The Alpha Took Me As A Stand-in, he regretted

Ian ghosted all night. Me? Eyes wide to the dawn, no shut-eye.

Our history flickered by like old reels-sweet snapshots souring to venom. Each memory a fresh bruise. My chest seized, his fake fire peeling away layer by layer. I squeezed my eyes shut, let the tears carve tracks down my cheeks.

Next morning, dark circles like bruises, I hauled ass to the office to quit. Perfect timing: there they were, spilling out of the same sleek ride.

Ian still in yesterday's suit, shirt rumpled like he'd slept in it-wait, no. He looked wrecked in the best way, that frosty mask cracked with a lazy grin.

Clara chattered on; he hung on every word, head tilted her way, firing back easy laughs.

That softness? He'd fed it to me once, like it was ours alone. Now? Bitter ash in my throat.

Copy-paste love. That's all I'd been.

Suck it up, Tina. I strode forward. Ian clocked me-face flickering, just a twitch-then bam, eyes slid away.

Like I was a stranger. He kept joshing with her, all charm and ease.

Ice flooded my veins. Heart clenching, fresh agony.

I slowed, locked eyes on him. Pinned him.

They brushed past-Clara halted dead, turning with this smug curl. "You. The new intern pup, right? Ian, doesn't she kinda... echo me?"

His brow furrowed. Silent.

"No? C'mon, the eyes, the whole vibe. And check it-we both rock that tear-spot..." She raked me head to toe, queen-bitch stance locked in.

My face drained cold. Nails gouging my palms. Humiliation burned- that mark? Ian's doing. Back when we first bound, lost in the heat, he'd traced it there. "My claim," he'd whispered, "so the moon knows you're mine..."

He'd inked it to match hers. On purpose.

Air thinned; my lungs fought for scraps. Some invisible paw squeezed my heart, pain crashing like waves. I was drowning, fast.

"Aw, pup's sulking." Clara arched a brow, looping Ian's arm. "Just messing. Don't take it to heart."

I whipped to Ian, voice cracking despite the steel I poured in. "You see it too, don't you? The resemblance?"

He paused mid-step. "Clara's a prime she-wolf. If she says you echo her? Take the win."

My body locked up. I lunged after. "Spell it out!"

Clara planted herself, wall of frost. "This is work, pup. Not your tantrum zone."

"Shut it!" I snarled at her, then bored into Ian. "You chased me... bound with me... 'cause I look like her?"

"You got some nerve, yapping at me like that! Never had a pup raise her voice." Clara's face darkened, hand flashing-a stinging slap that rang my ears.

World spun. Fury lit me up. I swung back, cracking her cheek solid.

She exploded. "Grab her!" To the shadows-bodyguards lunging. "You hit me? Being my double offends you that bad? Fine. I'll fix it for you."

She flicked a glance at the muscle. "Scar that tear-spot off her face."

"Don't!" I thrashed, but paws clamped my arms, legs-slammed me to the cold floor. Fingers vise'd my skull. A blade glinted, dancing inches from my eye. "Let go! Ian-you're just gonna watch her shred me?"

His face rippled, a hairline fracture in the calm.

"Ian," Clara cooed, twisting into him, all sweet poison, "she worth a scrap with me over?"

His scowl deepened. Eyes flicked off me, voice flat as slate. "I don't meddle in she-wolf squabbles."

Clara's smirk bloomed. "Smart wolf. Wouldn't torch our pack for some stray."

"Drag her somewhere quiet. Gag the bitch."

Ian's gaze shadowed, snagging back on me. Unbidden.

I was trussed like prey, zero give-but my stare? Laser-locked on him. It rattled something in those depths.

Still. Silent. No save.

They scraped me over tile, hauling rough into the stairwell. I gawked at him, disbelieving-tears spilling hot.

The edge bit skin, fire lancing across my cheek. Black spots bloomed; cloth jammed my mouth, muffling the sobs to whimpers.

I bucked wilder-the weight crushed harder, squeezing my ribs till stars burst. Breath? Gone.

The dark swallowed me whole.