Five Years as My Mate's Stand-In

I'm sprawled on my couch, phone pressed to my ear, when Brooke's voice bursts through like a wildfire. "Lauren, you won't believe this! My stoic-as-a-rock brother's been sneaking around, all moony-eyed and bound to some she-wolf!"

My grip on the phone falters, just for a second. Because I'm the she-wolf in this juicy gossip. Me and Cole, Brooke's younger brother, have been secretly bound for five years now. It started quietly-partly because of Brooke being my best friend, partly because Cole was fresh out of college when we got together. I never quite found the right moment to spill the beans to her.

But now? Cole's fresh out of college, and apparently, he's decided to let the whole pack know.

A smile tugs at my lips. "He told you?" I ask, trying to sound casual.

"Hell no!" Brooke's practically vibrating with excitement. "His little mate just got back to the pack today, and he threw her this big welcome feast at the lodge. You should've seen it!"

I cut her off, my voice sharper . "You sure you've got this right?"

"No mistake, Lauren. That wolf's usually cold as ice with everyone, but tonight? He was shielding her from drinks, showering her with gifts, and his eyes-God, they never left her. So soft it gave me goosebumps."

Brooke's still yammering on, but her words fade into static. My ears ring, and my chest tightens like I've been sucker-punched. Did I hear that right?

I force my voice to stay steady, even as it shakes at the edges. "How long have they been. bound?"

"No clue," Brooke says, oblivious to the storm brewing in me. "But from what I've heard, he's been chasing her for ages. Get this-he was so smitten in high school, he could've gone to an Ivy League pack, but he switched his plans for her. And you know what happened next?"

My throat's dry, but I manage a weak, "What?"

"She had her eyes on some other wolf, followed her crush other packs. Cole was a mess for a while. Then, when she got into some trouble abroad, he heard about it and flew out that same night. He's racked up a stack of plane tickets chasing her these past few years."

Brooke's words hit like a sledgehammer. "I heard all this from my mom," she goes on. "I've been dying to know what kind of she-wolf could keep Cole, the untouchable lone wolf, so hung up for years. And tonight, I finally saw her. Guess what I noticed?"

I'm silent for a beat, "No idea."

"She looks so much like you, Lauren! Especially her eyes. I swear, I did a double-take. You sure you don't have a long-lost sister or something?"

A sickening suspicion claws at my gut, spreading like wildfire. My blood feels like it's frozen in my veins, my limbs cold as death.

My mind flashes back to Cole's graduation. He was at a karaoke bar, drunk out of his mind. Brooke was off