Revenge On The Wolf Whose Lover Tormented My Sister

I clutched those papers to shatter our sacred bond like a lifeline I was ready to snap, stepping into the archery range just as the echoes of some wild romp faded out.

My mate, Julian Payne, was still huffing and puffing, but he couldn't resist planting one last sloppy afterglow kiss on the she-wolf curled up in his arms.

Her pale back pressed against the target wall, cheeks flushed like she'd just run a marathon, legs still quivering like a leaf in the wind.

My breath hitched hard.

I knew her, that she-wolf was none other than Nancy Ryan, the golden girl from the Ryan pack's top alphas in Galathia Town, the one Julian had personally groomed into Payne Business's shiny new manager.

No wonder every lead I'd chased on his hidden side fling had dead-ended like a bad trail.

No wonder my little sister, Molly Stone, had her private snaps auctioned off like trash by that monster of a brother, Stuart Ryan, and every case got yanked before it could stick!

Julian had wrapped that Ryan pack siblings up tighter than a full moon hunt, so tight he'd driven Molly-the pup who'd saved his sorry hide-to slash her wrists more times than I could count.

I let out a cold, bitter laugh, yanking an arrow from the quiver and stabbing it straight through those bond-shattering papers.

Then I nocked it, drew back the string, and let it fly-straight as an enforcer's shot at the cheating pair not twenty paces off!

The next heartbeat, the arrow grazed Nancy's scalp, pinning the papers to the wall right behind her.

Her scream ripped through the range like a banshee wail, "Ah-!"

Julian's face went dark as a storm cloud, staring at the blood trickling down her forehead. "Jade, you've gone too far. She's just a sweet, innocent pup-you really can't stand her that much?"

I snorted a laugh, sharp as shattered glass. "Sweet and innocent? Y'all screwing right out in the open, and she had the balls to yank the pack office lawyers off my sister's case, pushing her to the edge-you blind as a bat or what?"

My mind flashed to Molly, my baby sis who'd been my rock through hell, all bubbly and full of life-now a ghost , skin and bones after dropping thirty pounds, hollow-eyed and broken.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting the sob clawing up.

"This arrow? Just a warning shot. Either she hands over the reins, or we break this bond for good. Your call, Julian."

His eyes shadowed over, like storm clouds rolling in. "Your sister's thing with Stuart? That's just young wolves in heat, snapping a few pics when the moon's high. Nothing wrong with that. You're getting on in years, Jade-can't you cut the buzzkill? Nancy's only got the one brother. I promised her I'd keep him safe. As for breaking the bond..."

He scoffed low, ripping the papers off the arrow and shredding them to confetti. "Jade, we formed our eternal bond in Isolaria, remember? The only way out there's a pine box. I don't do bratty she-wolves. Time you learned your place."

He dropped that ice-cold line like it was nothing, scooping up Nancy and striding out.

She looped her arms around his neck, shooting me a smug, taunting grin over his shoulder.

I knew right then-we were done. Unbound. Over.

Before all this mess, folks whispered that Julian was my sharpest blade, the one I could always count on to carve through the crap.

At eighteen, he'd gouged out the eyes of my leering stepfather-the wolf who'd been sniffing too close-and boxed 'em up in pink wrapping as my coming-of-age gift. "Born into this shitshow pack? You ain't cut out for silver spoons and silk sheets."

I'd glanced at Molly, the pup who needed me more than air, and torn up my fancy college acceptance letter with a grin. "Then let's rot together, you and me."

At twenty-two, I'd thrown myself to the wolves to save him, landing in enemy claws. They ripped me open, gutted our pup right out of me-left me barren as a winter house.

Julian stormed their hideout, emptying seventy-one rounds from his clip, wading through the carnage to kneel by our lost little one's grave, his voice cracking as he mourned.

At twenty-five, I'd scrubbed his name clean of the blood money, turning him into the golden boy everyone bowed to-chasing off the flock of she-wolves buzzing around him like flies on fresh kill.

He'd grabbed my hand that night, dragging the tip of his blade across the inside of his thigh, carving "Jade's Only" in jagged script.

Then he pinned me against the floor-to-ceiling windows, taking me till my legs buckled like wet noodles.

His teeth grazed my earlobe as he growled, "Everyone sees the polished alpha CEO. But you? You've seen the real me-the filthy, broken mess underneath."

We'd clawed through bullet storms and danced on death's doorstep together. I figured we'd ride out the storms side by side till the end. Until Nancy dropped those anonymous bed pics in my lap, snapshots of Julian tangled up with her.

He'd stonewalled every probe I made, burying the trail deep.

But I never dreamed she'd sink her fangs into something so vile-siccing her twisted brother on my innocent little Molly...

If they wanted to corner me like a rabid lone wolf, fine. I'd serve up a gift basket of hell they couldn't stomach.

That text I'd fired off to Meridona? It just blinked "read."

Boris Jones burst through the doors, phone shaking in his paw, wild-eyed. "Jade, it's bad-real bad! Stuart called again, mouthing off to Molly, and she... she couldn't take it. Jumped from the roof!"