Chapter 24
Kara
6:00 PM
They arrive in waves.
First the high-ranking Betas—families dressed in formal wear, smelling of expensive cologne and old money and the kind of confidence that comes from never worrying about where your next meal is coming from. Then the Gammas, warriors with scars and watchful eyes who hand me coats that reek of weapon oil and winter training. Then the Omegas, service wolves who give me sympathetic looks like they recognize one of their own, even if I'm dressed too nice to be obvious about it.
And every single one of them calls me "Carrot."
"Carrot, take this."
"Carrot, where should we sit?"
"Carrot, you look... different."
That last one comes from a middle-aged Beta woman whose coat smells like wet dog and disappointment. She hands me her fur wrap with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes, her gaze traveling from my hair to my heels like she's cataloging everything that's changed.
Like she's trying to figure out what the hell I'm playing at.
"Thank you," I say automatically, my customer-service smile plastered on so tight my cheeks hurt.
My name is Kara, I want to scream. It's been Kara for eighteen fucking years. Why can't any of you just—
But I don't. Because that's not how this works.
In their eyes, I'm still "Carrot"—the stupid nickname Blake gave me when I was eight because he thought it was hilarious to mispronounce my name. And no amount of sequined dresses or mate bonds is going to change that overnight.
Maybe not ever, I think bitterly, hanging coat number seven on the rack. Maybe I'll always be Carrot to them. The debt-slave. The joke.
By the time guest number twelve arrives, my face hurts from fake smiling and my hands are full of expensive coats that smell like status symbols.
And then—
"Kara."
I freeze.
Dr. Harrison stands in the doorway, snowflakes melting on his shoulders, his kind face creased with genuine warmth. He's wearing a suit instead of his usual coaching gear, but his scent is the same: clean soap and old books, comforting and familiar.
"Dr. Harrison," I manage, and I hate how my voice cracks on his name.
Don't cry. Don't you fucking dare cry.
"You look beautiful," he says simply. Not like he's surprised. Not like he's cataloging my transformation for gossip later. Just... stating a fact.
My eyes burn.
Shit. Shit shit shit—
"Thank you," I whisper, taking his coat with hands that tremble.
"Have a good night, Kara," he says softly. Then he walks past me into the ballroom, leaving behind the scent of kindness in a sea of judgment.
I press my palms against my eyes, forcing back tears.
One kind person. Out of dozens. That's all it takes to break me.
Pathetic. You're so fucking pathetic.
My wolf whimpers. We need our mates. They would make this better—
"No," I whisper fiercely. "They're the reason this is happening. They're the reason everyone still calls me Carrot. They made me into this... this joke."
But even as I say it, I catch their scents drifting from somewhere deeper in the house.
Black ebony. Gunpowder. Mint.
And despite everything—despite the humiliation and the pain and the decade of torment—my body responds.
My neck heats. My hands shake. And something deep in my core aches with longing I can't control.
No. No no no—
The door opens again.
Three women walk in together, holding hands like they need the support. Red hair. Black hair. Blonde.
I recognize them immediately.
Lillian. Jade. Nina.
The Alphas' girlfriends.
And they all look like they've been crying.
Oh fuck.
"Carrot."
The red-haired one—Lillian—says it softly. Not cruel. Just... automatic.
Then she blinks, like she's seeing me for the first time.
"No. Kara. Your name is Kara, isn't it?"
I nod, not trusting my voice.
What do they want? Why are they here?
The three of them exchange looks. Jade's hand tightens around Nina's. Nina's mascara is smudged at the corners, like she tried to fix her crying and couldn't quite manage it.
"Can we... can we talk?" Lillian asks. Her green eyes are puffy. Raw.
No, every survival instinct screams. Take their coats and get away. Don't engage. Don't—
But my wolf is curious. And some sick part of me needs to know.
"About what?" I hear myself ask.
Jade's laugh is bitter. Sharp. "About them. The Alphas. Did you know they broke up with us? All three of them. Last night."
The floor tilts beneath my feet.
What?
"They said..." Nina's voice breaks. She swallows hard, tries again. "They said they found their mate."
The world narrows to a pinpoint.
No. They wouldn't. They couldn't have—
But even as I think it, I know it's true. My body knows it's true. My neck glands are burning, my wolf is howling in triumph, and I can feel the bond pulling tight like a noose around my throat.
"It's you, isn't it?" Lillian's eyes are locked on mine, sharp with understanding. "You're their mate."
My wolf howls in triumph. YES! They claimed us! They chose us over everyone else!
But I can't breathe.
Can't think.
Can't process what she's saying because my brain is screaming too loud.
"I don't—" I start, but my voice fails.
Because my neck is burning. My scent glands are throbbing. And I can feel it—the way my body is screaming the truth even as my mouth tries to deny it.
Jade's face crumples. "Oh my God. It really is you."
"They dated us for six weeks," Nina says, and her voice is sharp with pain and something that sounds like betrayal. "Six weeks of pretending we might matter. And then they just... ended it. Like we were nothing."
My stomach twists.
They knew for six weeks they weren't serious. That they were just... what? Killing time until they found their mate?
The nausea hits hard and fast.
They used them. They fucking used them as placeholders while they waited for—
For me.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, and I mean it. God, I mean it. "I didn't know. I swear I didn't—"