I reached up and absentmindedly touched the necklace around my neck, the one my father had given me before everything went wrong. It wasn’t just jewelry. The necklace masked my scent, hiding my true identity. Even Darren couldn’t smell my wolf’s essence, couldn’t feel the bond that once tied us together. My gaze shifted to the broken bracelet on my wrist, and the memories came rushing in.
I remembered that fateful night in the forest when I found Darren. He had been bleeding and unconscious, left for dead by rogue wolves. My heart had stopped when I saw him, barely breathing, his body battered and broken. I couldn’t let him die. I had rushed to his side, my hands trembling as I pulled him onto his feet, my wolf instincts kicking in.
Once I brought him back to the pack, my father had allowed him to stay, seeing potential in his strength. But Darren wasn’t like us—he came from the slave rank of another pack, a background that made others look down on him. Despite that, my father offered him a job at our company, starting as a janitor. Darren worked tirelessly, pouring everything he had into every task, no matter how small.