Chapter 19 Chapter 19
Stacy sat curled up on her bed, her room dim except for the faint glow of the lamp beside her. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red from crying.
The image of Stetson’s face — cold, furious, disgusted — replayed in her mind again and again like a wound that refused to heal.
He had looked at her as if she were filth. As if the sight of her alone disgusted him.
A strangled sound escaped her throat as she grabbed her pillow and screamed into it until her voice cracked. “It was supposed to be me,” she gasped, throwing the pillow across the room. “It was always supposed to be me!”
But no matter how much she said it, nothing changed. Stetson had a mate now.
A mate.
The word itself felt poisonous in her mouth.
How could it happen? Who could it be? She tugged on her hair at her ignorance. She’d been keeping a close eye on Stetson so she didn’t know how it happened.
A soft knock came at the door. “Miss Stacy?” one of the maids called quietly before stepping in, holding a tray. She looked like she was in her mid-20s with lush auburn hair, eyes tired from so much work and hands trembling.
“You haven’t eaten all day. I thought maybe you’d want—”
“I said I don’t want anything!” Stacy shouted, the fury in her voice echoing off the walls. The maid flinched, nearly dropping the tray. Ice cream splattered slightly onto the rug.
“Get out!” she snapped.
The maid scurried away, and Stacy pressed her palms to her eyes, trembling with rage.
“Throwing tantrums again, I see,” came a familiar voice.
Her head jerked up. Her brother stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame — tall, lean, and irritatingly calm. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes gleamed faintly under the lamplight.
He looked almost like his sister, blonde hair, sharp cheek bones and same perfect set of teeth. It was almost hard for any one to believe they were half siblings, he was the elder brother she never wanted and she was the spoiled little sister he despised but they only cared for each other when there was going to be a benefit.
“What do you want, Reed?” she muttered bitterly.
“To make sure you haven’t burned the house down,” he said flatly, stepping inside. “You’re making the staff terrified again.” He looked out the door to see a couple of spooked maids, afraid to stay but more afraid to leave.
“Good,” she said darkly. “Maybe they’ll stop bothering me.”
Reed sighed, crossing his arms. “You’re wasting your energy, Stacy. Screaming won’t make him come back.”
Her jaw tightened. “Don’t talk like you know how I feel.”
He shrugged. “I don’t have to. Everyone in the pack knows you’ve been obsessed with him since we were kids. It’s pathetic.” He slid his hands into his leather jacket, taking long strides towards her bed.
She threw him a glare sharp enough to cut. “Watch your mouth.”
He ignored the threat. “If you want him, then you’ll need to be smart. Not emotional. Not loud. Find out who this mate of his is. Then we’ll see what happens.” He kicked away a pillow and some cosmetics she had thrown on the floor away from his way.
Her anger faltered for a moment, replaced by curiosity. “You think it’s someone from the pack?”
Reed shook his head. “There aren’t many unmated females left here. And word is, Stetson’s been spending time outside the territory.” He paused, studying her reaction. “If I had to guess… his mate isn’t a wolf.”
Stacy froze.
His words hung heavy in the room.
Not a wolf.
Her heart began to race, fury twisting with something else — disbelief. “You mean… a human?” she whispered.
Reed smirked faintly, leaning closer. “Wouldn’t that be something?”
Her lips parted as a slow, wicked smile crept across her face. “A human…” The idea lit a spark inside her chest — dangerous and intoxicating. If Stetson’s mate is actually a human, then it would make things easier for her, humans are weak up against wolves after all.
If it was true, if Stetson had truly mated with someone human,then maybe, just maybe, fate had made its first mistake.
And Stacy intended to fix it.