Chapter 19
Jonah refused to believe she was gone. He refused to believe Greta had been on that flight. His wolf howled in agony within him, urging him to move, to run, to search. He jumped into his car, slamming his foot on the gas, speeding toward the rescue team’s base. He had to ask, had to know.
But after just two intersections, he suddenly braked hard and pulled over. His hands clenched into fists, and before he could stop himself, he smacked his own face twice.
This was his fault.
The attack. The injuries. The betrayal. Everything.
Greta had already been weak, unable to shift
1/7
after the rogues‘ ambush. A normal wolf wouldn’t have survived a plane crash. So how could she?
His breathing was uneven as he grabbed his phone and pulled up their messages. Greta’s profile picture stared back at him–frozen in time, smiling. Like she was still here.
Jonah’s fingers hovered over the screen before he finally touched her picture, tracing it over and over. It was the only thing that made him feel like she hadn’t completely disappeared.
The last message from her was two days ago. That night, he had sent her a long message explaining the Bloodfang Pack’s ceremony preparations, his words full of empty sincerity.
She had never replied.
2/7
She always replied before–no matter what. His messages were always pinned at the top. She had never ignored his calls.
When had that changed?
Jonah hadn’t noticed. But now, looking back, he realized–it had started after the accident.
He scrolled up.
Five years of waiting for this mating ceremony, Greta had once been so excited.
[ Jonah, do you think this dress looks good? I want something sparkly. My wolf deserves to shine. ]
[What about this mating photo style? Let’s print them out and put them front and center at the packhouse. I want the whole pack
3/7
to see how happy I am, with an Alpha who loves me so much!]
[The ring I picked out last time feels a little big. Should I exchange it? Or are you still planning that surprise? Didn’t you say you designed the ring yourself? You’re the sweetest. ]
He had designed a mating ring–but not for her.
It was for Naomi.
The dresses, the preparations–they had been distractions, something to keep Greta occupied while he spun lies around her.
For five years, she had dreamed of that day, believing he loved her as much as she had loved him.
4/7
But he had been lying to her from the start.
And she had been a fool.
Jonah scrolled through their old messages, each one filled with her excitement, her blind trust in him. His chest tightened. Tears blurred his vision, dripping onto his phone. Desperation clawed at him. He started typing, sending message after message- confessing, apologizing, begging.
But when he hit send, only one checkmark appeared.
She had blocked him.
His heart pounded. He jumped into his car again, speeding toward the rescue team’s headquarters, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. But it was too late.
5/7
They had found nothing.
No wreckage.
No body.
Greta Winslet was gone.
Or so he thought.
Because right then, across the ocean, a plane was touching down in another territory.
Greta had faked the crash.
It had been a trap.
Jonah had wanted her weak, broken, and trapped in his web of lies. So before she disappeared, she had left him one final
6/7
parting gift.
At the airport, Greta’s best friend ran toward her. But when she saw the wheelchair, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her face twisted with anger and grief.
“What the hell happened? Didn’t Jonah promise to take care of you? And now you had to come all the way here for surgery? This was him, wasn’t it?” Her voice shook with fury.
Greta exhaled, gripping the wheels of her chair, her lips curling into a cold smile.
“I was never supposed to survive. But I did. And now, I get to decide how this story ends.”
