My Mate Rejects Me For Her Sister's Mate

Sophia vanished for a week.

I only knew where she was because I saw her in Daniel's posts on X-hanging off his arm at a gala, hiking with him, sailing on some yacht. In one photo, she's got his jacket draped over her shoulders, standing close, her head tilted toward him, their vibe way too cozy.

Her long hair spilled over his arm, and her eyes sparkled with a joy I'd never seen.

Her germ phobia? Guess it doesn't apply to him.

Normally, I'd have raced to the old house, trying to win her back with some dumb gesture. Not this time. I blocked Daniel's posts and started counting down the days until our bond was severed.

On day eight, my phone rang. Sophia's voice was brisk. "Meet me. Auction's today."

I opened my mouth to say no, but she'd already hung up. Grudgingly, I headed out. When I got to her car, I reached for the passenger door, but the window rolled down, and there was Daniel, smirking.

"Hey, Andrew. Sophia figured I'd be bored, so she's bringing me along to the auction. Hope we're not crashing your vibe."

"Nah, you're good," I said, my voice flat. I slid into the backseat, ignoring the sting of not riding shotgun.

Sophia kept sneaking glances at me in the rearview mirror, probably thrown by how calm I was.

I popped on sunglasses, leaned back, and closed my eyes, tuning out the world.

She and Daniel chatted the whole way, her voice warm, laughing at his stories about their week together.

I just gritted my teeth, swallowing the hurt.

At the auction, Sophia fussed over Daniel, guiding him to his seat like he was pack royalty. I trailed behind, feeling like a stray. My seat was on the edge, Daniel in the middle, Sophia glued to his side.

I flipped through the auction catalog, spotting a few pieces I liked. But every time I thought about bidding, Daniel's voice cut in.

"Sophia, this one's slick."

"Sophia, doesn't this match my gray suit?"

"Sophia, I want that one."

She bid on everything he pointed out, her patience endless.

Me? I might as well have been invisible.

Near the end, she glanced my way, like she suddenly remembered why she'd brought me. Daniel, smirking, handed me a pair of cufflinks from his pile of winnings.

"Andrew, you didn't bid on anything. Don't like the selection? Take these. Don't go home empty-handed."

My grip tightened on the auction paddle, the edge slicing my finger. Blood dripped, but I forced a smile. "Thanks, but I'm good."

I stormed off to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face to keep from losing it. As I was about to leave, I overheard Daniel's voice from a stall, smug as hell.

"I went after Sophia's sister, Grace, 'cause she was the Lewis pack heir. Got her drunk, slept with her, locked that in. But Grace turned cold after we bound ourselves. No big deal-Sophia's the backup. She thinks I saved her life once, so she's all over me. I keep her dangling, and she eats it up. Andrew's a Johnson pack prince, but so what? She-wolves don't want what's easy. They chase what they can't have."

My blood boiled.

I pulled out my phone, hit record, and let his words burn into the file.