After the IVF finally worked, I returned to the pack's territory, carrying the precious pup I'd fought so hard to conceive, eager to surprise Jason Holloway.
A friend had warned me, though, that while I was abroad these past few years, a flirty, temperamental she-wolf named Brooke Sinclair had cozied up to Jason as his secretary.
At first, I brushed it off.
Back in the day, all it took was a furrow of my brow, and Jason would send any unwanted wolves packing.
But when I got to the villa, the lock code had been changed. I punched in our bonding anniversary, and the door swung open.
There, lounging against the frame in my pajamas, was a she-wolf, all sultry curves and arched brows.
"Who's this stray, begging at the Holloway den in Shalandra Town?" she sneered. "Scram, or I'll sic the hounds on you!"
Her arrogance made me laugh, despite the heat rising in my chest.
"Get Jason out here! I want to know why he's letting just any she-wolf into our den!"
And I had bigger questions-like whether he still cared about the pup in my belly, the sole heir to nine generations of Holloways.
A dog growled from behind the door, egged on by her attitude.
Brooke rolled her eyes.
"Who do you think you are? You don't just demand to see our Jason."
She sized me up, her gaze dripping with disdain. "What's the pack's patrol doing, letting someone in thrift-store rags into our territory?"
My skin's sensitive-most fabrics make me break out in a rash. That's why Jason had custom clothes made for me from Isolaria's finest weaves. Never thought I'd be looked down on for not wearing designer labels.
I almost laughed at the absurdity. In all these years, I'd never been blocked from seeing Jason. I reached for my phone to call him and demand answers, only to realize it was dead. So, I held out my hand, voice icy. "Give me your phone, Brooke. If you mess this up, you know what he'll do."
My glare must've spooked her because she froze, and I snatched her phone. I dialed the number I knew by heart, ready to tear into him, but Jason's warm chuckle cut me off.
"Three minutes without a reply, and you're already calling? Miss me that much?" he teased. "I'm in a meeting, but I'll be back soon."
My grip tightened on the phone, words lodged in my throat. That tender tone-if I hadn't been holding Brooke's phone, I'd have thought he was talking to me. Then Brooke snatched it back, her voice turning syrupy. "Hurry back, okay? I'm craving your cooking!"
She flipped on the speaker, flaunting their banter. I swallowed my rage. "Jason, get back here now."
He paused, his tone shifting to confusion. "Brooke, is someone else there?"
She shot me a smug look. "Just some crazy she-wolf. I'll chase her off."
Jason's voice was casual, dismissive. "Yeah, keep it quiet. The pack's bidding on a big project-don't need any bad buzz."
His indifference hit me like a bucket of ice water. Just last month, he'd flown across the world to see me, and now he didn't even recognize my voice? I couldn't hold back anymore, my voice rising. "Jason, you're ready to toss me aside and our pup?"