Prologue
Ava's POV
So this is how it feels to be replaced—publicly, mercilessly, by the only person I ever let in.
"Sophia has shown me what it means to have a truly valuable partner," Jackson announced to the gathered crowd, his arm wrapped around the Silverpeak princess. "Someone who can help me bring Shadow Creek to new heights."
Valuable partner.
I gripped my champagne flute so hard I was surprised it didn't shatter. Standing near the back of Moonlight Lodge's ballroom, I watched my ex-fated mate beam at his new fiancée like she'd hung the fucking moon.
Four months ago, he'd said the exact same thing to me. "We'll change Shadow Creek together, Ava. You and me."
Now apparently Sophia was going to help him reach those heights instead. Like I'd never existed.
My wolf stirred restlessly under my skin. The silver-white mark on my neck throbbed with each word that came out of Jackson's mouth.
"This woman has taught me what it means to build something lasting," he continued, pressing a kiss to Sophia's temple.
Build something lasting. Right. Because four months of blood, sweat, and tears helping him hold the pack together after Alpha Carter's death apparently didn't count as "building something lasting."
I knocked back the rest of my champagne, tasting nothing. Around me, pack leaders and their families smiled and clapped. Half of them knew about Jackson and me—we hadn't exactly been subtle. But now they all acted like I was invisible, like those months had never happened.
My claws were starting to press against my fingertips.
Control, Ava. You can't shift here.
But fuck, it was hard. Jackson was rewriting history in real time, turning me into a footnote while he painted Sophia as the love of his life. The woman who'd "shown him what real partnership looked like."
What the hell had I been then? Practice?
My fangs pushed against my lower lip as Jackson launched into how grateful he was to the Alpha King for "trusting him with such a precious daughter."
I needed air. Or alcohol. Or both.
I pushed through the crowd toward the bar, my skin feeling too tight. The bartender slid me another champagne before I even asked.
"Double whiskey instead," I growled, not caring how my voice sounded.
The alcohol burned, but it didn't touch the rage building in my chest. If anything, it made it worse. Made me want to march up to that stage and tell everyone exactly what kind of "lasting partnership" Jackson had offered me before Sophia came along.
"It's not personal, Ava. It's politics."
That's what he'd said when he dumped me in that coffee shop. Like four months of everything we'd built could be dismissed as "politics."
My hands were shaking now. Claws fully extended, digging into my palms. The wolf inside me was pushing harder, wanting out, wanting to show this room full of hypocrites exactly what she thought of their political games.
I needed to get out of here before I did something that would get me killed.
The bathroom. I could splash cold water on my face, get my shit together. Maybe scream into a towel.
I pushed through the crowd again, ignoring the stares my probably-glowing eyes were attracting. The bathroom was blissfully empty—all the women were probably still watching the happy couple make their speeches.
I gripped the marble counter and stared at my reflection. My eyes were definitely glowing now, bright green bleeding through the usual forest color. My mark stood out like a neon sign against my neck, advertising my humiliation to anyone who looked.
"Valuable partner," I snarled at my reflection. "What the fuck was I then? Your practice round?"
The words came pouring out, four months of hurt and rage I'd been swallowing.
"You said we'd change everything together! You said Shadow Creek needed both of us!" My voice cracked on the last words. "Now suddenly Sophia's the one who can help you reach new heights? What about when I held your hand through every pack meeting? What about when I helped you figure out how to lead them after Alpha Carter died?"
I was fully talking to myself now, but I didn't care. It felt good to finally say it.
"God, you're such a fucking coward. Too scared to choose love over politics, so you rewrite history to make yourself feel better." I laughed bitterly. "At least own what you did. Don't pretend I was never good enough when you know damn well I was exactly what you needed—until someone better came along."
A sound behind me made me freeze. Not from the bathroom—from the adjoining lounge area.
Shit. Someone had heard that whole breakdown.
I turned slowly, my heart sinking as I realized the bathroom connected to a private changing area. Through the half-open door, I could see a man buttoning up a fresh white shirt. Dark hair, broad shoulders, expensive clothes draped over a nearby chair.
He'd definitely heard every word.
"Rough night?" he asked without turning around, his voice carrying an authority that made my wolf immediately take notice.
I wanted to run. Should have run. But something about his tone—not mocking, not pitying—kept me frozen in place.
He finished with his shirt and turned around, and my stomach dropped to my feet.
Storm-gray eyes. Sharp cheekbones. Dark hair with silver at the temples that somehow made him look distinguished rather than old.
Blake Morgan. The Silverpeak Alpha. The Alpha King. The one who could destroy every Alpha in the world with a single command. And more complicated—Jackson's future father-in-law.
"I..." My voice came out as a squeak. Of all the people to witness my meltdown, it had to be him.
He studied me for a long moment, those gray eyes taking in my glowing green ones, my extended claws, the mark on my neck that was probably pulsing like a beacon.
Then he smiled—not the polite smile I'd expected, but something sharp and knowing.
"You know," he said, adjusting his collar, "you have something of a point about my daughter's fiancé."
My mouth fell open.
He stepped closer, and I caught his scent—rain-soaked pine, woodsmoke, and something wild that made my wolf sit up and beg for attention.
"Tell me," he said, his voice dropping lower, "do you have an opinion about my daughter?"