Chapter 0003

Kayla

Nicholas stopped a few paces away, glancing suspiciously between me and his brother.

“Hi, Nicholas,” I greeted him first, even though I knew he probably wouldn’t want to talk to me after the way I had just run out on him.

But to my surprise, Nicholas raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips as he strode up to us. “Hello, darling sister-in-law. Why are you still wearing a torn wedding dress? Did your new husband go bankrupt already?”

Liam clenched his teeth. “This is none of your business!” he snarled at his brother. He began yanking on me again, trying to pull me toward his car. “Kayla, this is ridiculous. You’re mine, and I’d like you to stop acting like you’re not.”

But before Liam could yank me away, Nicholas stepped forward, his gaze icy. “Watch your words when addressing the future Alpha,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Liam’s arrogance visibly weakened at the sound of his brother’s stern words. His eyes darted between us, uncertainty flickering across his face.

I couldn’t help but find it quite amusing, to say the least. In Liam’s words, Nicholas was just a worthless nobody. Liam always boasted that he could take Nicholas’s place as Alpha at any time if he wanted to.

And yet here he was, shrinking back from Nicholas’s shadow like any other ordinary werewolf.

Clearly, Liam was full of it whenever he said those things about his brother. Just like how he lied about everything else, apparently.

Seizing the moment, I yanked my arm free from Liam’s grasp and swiftly moved to Nicholas’s side. I shot Liam a warning glare and folded my arms across my chest. “Who says there’s no werewolf stronger than you?” I taunted, lifting one eyebrow. “Dare to take another step?”

Liam went to move forward but stopped in his tracks when Nicholas shot him a warning sneer.

Liam’s jaw tightened as he looked back and forth between me and his brother. Anger flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t move forward. Finally, after a tense moment, he spun on his heel and stalked off toward his car, grumbling under his breath.

“Coward,” I murmured.

Nicholas glanced down at me as Liam sped away. There was an amused glint in his eye. “Are you using me?”

I met his gaze evenly. “I’ll repay you for your help. I’m not like Liam.”

He tilted his head, a hint of curiosity in his expression. “What can you possibly give me that I don’t already have?”

“I know one of Liam’s schemes. Take me home, and I’ll tell you in the car.”

Before he could even answer, I climbed into Nicholas’s nearby sports car, settling into the plush leather seat. He froze, watching me with wide eyes from the sidewalk for a moment before his shoulders slumped a little. He climbed into the driver’s seat, not looking at me.

Although he clearly didn’t want me there, I pretended not to notice and rattled off my address. He obliged and put the car in drive.

As we pulled away from the curb, the city lights blurred past. The car was silent for a moment before Nicholas glanced at me.

“Are you waiting until you get home to tell me this so-called ‘scheme’, or…?” he asked.

I sighed. “Liam told me that he and his mother plan to bring the heads of the werewolf guild to your Alpha succession ceremony,” I began, glancing over at him. “They intend to strip you of your right to inherit Nightshade pack because you have no Luna.”

Nicholas let out a cold laugh. “I already knew that.”

I shrugged, looking out the window. “Alright, well, then I guess I still owe you one.”

There was another long silence as he drove. After a few moments, he shot me a sidelong glance. “If you knew who I was, then why did you kiss me?”

I shrugged, fiddling with a loose thread on my ruined dress. “Because Liam used me,” I admitted, which was only partially true.

Nicholas curled his upper lip, flashing his pristine white fangs. “So, it was revenge?”

“Maybe,” I said. “Is that a problem?”

He simply pursed his lips and looked away, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation. Truthfully, revenge wasn’t the only reason why I had almost slept with him. But I wasn’t about to give a Reynolds son the satisfaction of hearing me admit that.

Just then, my head throbbed as a Mindlink from Liam tried to force its way through. “Kayla, I’m getting sick of this. We need to talk—”

I grimaced and cut it off before he could finish, refusing to let the prick invade my thoughts. Instead, I tried to reach Beta Henry again, but there was no response.

My palms grew sweaty. What was happening back home?

As we neared the pack’s border, I turned to Nicholas. “You can drop me off here,” I said.

He slowed the car to a stop. “Are you sure? I can take you further.”

“No. This is fine,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. My house wasn’t far, anyway. I opened the door, but before stepping out, I looked back at him. “Thank you for the ride.”

He gave a slight nod, but said nothing. I climbed out and shut the door behind me. Nicholas took off without so much as a glance back at me.

Just as I was about to rush home at full speed, a swarm of reporters appeared out of nowhere, cameras flashing and microphones thrust forward.

“Miss Sterling! Over here!”

“Can you comment on the canceled wedding?”

I cursed under my breath. Of course, the media would be all over today’s incident like a cheap suit. But as the only daughter of the Sterling family, after such a humiliating event, I had to face the reporters with the best attitude possible.

Straightening my posture, I plastered a polite smile on my face. “I appreciate your concern, but I have no comments at this time.”

One reporter pushed forward. “Is it true that Liam Reynolds left you at the altar?”

I clenched my jaw. “As I just said, I have no comments.”

Another shouted, “Just tell us why the wedding was called off!”

“Personal reasons,” I replied tersely, turning away, only to be met with another reporter’s microphone.

“Miss Sterling, there are rumors that you had a disagreement with your maid of honor. Was she involved with the wedding failure?”

The mention of Vanessa, who had once been my best friend, made my stomach twist painfully. I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. “I will not be discussing personal matters today. Perhaps if I decide to hold a press conference, you can ask your questions then.”

Just then, a flash went off directly in my face, momentarily blinding me. I stumbled back a little, and before I could regain my footing, the reporters were intensifying their barrage of questions.

“Miss Sterling, is there a budding relationship between you and Nicholas Reynolds?”

“Of course not,” I said. “These questions are—”

Before I could finish, another reporter cut in. “If there is no relationship, then why did you get out of Liam’s Alpha brother Nicholas’s luxury car? After your wedding failed, what is your relationship with him?”