The rain

The rain
The rain came down hard. I stood there, chewing my lip, staring out into the stormy night. Ryder was late again. Really late. And with this kind of downpour, I couldn’t just sit around worrying.

I grabbed my car keys, snatched an umbrella, and headed out. “I’ll pick him up myself,” I muttered, determined to be the supportive fiancée he deserved.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, I started the engine. My gaze dropped to the beautiful ring on my finger, and a helpless smile spread across my face. The diamond caught the dashboard light and sparkled like it held all my dreams.

“I’m so happy,” my wolf purred inside my chest, her voice warm and content.

“Me too,” I whispered back, cheeks heating. In just one week, I’d be marrying Ryder. My fiancé. My future. The man who made my once-sheltered world feel vibrant and alive.

Ryder Nightfang.

We are getting married next week.

Our marriage had been arranged by our packs, two of the three most powerful werewolf packs in the world: the Blackthorn Pack and the Nightfang Pack. I was the daughter of the late Alpha of Blackthorn, while Ryder was the powerful Alpha heir of Nightfang. He was born with raw strength and natural dominance that made others bow instinctively. I… was born average, at best.

My wolf snorted. Does it even matter? We have Ryder to protect us.

I smiled sheepishly. She wasn’t wrong.

That was exactly why my father had arranged this union before he died three years ago. He feared I’d struggle in our brutal world and that our pack might fall prey to rogues without a strong alliance. At first, I accepted it as duty, expecting a polite, somewhat dull marriage.

But then I met Ryder.

The moment I saw him, something inside me caught fire. He was nothing like the stiff, overly respectful wolves back home. He was kind, playful, and refreshingly casual. He took me out on his roaring motorcycle at midnight, showed me parts of the world I’d only read about in books, and treated me like a normal girl instead of a fragile Alpha’s daughter. For someone who had been homeschooled her entire life, every stolen kiss, every spontaneous adventure, every whispered joke felt like pure magic.

I truly believed he loved me back.

“He loves us,” my wolf purred again, basking in the sweet memories.

I drove through the heavy rain, my heart light with anticipation, replaying our moments together. We’d been together for three years since my father’s passing. Next week, we will officially become chosen mates.

The GPS led me to an unfamiliar part of the city. When I pulled up, I blinked in surprise.

A club?

Ryder had never taken me to a club before. I’d never even been to one. Still, I wanted to surprise him. Maybe drag him home, tease him about making me worry, and warm him up with hot cocoa and cuddles.

I parked, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

The moment I entered, the loud music and flashing lights assaulted my senses. The air was thick with sweat, perfume, and alcohol. Bodies pressed together on the dance floor. I felt completely out of place, but I pushed through the crowd, scanning for my fiancé.

Then I saw him.

Ryder sat like a king in the center of a large curved sofa, surrounded by laughing friends. A woman in a tight red dress was perched comfortably on his lap, while another leaned in close, flirting shamelessly. Before my eyes could even process it, the second woman cupped his face and kissed him deeply.

He didn’t pull away.

He didn’t push her off.

He accepted it, even tilting his head to kiss her back for a lingering second.

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack or burst out. The world narrowed to that single devastating image.

The woman finally leaned back, smiling seductively as she ran her hands over his chest. The one on his lap giggled and shifted closer. Their friends cheered and raised their glasses.

“Ryder! You legend!” someone shouted.

“You’re still the most playful playboy among us,” another laughed. “Getting married next week and you’re still out here living your best life!”

I stood frozen in the shadows, my enhanced hearing cutting through the pounding music like a knife.

Someone teased him, “You’re really going through with the wedding? Even while fooling around like this?”

Ryder’s lips curled with pure disdain. “Do I look like I care?” He scoffed. “I don’t. Emily is just a way to pass time. I will never marry her.”

The world tilted.

“Aah…” A tiny, broken sound escaped my throat.

“Emily is dull. Boring,” he continued, voice dripping with contempt. “All that kindness and sincerity? It means nothing to me. She’s a joke. A walking obligation.”

Someone tried to defend me weakly. “She’s actually really sweet—”

“Good qualities mean shit,” Ryder cut in. “Only Sandra deserves to stand beside me. We all know she’s the only one I actually love. It’s just a shame no one knows when she’s coming back…”

Ryder’s face darkened at the mention of Sandra, and he snapped, “Enough.”

I couldn’t breathe.

Tears blurred my vision as I watched the man I loved, the man I thought loved me, laugh and enjoy himself with women draped all over him while he tore my heart to shreds.

It had all been a lie.

Every ride on his motorcycle. Every soft smile. Every whispered promise. Every intimate night I had given him so willingly.

A lie.

I turned and fled the club, rain soaking me instantly as I ran to my car. I drove home in a daze, tears streaming down my face so heavily I could barely see the road. Somehow, I made it back in one piece.

The moment I stepped inside the house, I collapsed onto my bed and sobbed. My wolf whimpered pitifully before retreating deep into my mind, too hurt to stay present.

