Chapter 2

Silas and I had been in a cold war for two full months before I finally agreed to give him another chance.

Two months of built-up tension and hunger erupted like wildfire the moment we touched. We were tangled in the sheets, lost in each other. But just as we reached the point of no return, his personal phone started buzzing relentlessly.

I tried to ignore it. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, my voice thick with heat. "Silas... forget the phone."

But no amount of passion could drown out that ringtone.

The heat in Silas's eyes vanished. He pushed me off him, sat up, and answered the call.

My body was still burning, and I glared at him with pure resentment.

Sienna's sweet, whiny voice drifted from the speaker. "Silas, the power went out at the cabin... I'm so scared of the dark..."

Without a second thought, Silas started putting on his pants.

Unsatisfied and furious, I grabbed him from behind, holding him tight.

"Silas, it's just a phone call. Can't it wait? Do you really have to leave right now?"

He peeled my hands off him, one finger at a time. Then, he calmly buttoned his shirt, covering the marks we had just left on each other. His voice was cold and distant.

"Willa, you know the situation. Mason is barely in his grave. I can't just abandon his widow."

I snapped. "Silas! The Shadowspine Pack has dozens of guards and maids! Why can't she call any of them? She calls you on the nights she knows I'm exhausted, and she finds an excuse every single night. Don't you see how suspicious that is? Why is it always late at night? Why is it always right when we are together?"

"Shut up!" Silas's face darkened instantly. His eyes were cold and foreign. "Stop making up these ridiculous stories."

I stared at his tense face. For the first time, this man I had loved for seven years felt like a complete stranger.

Seeing the anger in my eyes, his expression softened slightly. He tried to soothe me.

"Don't worry, this is the last time. My mother is already on her way to stay with her. I'll just go check on them and come straight back."

Silas walked out, leaving me alone in the silent room.

As I cooled down, things started to feel wrong.

Silas had a high sex drive, just like me.

During our first month of marriage, we were interrupted constantly. Then we had a cold war for two months with zero touch. By all logic, tonight should have been wild and uncontrollable. Yet, the moment he got that call, he checked out instantly. He left without a single regret.

A horrible realization gripped my chest: His desires were already being satisfied elsewhere.

I jumped out of bed, intending to follow him, but a text from Silas popped up on my phone.

"The stairs had a wiring issue. Sienna tripped in the dark and sprained her ankle. My mother and I are taking her to the medical clinic. I won't be home tonight."

I drove straight to the medical clinic. The hallway outside the room was empty. Elaine was nowhere to be seen.

Through the small window of the dimly lit room, I saw Sienna. Her face was buried in Silas's neck, crying softly, her body pressed tight against his. Silas was leaning down, his lips almost brushing her ear, whispering something to her.

This was the twentieth time.

Every time we got intimate, she interrupted. Every time I followed him, I saw this exact kind of boundary-crossing behavior.

There was a reason Silas protected Sienna so blindly.

Six months ago, during a pack gathering near the lake, Silas had fallen into the deep water. Mason had jumped in to save him and drowned. At that time, Sienna was heavily pregnant.

Only days after the burial, she gave birth to a baby boy. She became the respected widow of the pack, and everyone walked on eggshells around her.

At first, I understood Silas's guilt. I thought helping his brother's widow and child was the right thing to do. I never complained.

Until our wedding night.

That was when I realized Sienna's intentions were far from innocent.