AMY'S POV

I couldn't believe my eyes as I stood frozen in front of my mate's bedroom. He was driving his dick into some she wolf without even noticing my presence.

A sickening wave of nausea rolls through my stomach. My fingers turn cold, and my knees threaten to give way beneath me. I try to take a breath, but my chest feels painfully tight, as though an invisible hand is squeezing the air out of my lungs.

No. This can't be happening.

I blink several times, desperately hoping that my eyes are playing tricks on me. Maybe I'm exhausted. Maybe the grief of losing my father has finally made me see things that aren't real.

But the sight in front of me doesn't disappear.

The rumpled sheets. Her clothes scattered across the floor. Derek's bare chest. And the unmistakable scent of another woman mixed with his familiar scent, lingering all over the room.

Derek finally finished with his whore before his eyes landed on me. They widened in shock as he jumped away from the she-wolf on the bed.

He quickly grabbed the bed sheets to cover himself as he gave an apologetic look. “Amy, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to be with your mom after the funeral.”

“Really, Derek?” I stared at him in disbelief, fighting back the tears burning behind my eyes. “That's the first thing you're going to say to me?”

He rushed forward, reaching for my hand, but I stepped away before he could touch me. My knees go weak, and the knot in my stomach turns to a solid block of ice. With a defiant smile, the woman darted past me and, at Derek’s signal, disappeared down the hall.

“Amy, please. It was a mistake. I swear I didn't mean for it to happen. I was drunk, and things just got out of hand. You're the only woman I love. She means absolutely nothing to me.”

“How can you stand there and claim you love me when you just had another woman in your bed?” My voice rose with every word. “Do you have any idea how disgusting that is? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?”

“Come on, Amy. I'm sorry, okay? What more do you want me to say? It happened once. Can't we just forget about it?”

“Forget about it?” I repeated, staring at him as though he'd grown another head. “You cheated on me, Derek. You didn't accidentally spill a drink on someone. You made a choice. And now you expect me to pretend nothing happened?”

He finally stood up, his expression growing impatient.

“I said I was sorry. What else do you want from me? You know I love you. You're going to be my wife and the future Luna of this pack in two months. We can't let something this stupid ruin everything we've built together.”

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing.

“Something stupid? Is that what you're calling it? I suppose the next time you sleep with someone else, I'll just have to remind myself that it's no big deal.”

“Don't twist my words!” he snapped.

“Then choose your words carefully.”

His jaw tightened. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, but he quickly forced a sigh and tried a different approach.

“Look, I know things haven't been easy between us lately. Ever since your father's condition got worse, you've barely had any time for me. I understood that you were worried about him, but I have needs too, Amy. I can't be expected to wait around forever while you shut me out.”

I stared at him, momentarily stunned by his audacity.

“Are you seriously blaming me for this?”

“I'm just saying we both made mistakes. You haven't exactly been the most attentive mate lately.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

“My father was dying, Derek. I was watching the man who raised me slowly slip away, and somehow you think that gives you an excuse to crawl into another woman's bed?”

“I didn't say that!”

“You didn't have to. You're standing right here trying to make your betrayal my fault.”

“God, you're impossible!” He threw his hands up. “Why do you always have to make everything so dramatic? Other couples go through things like this and move on. Why can't you just be reasonable for once?”

“Reasonable?” I took a step closer, looking straight into his eyes. “You want me to be reasonable? Fine. Let's be reasonable. If I had walked into this room with another man in my bed, would you be standing here telling me we should forget about it? Would you still want me as your future Luna?”

His expression darkened.

“That's different.”

“Of course it is. When you do it, it's a mistake. When I do it, it's betrayal. How convenient.”

“Watch your mouth, Amy.”His eyes narrowed.“You know what your problem is? You've gotten too comfortable. You seem to have forgotten where you came from.”

My heart gave a painful thud, but I kept my face expressionless.

He scoffed, his patience finally wearing thin.

“Don't pretend you don't know. Every she-wolf in Rainwood would kill to be in your position. You're a low-class girl from an ordinary family, Amy. Without me, do you honestly think you'd ever get the chance to become Luna? My family accepted you. My father agreed to this marriage. You should be grateful instead of acting like you're too good for me.”

For a few seconds, I simply stared at him. He wasn't sorry he'd hurt me. He was angry that I wasn't willing to swallow it.

“Derek. I never begged your family to accept me, and I certainly never begged you to marry me.”

I pointed at his chest.“You're the one who asked me to be your mate. You're the one who promised to love and protect me. And now you're standing here acting as though being chosen by you is some kind of favor I should spend the rest of my life repaying.”

“Don't be ridiculous. You have no idea how much I've done for you.”

“And you have no idea how little I need you.”

His face twisted with anger.

“You really think you can just walk away from me? Where exactly do you think you'll go? Back to that little house of yours? You don't have my family's name, my position, or anything else that comes with being my mate. Do you think anyone will look at you the same way once they know you couldn't even keep your own fiancé?”

I felt something cold settle in my chest.

For two years, I'd loved this man. I'd trusted him with my heart, my future, and every dream I'd ever had of becoming his Luna.

And this was how he saw me.

A poor girl who should consider herself lucky to have him.

I lifted my chin and met his contemptuous gaze.

“You know what, Derek? I may come from an ordinary family, but at least my parents taught me the difference between love and ownership. You seem to have inherited your father's title without learning the first thing about being a respectable man.”

His eyes widened.

“Watch what you say! I'm still your fated mate, Amy!” he barked. “You can't just throw away two years because of one stupid mistake!”

“Being my fated mate doesn't give you permission to humiliate me. And becoming Alpha doesn't give you the right to do whatever you want and expect everyone to bow their heads.”

I stepped away as he reached for me again.

“Get your filthy hands off me. I can't believe someone as shameless as you is going to become the Alpha of this pack one day. The pack deserves so much better, and I definitely deserve better than this.”

Then I drew a breath and said the words I’d never imagined I would say.

“I, Amy Hart, reject you, Derek Wellington, as my mate.”

I didn't care what would happen next. There was no way I would marry Derek.

“Fuck!” He doubled over, face gone gray, the breath tearing out of him. “Damn it, it burns. I don’t accept it, Amy. Do you hear me? I don’t accept it.”

I turned on my heels and stormed out before he could say another stupid words. My chest was burning, and I could barely see through the tears blurring my vision. I needed to get away from him. Away from that room, that bed, and the suffocating scent of another woman.

The moment I reached the street, I spotted a car pulling up near the sidewalk. Without thinking twice, I hurried over and pulled open the passenger door.

“Please, take me to the nearest bar,” I said breathlessly, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

I sank into the seat and turned toward the window, watching the familiar streets blur past as I tried to hold back another wave of tears.

I didn't want to think about Derek. I didn't want to think about the wedding, the pack, or what everyone would say when they found out.

If Derek thought he could sleep with another woman and get away with it, he was dead wrong. If he could find someone else to warm his bed, then so could I.