Reborn To Escape The Cruel Mate

Five years into bending over backward for Victor Harrington, my supposed fated mate, I found out the heart beating in his chest wasn't Julian's-my lost mate. It was all a lie, spun by my father, Graham Ellison, to trick me into taking my half-sister's place in this sacred bond.

I stared at the video my friend sent, Dad slurring the truth in a drunken haze. My chest twisted, like a giant hand was squeezing the life out of me. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe for what felt like forever.

In the dim glow of the vacation cabin, the sounds of Victor's latest fling faded. He strolled out, shirtless, tossing his dirty clothes at me. "Wash 'em," he said, voice flat as ever.

Normally, I'd have grabbed them, scrubbed them by hand like some obedient she-wolf. But today, I just stared at the jagged scar across his chest, lost in thought.

I'd heard once that a heart transplant could carry echoes of the original owner's feelings. That hope had kept me going for five years. Five years of clinging to a ghost. And it was all a lie.

Victor's hundredth canary-a she-wolf in a flimsy nightgown, all curves and charm, looking like the spitting image of his true love-sauntered out, draping herself over his shoulder. "Victor, darling, you messed up my dress too. Brooke, be a dear and hand-wash it, yeah?" Her voice was honey, but her eyes were sharp.

She was his favorite, the one who lasted longest. He even brought her to business meetings, leaving me, his so-called destined mate, in the dust. On this trip, I was their driver, their errand girl, delivering condoms and waiting outside their room like some stray pup while they went at it.

But now, Victor lit a cigarette, irritation flickering in his eyes. "You're asking too much. We're done."

The canary froze. "Victor."

"Take five million and leave, or vanish from Belmor Town." His voice was ice, sharp enough to cut.

Victor's name in the pack's business circles was synonymous with ruthless. Cross him, and you'd be lucky to crawl away. One glare, and the canary was trembling, grabbing her things and bolting.

He turned to me, voice clipped. "You deaf? Clothes."

"My cycle's here," I rasped. "Can't touch cold water."

He smirked, grabbed the million-dollar suit from my arms, and tossed it in the trash.

I knew why he was pissed. After his heart surgery, his body's fragile as glass. I used to hover over him, snarling at anyone who dared light a cigarette near him. But today? I didn't care. He could smoke himself to death for all it mattered.

Why should I care? That heart wasn't Julian's.

Driving back from the resort, Victor radiated cold fury, and I didn't bother breaking the silence. Halfway home, he spoke, voice low. "We're heading back to form the bond today. Get it done."

I blinked, caught off guard. "No, I-"

His phone cut me off, shrill and urgent. He motioned for me to answer it. I did, and his assistant's panicked voice flooded the line. "Victor, it's bad-Ivy's mate cheated and laid hands on her."

I slammed the brakes, my head smacking the headrest, vision buzzing. Before I could recover, Victor's voice sliced through. "Get out."

I stared at him. "We're on a mountain-"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

He was antsy, practically vibrating with urgency. I didn't want to push him, so I stepped out. Before I could steady myself, he peeled out, tires kicking up gravel that sent me sprawling. Stones bit into my palms and knees, sharp pain stealing my breath.

Stranded halfway up the mountain, no houses or bus stops in sight, I ditched my heels and started walking. The next scenic bus wasn't until tomorrow. By the time I caught a pack bus, my feet were blistered and bloody. I passed out from exhaustion, Julian's worried face haunting my dreams as tears streaked down my cheeks.

I was born into a broken pack. My parents shattered their bond right after I came into the world, leaving me to grow up with hired help and enforcers. At ten, Julian-five years older-became my personal guard. He treated me like I was made of glass, spoiling me until I flinched at the slightest discomfort.

The moment I hit legal age, we formed our bond, planning a ceremony abroad to seal our forever. But then Dad gave Julian an impossible task. He fell from a cliff, gone in an instant.

I collapsed when I heard, out cold. When I woke, they told me Julian's heart had been given to Victor, the Harrington pack's only son. Desperate to stay close to that piece of him, I agreed to form a bond with Victor.

Everyone knew Victor's heart belonged to Ivy Harper. But he was too late-she'd already left the pack, bound to another wolf. The day she formed her bond, Victor drowned himself in whiskey, his condition worsening until he needed that heart transplant.

The same day, I lost the love of my life.

Three months later, a recovered Victor agreed to our bond, but not without a warning. "I'll only ever love Ivy. This is just business."

I said yes anyway.

Since then, Victor's been chasing Ivy lookalikes, parading them in front of me. I didn't care. He humiliated me, and I took it, staying by his side like a loyal shadow. When he negotiated deals, I drank for him until my stomach bled, landing me in the healer's care. When he was weak, I climbed temple steps on my knees, praying for his health. When his business partners wanted thrills, I bungeed nine times in a row, spitting blood by the end, just to secure a deal.

He never cared.

But I didn't either-not about him. It was always about that heart.

Now, though? I'm done. I'm leaving for the pack where Julian fell, ready to spend my life searching for any trace of him.