How could he?

I thought he loved me.

My phone suddenly rang on the nightstand, startling me. Ryder?

I ignored it at first, curling into a ball with my face buried between my knees as fresh tears fell.

It rang again.

Ryder never called twice. Ever.

Sniffling, I reached for the phone with a shaky hand and answered.

“Good evening, ma’am,” came a polite, familiar voice. It was Ryder’s Beta. “We’ve scheduled the wedding dress fitting for tomorrow. Is that convenient for you?”

The Beta’s voice was warm and respectful on the other end of the line.

Silence stretched between us. I swallowed hard, my throat tight.

“We’re not married yet,” I said quietly. “You really don’t have to call me ma’am.”

A soft, awkward chuckle came through. “Ah, ma’am… You will be soon enough. Everyone in both packs knows how much you love and care for Alpha Ryder. Honestly, it’s quite touching.”

Everyone knows.

The words landed like a stone in my stomach. Yes, I loved him, too much. I had sacrificed so much for him these past three years.

I had given up my quiet life in Blackthorn territory to move closer to Nightfang lands. I had stood by his side during tense pack negotiations, even when my average strength made me feel like dead weight among the powerful. I had secretly used my limited influence to smooth over his mistakes with the elders more than once. I had even turned down a peaceful teaching position in a neutral academy just so I could stay close to him and support his rising responsibilities as Alpha. I had ignored the whispers about his reputation, choosing to trust him completely.

All of it, I did with a full heart, believing we were building something real.

Recalling those moments now made my chest ache even worse. I had been such a fool. While I was bending over backwards for him, he had been laughing behind my back, calling me dull, boring, and nothing but a joke.

Oh, Moon Goddess… why?

“Ma’am,” the Beta continued kindly, “remember the fitting tomorrow. Alpha Ryder will be thrilled to see you in the wedding dress. You two will be officially mated and married next week. We’re all excited.”

My mood sank deeper. The thought of standing in a beautiful white gown while he secretly despised me made me want to disappear.

“We’ll see,” I replied flatly, then ended the call before he could say anything else.

I tossed the phone onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Trying on wedding dresses? No. I no longer had any desire to play pretend.

“What should we do?” my wolf asked softly, finally stirring after hours of pained silence. “Should we still go for the fitting?”

“Try on what?” I shot back inwardly. “Get married? Stand there smiling while I become the biggest joke in two packs? I’m the daughter of an Alpha. I still have my dignity.”

“But the wedding…” she pressed. “Everything is already prepared. The guests have confirmed. The alliance between Blackthorn and Nightfang… Are you really thinking of running away?”

My heart skipped violently at the word.

Run away?

For one wild, tempting second, the idea felt like freedom, disappearing into a new city, a new life, far from lies and false promises.

I shook my head fiercely against the pillow. “No. I can’t. Our pack still needs a strong heir. Running would only bring shame and weakness to everyone.”

My wolf and I went back and forth in my mind, arguments spinning, emotions clashing, until exhaustion finally pulled me under. I fell asleep tangled in messy, painful thoughts.

\---

Sometime in the middle of the night, the soft click of the bedroom door woke me.

My senses sharpened instantly. The heavy scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke hit me before I even opened my eyes. Ryder.

He staggered in, footsteps uneven, clearly drunk. I watched through half-lidded eyes as he made his way toward the bed.

When his gaze landed on me, he stopped for a second, then broke into a sloppy grin.

“Darling…” he slurred, voice thick with false affection. “I missed you so much.”

The words made my stomach turn. Liar. How could he lie so easily, straight to my face, after everything I had heard tonight?

He climbed onto the bed, his large frame hovering over mine before I could react. His lips crashed down on me in a demanding, alcohol-laced kiss as he pressed me into the mattress. His hands tangled in my hair, then roamed greedily, slipping under my clothes, touching me with a hunger that now felt repulsive.

Disgust surged through me like ice water.

“Stop!” I gasped, shoving him with all my strength.

He rolled off me with a surprised grunt, landing beside me on the bed.

“Oh! Shit… I’m sorry,” he mumbled, sounding genuinely apologetic. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I got carried away.” He thought I’d only pushed him away because he startled me. “I’ll make it up to you. I’ll take you outside the pack territory again in a few days, yeah? Just us. I promise.”

I stayed silent, my face cold and stiff as stone.

Ryder sat up, looking confused by my lack of response. He reached out to touch my arm, but I flinched away, swatting his hand off.

“Hey… I’m really sorry I came back so late,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Work was crazy at the office. You know how it gets.”

I almost laughed bitterly.

Work? He had been at that noisy club, letting women kiss him and sit on his lap while his friends cheered him on as the ultimate playboy.

He had no idea I knew the truth.

I stared at him in the dim light. Even
now, with that frown and those concerned eyes, he looked like he actually cared. He was an incredible actor.

“What’s wrong, Emily?” he asked, voice softer now. “Is something the matter?”