Chapter 2

On the third day of gathering evidence, Ethan brought his mistress straight into pack territory.

When the front door opened, I was in the Alpha manor's study reviewing files sent by my scouts. I looked up and saw Lily standing timidly behind him. She wore a floral dress, her baby bump even more noticeable than before. Her hair hung in a loose, low ponytail, making her look like a frightened fawn that had wandered into predator territory.

"Clara, this is Lily," Ethan introduced her casually, as though she were merely an everyday guest. "She's from Red Stone Pack. They're going through some internal disputes right now, so she's staying with us for a couple of days until things blow over."

I locked eyes with Lily. She quickly dropped her gaze, nervously fidgeting with her hemline. Her scent was unmistakable—pregnant she-wolf hormones mingled with Ethan's musk, deeply stamped into her skin.

"Blow over?" I set the documents down and walked over to them. "Ethan, the Alpha manor isn't a homeless shelter."

"It's just for a few days until the dust settles." Ethan stepped forward, reaching out to pat my shoulder, but I backed away. "Look at her, Clara. She's pregnant and vulnerable. We're all wolves here. We should help our own kind."

"Our kind?" I let out a dry laugh, turning my gaze back to Lily. "Miss Brooks, wasn't it? You claim there are internal disputes in Red Stone. What disputes? Who is your Alpha? Which lineage do you belong to?"

Lily looked up, panic flaring in her eyes as she stammered, "I... I'm not entirely sure... Alpha Ethan said he would shelter me."

"You don't know?" I took a step forward, closing the distance. "You don't even know, yet you have the nerve to move into another pack's Alpha manor? Or do you know full well, and just don't have the guts to say it out loud?"

"Clara!" Ethan snapped, his tone darkening. "What is wrong with you? Lily is our guest. How can you speak to her like that?"

"A guest?" I whipped around to face him. "Ethan, you brought a pregnant she-wolf from an outside pack right into our home without knowing her background. Do you really expect me to buy this bullshit?"

"I already told you Red Stone is having problems! Why would I lie?" He scoffed, his voice laced with impatience and a subtle threat. "Clara, stop throwing a tantrum. I have enough pack duties on my plate. Can't you just give me a break?"

Looking at his entitled sneer, I realized there was no point in playing along anymore. He acted so brazenly because he assumed I would swallow my pride to keep pack peace. But he forgot that I am a warrior with Alpha blood flowing through my veins. Tearing down hypocrites is what I do best. Or perhaps, after seven years, he still viewed me as that naive girl who first stepped into his pack.

"Give you a break?" I snatched the dossier off my desk—the hard evidence gathered by my scouts. "While you were asking for a break, were you busy vacationing with Miss Brooks in a lakeside cabin in Red Stone? Ethan, do you take me for blind, or just stupid?"

Ethan's face drained of color. Lily gasped and scrambled a step backward, tears instantly welling in her eyes.

"Clara, let me explain..."

"Explain what?" I cut him off sharply. "Explain why you lied about alliance meetings just to sleep with another woman? Explain whose child is growing in her belly? Or explain why you dragged her into my home—was it to publicly humiliate me?"

My questions hit like rapid-fire bullets. Ethan opened his mouth, but no words came out. Finally, his expression twisted into a vicious glare. "Fine! Since you already know, there's no point in hiding it. Lily is carrying my pup. I won't abandon her. She is my fated mate."