I Won't Settle for Pretend Love

The next day, Nate suddenly pulled out a delicate pink diamond pendant strung on a fine platinum thread just before leaving the house. With gentle hands, he clasped it around my neck.

"Happy anniversary," he said in a low and warm voice, which was as intoxicating as always.

I looked down and realized that it was the same pendant that had been included as a free gift with the diamond bracelet he had given Rose.

My fingers trembled as I touched it, and I felt a sharp pain in my heart.

Still, I kept the smile plastered on my face and replied sweetly, "Happy anniversary. I love it."

He kissed my forehead, his voice filled with the same doting affection. "You're so agreeable, Diana. You always give me peace of mind."

Before heading to the private healing center, I decided to make a quick detour home to see my parents.

But just as I reached the doorway, I heard voices from inside.

Rose's tone was honeyed and petulant. She sounded aggrieved as she ranted, "What makes Diana think she's so great? She hit my hand yesterday! And she's supposed to be my sister!"

My mom, Elle Baker, spoke up in a comforting tone. "She won't get to be smug for long. Your father and I are on your side. Didn't we already get her to give up her mate when you wanted him? Nate is yours too."

My dad, Charlie Roth, let out a heavy sigh, exhaustion thick in his voice. "You need to stop making trouble. You're already married to Alex. If his parents find out about this baby, things will blow up. If he wants to break your mate bond, even Alpha Nate can't protect you."

As if the cosmos was playing a sick joke on me, Nate's voice joined in. "Don't worry, Rose. Here are the test results from yesterday. Everything's fine with Diana's pregnancy. We just have to wait for the pup to arrive."

He turned to my parents and added, "Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Roth. I'd do anything for Rose."

I felt my blood run cold. It was followed by an intense burst of pain in my heart that made me feel as if I was being split apart.

My wolf let out a devastated howl and collapsed like she was torn and trampled by countless enemies in our shared mind space. She was too broken even to stand.

So they had all planned this together…

And I was the only one left in the dark. From the beginning, I was just a tool and nothing more than an expendable piece in someone else's game.

Not long after, a maid knocked gently on the door and came in to serve drinks.

Nate opened the door and reached out to take the tray. The next moment, he froze in horror as his eyes caught sight of a glittering thread on the floor.

There, on the ground, lay a snapped platinum necklace. It was the very one he had clasped around my neck that morning!

His face went pale. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. He then bolted out the door, eyes scanning in every direction. His wolf was on high alert, and he was clearly panicked.

Frantically, he tried to reach me through our mind-link over and over again.

When it finally went through, his voice shook with urgency. "Diana, where are you? Listen to me…"

I said nothing.

He was almost losing his mind. "Diana! Don't do this, where the hell are you?"

Right then, a she-wolf's clear and calm voice sounded right beside me.

A trainee healer of the private healing center said, "Luna Diana, we're ready for the procedure. Please follow me."

On Nate's end, everything went silent.

His voice faltered and cracked. Then, it broke completely. "Procedure? What procedure? Where are you? What are you doing?"

He was full-on screaming now. I could hear the utter terror and despair in his panicked voice.

I sat quietly, listening to his anguished wails. Then, without a word, I drank the potion I'd bought from the witch to sever the mind-link between us.

From that moment on, neither he nor those heartless, backstabbing family members of mine would ever sense me again.

None of them would ever find me again.