Chapter 2

the wall outside, looking serious. My heart raced as I approached him.

“What do you want to tell me?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He looked me in the eyes. “I know this is a tough time for you. I heard about your dad. I wanted to help.”

“Help? How?” I was skeptical. Ethan had rejected me, and I wasn’t sure if I could trust him.

“There’s a way to deal with the pack’s demands,” he said. “I have some contacts who can help your father. But it won’t be easy.”

I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of hope and fear. “What do you mean?”

Ethan stepped closer, lowering his voice. “We can negotiate with them. I have experience with these kinds of situations. I can talk to the Beta.”

I felt a flicker of hope. “You would do that for me? After everything?”

He nodded. “Despite what happened between us, I don’t want to see you or your family suffer. I won’t let them take your dad away like this.”

I tried to process his words. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch,” he replied. “Just be ready. It might get messy.”

As I stood there, I realized I had a choice to make. I could either risk everything and trust him, or I could let my dad stay in jail.

“Okay,” I said, my voice steady. “Let’s do it.”

He stood by his car, arms folded across his chest.

Goddess, I hated how good he looked.

I had been in love with him for over two years. He was my friend, my confidant, my fated mate. When he rejected me, it shattered all my dreams.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold it together.

“Why are you here?” I finally asked after a long, awkward silence.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he replied.

“Why?”

The corner of his lips curled into a smile as he looked at me. I nearly melted under his gaze and quickly looked down.

“Because I can help you,” he said. “Your father’s funding is gone, and he owes a lot of money. He doesn’t have that kind of money, especially now that his business has failed. But I do.”

I raised my eyes to meet his, feeling the seriousness of his words.

“Are you saying you’d pay my father’s debt?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes.”

“And what do you want in return?” I asked, nervous about his answer.

He smirked, making my stomach twist.

“There’s a condition,” he said. I waited, my eyes locked on his. “After I get married, I want you to drop out of school and become my mistress.”

I couldn’t believe what I heard. My jaw dropped in shock.

“Excuse me?” I stammered. “You want me to what??”

“Drop out of school and be my mistress. I have a luxurious home for you to live in. You would never have to want for anything.”

“I’ll pay off your father’s debt and give you more money than you could ever imagine.”

“How… how could you ask me to do such a thing?” I whispered, my voice trembling. Tears threatened to fall, but I fought them back, not wanting him to see me break down.

He moved closer, and I felt frozen, unable to step back. My wolf was whimpering at his request, shocked that our mate could ask this of us. I hated that she was put in such a painful situation.

“Because we’ve always been great together, Judy,” he said, gently touching my arm. “We will always have this strong bond, even if I mark someone else. Your family would be set for life… all you have to do is say yes…”

He ran his fingers up and down my arms, and I felt sick. Finally, I found the strength to pull away from him, my body shaking.

“No,” I said, looking him straight in the eye. “I will never become your mistress.”

His expression darkened.

“I’m about to become the Alpha, Judy. You need to keep up with the times. Being my mistress would help you, and don’t you want your father out of jail?”

“I will find another way,” I replied through clenched teeth. “If that’s all you have to say, then I’ve heard enough. You can leave.”

He raised his eyebrows, studying me as if he thought I might change my mind at any moment.

“You’ll change your mind,” he said as he stepped away.

I walked towards his car. “And when you do, I’ll be here. But until then, your father will stay in prison.”

“I’ll figure it out,” I called after him. “We don’t need you, Ethan!”

He laughed as he opened his car door and then turned back to look into my eyes.

“To get him out of prison, you’ll need at least 5 million dollars. When you realize you have no other choice, you’ll come to your senses. I’m sure of it.”

Without saying anything more, he got into his car. I watched him drive away, disappearing into the night.

Once he was gone, I let myself drop to the ground. Tears fell down my cheeks before I could stop them.

5 million dollars?

How was I going to come up with that much money?

——————

I had two classes this morning and one later in the afternoon. My first class was warrior training, and the second was shifting. I was good at both. I was in college for Gamma training, hoping to prove myself to the Gamma force and become a warrior. Once I did that, I could easily pay off my father’s debt and save my family.

“You look terrible,” my best friend, Nan, said as I sat beside her against the big oak tree, the spot we always met.

“It was a rough night,” I admitted while pulling out my textbook to study.

“Where did you go last night? When I got back, you were gone. Did you leave early because of the engagement party?”

I bit my lower lip, trying to decide what to tell her. If I lied, she would see right through me. I was a terrible liar, and Nan could read me like a book.

“I ripped my shirt, and…”

“I was taken into his room to change,” I said, feeling my cheeks flush at the memory.

Her eyebrows shot up, and I struggled to meet her gaze.

“You went to someone’s room?” she asked. “Whose?”

I hesitated for a moment, and she grabbed my arm to get my attention.

“Judy, who did you leave with?” Her voice was now filled with concern.

I realized I couldn’t avoid this conversation any longer. I bit my lip and looked up at her shyly.

“Gavin Landry,” I whispered.