An Alpha's Unwolfed Heart

From that day forward, I changed. I no longer sought out Caspian, and I ignored every attempt he made to reach me through our mind-link.

Instead, I threw myself into preparing my application for the North Crest Research Institute.

I had given up that same opportunity once before to be his Luna. I’d stayed home like a good little mate, organizing his papers and sacrificing everything for a love that left me to die alone in a cold, empty room.

This time, I would not let that chance slip away.

I figured if I simply stopped seeking him out, our paths would rarely cross in a pack this large.

That held true until the pack's annual charity gala. I was with Griffin when we ran right into them—Caspian and Dahlia, dancing intimately in the center of the ballroom.

When Caspian saw us, he instinctively faltered.

After the song ended, his gaze followed me, a sliver of expectation in his eyes. I ignored him, calmly approaching another young Alpha and politely accepting his invitation to dance.

"Caspian only ever smiles like that when he's with me," Dahlia's voice purred from beside me, dripping with pride and provocation. My heart stuttered, but I kept my expression impassive.

When Caspian tried to pull me aside to explain, I simply smiled. "There are so many eligible Alphas in the pack. Perhaps it's time I got to know a few."

The moment the words left my mouth, Caspian's face darkened. His golden wolf eyes locked onto me like a hawk's, as if he could crush me with his presence alone. His Alpha aura spiraled out of control, and the crystal glass in his hand shattered. Then he stalked from the hall without another word.

The day before I was scheduled to leave, Dahlia contacted me. She threatened to expose my history with Caspian to Griffin if I didn't meet her at the Mist Swamp on the edge of the territory.

I had no desire to go, but she must have anticipated my refusal. "I can tell there's something between you and Caspian," she said bluntly. "If you don't want your brother to find out, you'd better show up."

A suffocating tightness gripped my chest. The last thing I wanted was for Griffin to learn about my messy past with Caspian right before I left.

That day, Dahlia wore a vibrant, flowing dress that made her look radiant. The first thing she said was a blunt accusation. "I knew it, Rowan! I knew you were still clinging to Caspian!"