hard, but you've had enough for tonight. I'll take you home. Get some sleep, and then decide what to do next."

She pulled me into a hug. "I'll always have your back, okay?"

Her comfort soothed me. My lips trembled before the words came out, "I want a divorce. Sarah, I don't see any other way.

"Every time I picture Ethan with her, I feel sick. I don't even want to go home. Everything he's touched feels dirty to me."

Sarah sighed, helped me off the stool, and pulled out her wallet to cover my tab. "Then, I'm taking you to a hotel."

...

Kieran's POV

"Kieran, you've got that Alpha energy. Can I feel that power in bed?"

The woman in front of me barely wore anything. She swayed her boobs at me and licked her lips.

My headache spiked.

How many was this now, just this month?

I barely lifted my gaze and snapped, "Leave!"

Back in my room, I called the hotel manager at once.

"Are you serious? Since I moved in, a different woman has knocked on my door almost every night! If one more shows up, I'll shut this hotel down immediately! Do you understand?" I snapped into the phone, ignoring his apologies.

Almost every night, a different scantily dressed woman showed up at my door, as if my suite were some kind of brothel.

My temples throbbed with anger. I hadn't even hung up before another knock hit the door.

"You've got to be kidding me! Why is someone at my door again?"

I slammed the phone onto the nightstand and strode over. I yanked the door open.

A woman stumbled straight into my arms, knocking me backward to the floor. The scent of alcohol hit first.

Another stunt to get my attention?

My temples throbbed again, anger burning away what little patience I had left. Then, I caught the soothing scent of silvermoon grass, like a silverflower blooming in the woods.

It calmed me in an instant. The agitation smoothed out, and for a heartbeat, it felt like I could hear the forest sing.

My wolf, Druan, cut through the haze with a low growl. His voice rumbled in my head. "We've found your fated mate. We need her."

I was stunned.

I was 30 years old. I had long assumed I would never find my mate, but now, she suddenly showed up at my door.

My fated mate was a drunk prostitute? How was that possible?

She lay sprawled on my chest, her face buried against me. Her hair was light brown and softly curled. She mumbled something I couldn't catch. I had to focus to make out the words.

"I'm drunk," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. At least she knew she was drunk.

I was about to sit up, but first, I held my breath and placed my hands on her shoulders. She was slender, and I could feel the sharp edges of her shoulder blades through her shirt.

"You need to get off me first..."

Before I could move her, she flipped her hair back and sat up, right on my abs, shifting in a way that sent heat skittering along my nerves.

My body reacted in spite of me. Awkward didn't begin to cover it.

"Fuck you! Ethan!" she snapped.

Ethan? Which Ethan? Ethan Doyle? My nephew?

I went still. The next second, the drunk woman pushed my robe aside and slid her hand down my chest. Her fingertips sparked heat everywhere they touched.

Well, she was a bold drunk woman.

My patience finally snapped. Even though she was my fated mate, this crossed the line. I wanted to move her off me, but her sob stopped me, and a warm tear slid onto my skin.

"Why?" she choked out. "Ethan, you made the worst choice. You have no idea what you've just lost... You have no idea how incredible I am! And now, you'll never have me again!"

I was left speechless.

Chapter 5 Who The Hell Is She

Kieran's POV

"Alpha Kieran, I hope we haven't inconvenienced you..."

The hotel manager, Kayla Anderson, hurried down the hall. The second she saw us, her eyes went wide and her hand flew to her mouth.

My headache spiked sharper. I was certain she would think I was fooling around with a drunk woman.

The woman clung to me like a lifeline, crying into my throat while one hand slid inside my robe, rubbing over my abs like she owned them.

What did she think I was, a gigolo?

Worse, my breathing had gone uneven. Everywhere our skin touched felt fevered, as if I'd been drugged with something. Her unique scent wrapped around me, stirring a feeling I had never known before.

Was this the pull of a fated mate?

Druan growled in the back of my mind. "Take her," he urged.

For a moment, I reached out, my fingers resting at her waist. She was slim beneath my hands, moving restlessly as she straddled me.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt," Kayla yelped.

Her voice snapped me out of it. I dropped my hands like nothing had happened. "Don't just stand there! Help me! Get her off me!"

Kayla flinched at my shout and hurried to lift the woman onto her feet.

"I'm sorry, Alpha Kieran. This lady looks like she needs help. Do you... Need any additional services?" she asked, her eyes flicking from my bare chest to lower down.

Her brows arched, and her mouth curved like she was holding back a laugh.

My face darkened. I had never been this embarrassed in my life.

"No! Take her out of here! And what's wrong with you?" I yanked my robe straight and stepped aside, still scowling.

"I told you I don't want any companions! Not one! No more women knocking on my door! How did she end up here?"

At that, Kayla's expression turned awkward.

The woman who had caused all this chaos reached for me again, her hands spread like she meant to throw herself at me a second time.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her gray-green eyes gleamed like a starving wolf.

I pointed at her, my hand actually shaking with anger. No one touched me like this and walked away unscathed.

"Who the hell is she?"

Kayla hesitated before she answered. "I'm sorry, Alpha Kieran. I assumed she was your guest. She isn't anyone we sent. I checked the registry. She appears to be a lost guest. Her room is next door to yours."

"Then take her away! Right now!"

I closed my eyes helplessly. This night was a disaster.

This drunk woman was a shameless lunatic!

My gaze swept over her face. Earlier, her hair had blocked my view. Now, I finally saw her features clearly.

Damn it! I recognized her! She was my nephew Ethan's wife. I had met her once at their wedding.

"Are you sure she's my fated mate?" I asked Druan.

His answer made my head pound harder. "Yes. You felt it, right? We want her. We crave her scent. We will never refuse her."

I signaled for Kayla to take her away. "Delete tonight's surveillance footage. You know what to say, and what not to say. Right?"

...

Liora's POV

The next morning, my hangover made it nearly impossible to sit up in the hotel bed. I pressed a palm to my temple.

Sarah had kindly set a glass of water on the nightstand for me.

Wait...

I froze with the glass halfway to my mouth.

Sarah? She had dropped me off and checked me in. Then, I'd waved her off. So, who poured this water?

I tried to recall my memories.

I remembered taking the elevator alone, knocking on a door, colliding with someone... And then, my hands were on him!

When his face flashed through my mind, my breath hitched in my throat.

It was Kieran Doyle, Ethan's very famous uncle. Everyone in the Frostmane pack had heard how he seized the Alpha position with ruthless means.

I went light-headed and nearly blacked out.

I grabbed my phone and pulled up his number. Three years ago, when Ethan and I married, I had saved Kieran's contact.

I quickly typed, "I'm very sorry, Kieran. Last night, I..."

Then, I hesitated. A message didn't feel sincere. Should I call him instead?

But the image of Kieran's cold face slid into my head, and a shiver ran through me. I stuck with a text.

"Kieran, I'm sorry. I was drunk and went to the wrong room. Could we please treat it as if nothing happened?"

My pulse thudded in my ears as I held my breath and hit send.