Chapter 17
Naomi was as soft and gentle as ever. She slipped her arm around Jonah’s and asked in a sweet voice, “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Greta? I knew she’d be upset about me taking her place at the mating ceremony, but today is a huge day for the Bloodfang Pack. The elders are watching- you don’t think she’d actually cause a scene, do you? And saying she was in a plane crash? That’s just ridiculous! She’s being way too dramatic. Jonah, you’ve spoiled her too much.”
She sighed, giving him a knowing look. “I know Greta. She has no one left. She’ll come back once she cools off. Don’t worry. Your
parents are still waiting for you to toast with them.”
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Jonah might have believed that before.
He might have waited for Greta to return, assuming she would realize her mistake and apologize. But not this time. A deep unease clawed at his chest. The way Greta had acted… something was wrong.
After a long pause, he pulled his arm from Naomi’s grip, his expression turning cold. “Naomi, let me make this clear,” he said, his voice sharp. “You’re only here as Greta’s stand–in. She is still, in name, my mate. So stop calling my parents Mom and Dad.”
A flash of resentment crossed Naomi’s face, but before she could say anything, Janelle came running up. She grabbed onto Jonah’s pant leg, shaking it.
“Dad! Dad! Grandpa and Grandma are calling you over. Can we just ignore that bad auntie? I wanna be with Mom and Dad together!”
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Jonah’s face darkened. He turned to Naomi, his voice dangerously low. “Did you teach her that? Naomi, she’s just a pup. What are you putting in her head?”
Naomi opened her mouth, but before she could reply, he cut her off. “If you can’t raise her properly, then from now on, she stays with my parents. You don’t need to interfere anymore.”
Without waiting for a response, he
turned and walked into the pack hall. His communicator screen was still lit up with the news of the crash, his grip tightening as the veins in his hand stood out. Jonah walked
from the entrance of the hall to the road
ahead, his steps heavy. Everywhere he went, the whispers followed.
“I heard Naomi was just standing in for the
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ceremony. Do you really think Alpha Jonah actually cares about that crippled Greta? Not a chance.”
“The Winslet bloodline has been gone for years. Greta has no one here, no relatives, no support. Not a single family member showed up for her mating ceremony. Meanwhile, look at how extravagant this whole thing is. If you ask me, Alpha Jonah never got over Naomi. This was probably his plan all along.”
“Still, you have to feel bad for Greta. First, that rogue attack left her unable to shift, and now they’re saying she can’t even have pups. What future does she have? She was supposed to be Luna, and now… she’s got nothing.”
The more Jonah listened, the worse his expression got. How did this happen? After the attack, he had made sure to bury the
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truth. No one should have known. Even the rogue responsible had been silenced.
As long as the mating ceremony went through, Greta would be his mate in name, and they would raise Janelle together. He had promised himself to protect her, to never let anyone look down on her because of her injuries.
But somehow, the truth had gotten out.
And now, as he realized he hadn’t seen Greta in two days, a cold sense of dread settled in his chest again.
Had she been mistreated? Had people been humiliating her behind his back?
The weight of it all pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe.
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When he finally stepped back inside, his parents spotted him and let out a sigh of relief. But just as they opened their mouths, their words hit him like a gut punch.
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