Chapter 2

Adrian's announcement left the hall in stunned silence. No one had expected my effort to save a life to end with me being betrayed in front of the entire pack.

Brianna was safe now. Instead of thanking me, she'd demanded my place in the ceremony. This was no longer about provoking me. She wanted to humiliate me in public.

Adrian's mother, Elaine Porter, couldn't hide her displeasure. She'd never thought much of me, but this time she spoke up on my behalf.

“Adrian, that's enough. Choosing a mate isn't a game. You don't get to swap one woman for another whenever it suits you.”

His father, Graham Mercer, said nothing, but the look he gave his son was unmistakable.

Adrian flushed. “Nora, I know this isn't fair. But you're the one who sent me up there. If you wanted to help her, you should see it through.”

The whispers started again, louder this time. I caught every word.

Some of the guests pitied me. “Oh my God. Poor Nora.”

Others thought I'd brought it on myself. “Poor Nora? She's the one who insisted on playing the saint. If she can't follow through, she shouldn't complain when people laugh.”

Their opinions meant very little to me, but I still had a part to play. I swallowed what I really felt and let my face crumple, as if I could barely bring myself to accept what he was asking.

Tears welled in my eyes. “You're right, Adrian. I made the choice, so I have to live with it. Even if it hurts.”

Brianna rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Who's supposed to buy that wounded little act? Adrian is the one who talked me down. How dare you stand there and take credit for him saving me?”

The wolves who felt sorry for me had heard enough. Several of them stepped forward.

“Watch your mouth, Brianna. Nora is the reason you're still alive.”

“If it weren't for her, you'd still be up on that roof making a scene.”

Brianna's face went red as their meaning sank in, but she refused to back down. “What do you know? Nobody could make Adrian go anywhere he didn't want to. He has feelings for me. He couldn't stand to see me hurt.”

The implication hung in the air. People started looking at the two of them very differently.

She'd hit a nerve. It was the truth, but Adrian couldn't bear to hear it said out loud in front of everyone.

“Enough! Brianna, if you want me to do this for you today, stop talking. Otherwise, I don't care how many times you threaten to jump. I won't come running again.”

His voice was ice. Tears sprang to Brianna's eyes, but beneath the hurt was something stronger: fear that he might actually walk away.

Her tone softened at once. “I'm sorry, Adrian. I shouldn't have said that. Please don't be angry with me. I just love you so much. Nora already agreed, so why wait? Let's start.”

Adrian turned to me one last time. He hesitated, as if he needed me to promise I really wouldn't object.

I gave him a smile and a nod, then withdrew to a quiet corner to stay out of their way. I'd barely sat down when one of the household staff hurried over, stumbling over her words.

“M-Ms. Bennett... It's Eli...”

Eli Bennett was my little brother. At the first hint that something had happened to him, I was on my feet.

I pushed my way through a crowd and found him on the floor. Adrian was standing over him.

Brianna was brushing frantically at her dress. “That little brat shoved me! Adrian, you have to teach him a lesson!”

I threw myself between Adrian and Eli, arms spread wide. “What are you doing, Adrian? He's a child!”

Since our parents died, Eli was the only family I had left. He was the one person I could never bear to lose.

Adrian knew that. In my first life, he'd used Eli to keep me in line. My brother came to believe he was the chain around my neck, the only reason I couldn't leave. To set me free, he quietly took his own life.

And now here he was, alive. The relief hit me so hard that tears were streaming down my face before I could stop them.

But Adrian was still listening to Brianna. Determined to punish Eli, he shoved me aside. I stumbled and hit the floor hard.

Pain ripped through my abdomen. A scream tore out of me before I could swallow it. Only then did I remember: I was already pregnant.

Adrian seemed to realize what he'd done. He reached down, as though helping me up could undo it, but I slapped his hand away.

Eli scrambled to my side, frightened by the look on my face. “Nora, you're so pale. Are you hurt?”

I forced a smile for him. “I'm okay.”

The pain was so intense it felt as though my pup were saying goodbye, clinging to me even as it slipped away. I grieved, but this time I didn't let the same despair swallow me whole. I'd learned that I couldn't hold on to everything. Maybe my pup was better off not being born into a home without love.