Chapter 2

With everyone's eyes on them, Mike lowered his fists, swallowing his anger for now.

Someone suggested a game: share the most loyal thing someone in the pack had done for you. The best story would win a bottle of rare liquor.

The first few stories were typical pack stuff. An Alpha settling a border dispute, or an ally pack sending emergency supplies.

When it was Vanessa's turn, she looked at me with a triumphant smirk.

"Early last month, I got too drunk at a business dinner. I called Brian in the middle of the night."

"He drove all the way back from his business trip just to take care of me the entire night..."

"I only found out later that his girlfriend was trying to reach him that same night."

The table erupted in murmurs of admiration.

"Brian really is a loyal guy."

"He always comes through when it matters!"

Amidst the applause, my entire body went numb. Cold sweat broke out across my skin.

That exact night, I had been attacked by rogue wolves on the edge of the pack's territory.

My phone had been smashed during the fight. The only number I had memorized was Brian's.

But when I finally managed to call him from a payphone, he had simply muttered that he was busy and hung up.

I had almost died out there.

The next day, Brian had literally gotten on his knees in front of me, slapping his own face.

"Emma, I was just so stressed about planning our mating ceremony that I neglected the border patrol. I swear I didn't know it was that serious."

I looked at Brian now. He avoided my gaze, his jaw clenched tight.

The crowd started chanting for Vanessa and Brian to sing a song. Soon, the chant turned into, "Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Vanessa blushed and pushed Brian playfully. Brian laughed, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her in for a kiss on her forehead.

The crowd cheered and whistled.

I watched them, completely numb.

The spotlight operator, following the crowd's energy, suddenly swung the beam right onto me.

The whispers started again.

"She is gorgeous, though."

"Beauty is cheap. Who knows how many guys have been in there?"

Vanessa raised her voice so everyone could hear.

"Oh, don't worry about Emma's finances, guys. She has plenty of 'generous friends' supporting her."

She gave the room a knowing wink.

A collective, dirty chuckle rippled through the men in the room.

The way they looked at me made me feel like a piece of meat on display.

I stared at Vanessa, my voice deadly quiet.

"You should watch what comes out of your mouth. Some words carry a heavy price."

She rolled her eyes, pulled out her phone, and turned the screen toward the crowd.

"I'm not lying. See for yourselves."

It was a photoshopped picture of me entering a high-end hotel room with several different men.

Laughter and mocking comments flooded the hall like a wave.

"She looks so innocent, but she’s actually wild!"

"Brian, man, you've got a whole forest growing on your head!"

I stood up to speak, but before I could, Brian rushed over and slapped me hard across the face.

"Emma!" He snatched Vanessa's phone, his eyes burning with absolute rage. "I saw the original file of this photo! It's not photoshopped! You've been lying to me this whole time!"

I didn't say a word. I just slowly stood up straight, touching my burning cheek.

I didn't even want to explain myself anymore. My heart was completely dead.

Now, I was calculating something much more practical. This slap was going to cost him everything.

Vanessa quickly slid her hand onto Brian's shoulder, her voice dripping with fake sympathy.

"It's okay, Brian. Girls get wild when they're young. It's normal to make mistakes."

"Unlike us. We only know how to stay loyal to one man."

I looked at Vanessa’s heavily contoured "no-makeup" look and sneered.

Once I washed that fake face off, everyone would see what a monster she really was.