Chapter 2
Judy’s POV
Back at the packhouse, I started packing.
I’d folded exactly three shirts and stared blankly at a pair of heels when the front door opened and his scent-cologne mixed with
a trace of cheap roses and someone else’s
perfume-hit me like a slap.
Alpha Simon was home.
“Judy!” His voice rang out, way too chipper.
“The moment the work chaos calmed down, I
rushed back. Did you miss me?”
He appeared in the doorway holding a massive bouquet of red roses, their heads already drooping.
“I got these just for you,” he said, stepping closer. “Sorry I couldn’t stay with you at the bridal shop. Let me make it up to my baby.”
I looked at the bouquet, then at him.
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My wolf stirred, growling low inside me.
These weren’t fresh. The petals were half-wilted, the stems already bruised. He didn’t get these for me-he rescued them from Wilona’s little engagement scene, like I was some backup Luna waiting on the bench.
I almost laughed. Out of fury.
“This is funny to you?” Simon’s smile faded a
little.
“Nothing.” I took the bouquet with a sweet smile, because I was done playing the fool.
“Thanks.”
As I turned toward the kitchen to dump the
poor flowers in a vase, something right there on
his collar.
Lipstick.
Wilona’s shade. That loud, bleeding red she always wore.
I pointed at his collar, my voice casual. “There’s
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a smudge.”
Simon glanced down, and I saw the moment it registered. His jaw clenched. His pupils dilated slightly. His heartbeat skipped.
“Ah-must’ve brushed up against something,” he said quickly.
“Mm.” I didn’t press. “Take it off. I’ll wash it for
you.”
He blinked. “The housekeepers can handle it.”
“They’re too rough. I’ll do it.”
He seemed relieved, like the worst had passed. He peeled off the shirt and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “You’re the best, Judy.”
I smiled as I took the shirt, staring at that lipstick mark. “The best,” I echoed softly.
Maybe just the easiest one to fool.
I didn’t realize how hard I was scrubbing until the fabric tore straight down the seam.
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Oops.
“Shirt’s ruined,” I called out, not feeling the slightest bit sorry.
Simon wandered back in half-dressed, pulling
on another shirt—still smelling faintly of her. That sickly sweet perfume clung to him like a ghost I couldn’t exorcise.
“No big deal,” he said, unfazed. “You can buy
me a new one.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Some things aren’t meant. to be replaced.”
He chuckled, missing the point entirely. “True.
That shirt was one of my favorites. Could’ve
gotten more use out of it.”
Then he looked me dead in the eyes and added,
“You know me—I’m a one-woman kind of guy.”
My wolf snarled.
One-woman man, huh? So devoted that even
after five years, he was still chasing the woman who once rejected him, tail wagging like a mutt
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desperate for scraps.
And me?
What were our five years? Just a warm-up?
The memories came fast. After I graduated college, I applied for a job at his packhouse. I’d heard of Alpha Simon, of course-every unmated she-wolf in the region had. But I never thought he’d notice me.
He did.
He noticed everything.
He pursued me with that smooth, relentless charm, the kind that makes you feel like you’re the only one in the world.
I didn’t give in easily.
Then the fire happened. Flames tore through. the east wing of the building, alarms
screaming, wolves running. I froze—my limbs locked, my mind blank.
Simon was the one who ran back for me.
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He carried me out through the smoke with my face buried against his chest, heart pounding against mine.
That was the moment I let go. The moment I fell.
Five years ago. I even remember the exact date.
That night, he looked me in the eye under the full moon and said, “Judy, I promise-I’ll only ever love you.”
And I-foolish, hopeful, full of dreams- told him, “Don’t forget what you said today. Because if you ever betray me… I’ll marry
another man. And I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.”
We both laughed.
But now?
That vow burned like acid in my chest.
Tears spilled down my cheeks before I even
noticed. I was still clutching that torn shirt like it
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meant something.
Simon rushed over, panic in his eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” He grabbed a
handful of tissues and dabbed at my face with clumsy hands.
“I’m fine,” I said quietly, pulling away.
He betrayed me first.
Now it was my turn to keep a promise.
I would marry another man.
And I wouldn’t look back.
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