Nicole

The scent of antiseptic and coffee clung to my lab coat as I hurried through the glass doors of Moonwatch Medical Center, clutching my research paper to my chest.

After three years of relentless research, sleepless nights, and countless cups of coffee, my study on "Werewolf Genetic Stability Factors" had not only been accepted but had won the Pack's prestigious Medical Achievement Award.

And with it came the prize money,one hundred thousand dollars. Money that would finally allow my mother ,Xavia ,access to the specialized cardiac treatment she desperately needed.

"Dr. Nicole!" The receptionist, Amy, called out as I passed. "Congratulations! The whole Pack is buzzing about your research."

I offered her a genuine smile, my first in weeks. "Thanks, Amy. It still doesn't feel real."

"You deserve it. Oh—Dr. Dodie was looking for you earlier. Something about celebratory drinks?"

Dodie, the Moonwatch Pack's lead physician, was known for handling the most complicated obstetric cases with calm precision—and for being universally loved in her department.

We'd been best friends since our university days, surviving heartbreaks, failed exams, and a few supernatural close calls together.

"I'll catch her tomorrow. Tonight's for family," I replied, already imagining Francisco's face when I told him the news.Francisco was the Alpha heir of the Ashclaw Pack. He pursued me for three years in college and we've been together for two years now, and the relationship is stable.

The autumn air was crisp against my skin as I cut through the Pack's central plaza, where announcements and important notices were displayed. A striking red document caught my eye—an official warning from the Council of Elders addressed to Alpha Damien Gatsby of the Thornfang Pack.

FINAL NOTICE,Alpha Damien Gatsby is hereby reminded of the Succession Protocol. Failure to produce an heir before reaching 35 years of age will result in forfeiture of Alpha status to the next bloodline. Time remaining,6 months.

I slowed despite myself. Damien Gatsby—Faellac Town's most powerful Alpha. Six months left on the clock, and no mate. The political fallout would be catastrophic if he lost his title.

Rumors swirled constantly: that he refused to take a mate after some brutal heartbreak, that something darker, medical, was at play.

For a fleeting second, my mind picked at the puzzle, the way it always did. Genetic infertility? Psychological trauma? A mix of both?

I caught myself and shook it off. Not my problem.I had enough ghosts—my mother's failing heart, and the gnawing fear that even with my success, it still might not be enough. Today was supposed to be a rare, golden day. I wasn't going to let someone else's scandal drag me under.

Thirty minutes later, I stood outside Francisco's upscale apartment, the prize money confirmation and my mother's cardiac evaluation report tucked safely in my bag.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself, then pressed my fingerprint to the door scanner and stepped inside.

The smell hit me first—cloying perfume, sweat, and something raw.

The living room was a mess. A pair of men's dress shoes. A pair of unfamiliar high heels. A lacy bra draped over the back of the couch.

I froze, heart beginning to race. From down the hall, muffled voices and rhythmic thumping drifted toward me.

“Oh god, you're such a bad boy,” a woman gasped breathlessly.

“You little fox,” the man growled."You're going to drive me crazy.”

I stood rooted to the spot, unable to breathe. My body moved on its own, silently carrying me toward the bedroom door.

Then I heard it—the woman's voice, breathy and teasing:

“Tell me, darling… do you like me better or Nicole?”

The man's voice, irritated and impatient, answered:

“Of course I like you. Nicole's a boring nun. You're the fun one.”

My chest tightened.

I stared at the door, stunned, until reality finally snapped into place like a blade through my chest.

I turned, walked to the kitchen, filled a bowl with cold water, and returned to the bedroom like a ghost.

Then, with calm precision, I kicked the door open and flung the water straight at the tangled pair of naked bodies on the bed.

The woman shrieked.

Francisco let out a strangled yell, scrambling to cover himself.

“Nicole?!” he gasped, grabbing a soaked blanket to cover his lower half.

I didn't speak. My gaze shifted to the woman—Bella-my friend—her smug smile curling as she lazily traced the moonstone pendant that hung from her neck.

The same limited-edition pendant I'd seen in the jewelry store window last week.

The one Francisco had begged me for $15,000 to buy—for a business client he needed to impress.

He had withdrawn it from our joint account.

“Well,” Bella drawled sweetly,"isn't this awkward timing?”

Francisco stood, attempting to put his shirt on."Nicole, let me explain—this isn't what it looks like.”

I stared at him, silent, until my fingers clenched around the folder in my hand—crumpling my mother's cardiac report.

Bella's voice dripped with poison. “Francisco said that money would be wasted on your mother's hopeless condition. He figured investing in me made more sense—after all, my family can secure the Ashclaw Pack's trading licenses. What's a dying woman compared to that?”

The betrayal cut deeper than any physical wound could.

Francisco's voice followed, low and cold:

“Be practical, Nicole. Your mother's condition is a bottomless pit. That prize money secures our future. You need to stop being so emotional.”

"Practical?" My voice emerged as a dangerous whisper. "You stole medical funds meant for a life-saving procedure.

According to Werewolf Law, Section 23—misappropriation of life-sustaining medical resources equates to attempted murder of a Pack member."

I yanked off the earrings he'd given me—another lie, I realized now—and hurled them at his chest.

"This money wasn't yours to take!" My voice rose with each word. "It was designated for my mother's treatment! The Council will hear about this!"

I tore the joint account agreement from my bag and ripped it to shreds, letting the pieces fall between us.

Something primal and ancient rose within me. The formal rejection words came unbidden to my lips,"I, Nicole Snyder, hereby reject you, Francisco Lacey, Alpha of the Ashclaw Pack, as my mate!"

The moment the words left my mouth, searing pain lanced through my chest.

It felt like a thousand knives piercing my heart simultaneously. My lungs seized, refusing to draw breath. My knees threatened to buckle, but pride kept me upright. I would not show weakness—not to them.

Francisco's face flickered with something— Pain? It vanished almost instantly.

"I, Francisco Lacey, Alpha of the Ashclaw Pack, accept your rejection."

Bella's smug expression as she draped herself against him told me everything.

They deserved each other—two manipulative, selfish creatures playing with others' lives.

"You won't get away with this," I managed through gritted teeth, backing toward the door. "I'll make you pay the price."

I stumbled from the apartment, each step sending fresh waves of rejection pain through my body. The bond-breaking was physical as well as emotional, my wolf keening in agony within me.

Outside, I collapsed against the wall, struggling to breathe through the pain.

Suddenly, My phone rang in my hand—the Moonwatch Medical Center's emergency line.

"Dr. Nicole?" The urgent voice of Nurse Jenkins cut through my fog. "Your mother has suffered severe wolf spirit backlash. Her condition is critical. We need to perform an inter-Pack cardiac bridging procedure immediately. The deposit required is $200,000, payable tonight only, or we can't connect her to the Thornfang Pack's life support system."

The phone nearly slipped from my trembling fingers as darkness edged into my vision.

Two hundred thousand dollars. Double what I'd won. Money I no longer had access to.

My mother was dying, and the man I'd trusted had taken away my only means of saving her.