After abandoning me for his lover, my mate regretted

Everyone said she only slept soundly when I was around.

Now she was healed, and everyone assumed we'd form a sacred bond.

Hell, I'd let myself dream about it too.

But standing outside that door, her words echoing in my head, I realized I'd been a fool. She was healed, Sebastian was back, and I, her "brother," was just in the way.

I took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

The chatter stopped cold.

Every she-wolf in the room turned to me, their eyes flickering with guilt, like they'd been caught howling secrets.

"Ethan?" one of them probed, her voice tentative. "When did you arrive?"​

"Just this minute," I replied, managing a smile and pretending I hadn't caught a word. I passed the gift to Charlotte. "Well done on standing again."

I handed the gift to Charlotte. "Congrats on getting back on your feet."

She reached for it, but before she could take it, the door swung open again.

Sebastian stood there, eyes red-rimmed, voice thick.

"Charlotte, word is you're all better. I came over to mark the occasion."

The air in the room turned to ice.

Her friends' faces darkened, hackles practically raised.

"What are you doing here?" one snapped.

"When Charlotte got hurt, you bolted like a scared rabbit. Now you have the gall to show up?"

Sebastian's ears burned red, his eyes glistening as he shoved a gift into Charlotte's hands and turned to leave.

But then Charlotte grabbed his wrist.

"Stay," she said, her voice soft but firm.

The room went still. Every pair of eyes flicked to me.

I stood there, my smile frozen, but my nails dug into my palms hard enough to draw blood. Five years of my life, and it didn't hold a candle to one word from Sebastian.

The rest of the night was a nightmare.

Her friends tried to freeze Sebastian out, hyping me up instead, their voices loud and forced.

"Ethan, didn't you rub Charlotte's legs every day during rehab?" one asked, grinning too wide.

"Oh yeah," another jumped in.

"His hands were magic. Charlotte wouldn't let anyone else near her-she'd snarl if they tried."

I kept my head down, avoiding Sebastian's glare. But I could feel it-Charlotte's attention wasn't on me. It was all on him.

Halfway through, someone suggested a game.

Sebastian lost the first round, and the penalty was to get a she-wolf's contact info. He glanced at Charlotte, eyes pleading, but she just stared at her phone, ignoring him. His jaw tightened, and he stood, muttering, "Fine, the I'll do it."

I watched him stalk over to another table, where a group of flashy she-wolves, reeking of perfume and wine, swarmed him.

One grabbed his wrist, slurring, "Hey, hotshot, I'll add you, but let's see what you're working with first."

"Get off me!" Sebastian's growl cut through the noise.

Charlotte's head snapped up. In a flash, she was on her feet, stormniest a paw across the she-wolf's face. "Back off!"

All hell broke loose.

Her friends rushed to pull her back, yelling, "Charlotte, stop!"

I bolted toward her, worried her newly healed body couldn't handle a brawl. "Charlotte, don't-"

She shoved me hard. "Get out of my way!"

I stumbled, my foot slipping on the stairs.

Down I went, tumbling, my head slamming against the tile.

Pain exploded, and warm blood trickled down my forehead, blurring my vision.

I struggled to sit up, but through the haze, I saw Charlotte grab Sebastian's arm and pull him away. She didn't even glance back at me.

My chest felt like it was caving in, the pain worse than the blood seeping from my head. I remembered the days when she'd been broken, smashing a chair against her useless legs in a rage.

I'd thrown myself in front of her, taking the hit, my ribs cracking under the blow.

She'd screamed at me, tears streaming down her face.

"My legs are useless! It doesn't matter! Are you trying to die? Don't you know what's worth saving?"

I'd been sweating through the pain, but I'd held her legs tight and whispered, "I know what's worth saving. Your legs matter, and I'm gonna make sure you walk again."

That day, she'd trembled in my arms, her pride crumbling as she choked out, "Ethan, don't leave me."