My Mate Sold Me to Protect His Mistress

The mind-link hit me like a physical blow while I was organizing medical supplies in the pack clinic.

*Kiana! Northern border—under attack—need you—*

Christopher's voice crackled with what sounded like panic, then cut off abruptly. My wolf, Luna, surged forward instantly, her golden eyes flashing in my mind.

*Our mate needs us!*

I didn't think. I just ran.

The northern border was a fifteen-minute drive, but I made it in eight, my hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel. My heart hammered against my ribs as I scanned the tree line for signs of battle—broken branches, disturbed earth, the metallic tang of blood.

Nothing.

The abandoned cabin came into view, its windows dark except for a faint glow from inside. Christopher's SUV sat parked behind it, perfectly intact. No signs of struggle. No Rogue scents marking the perimeter.

Something cold settled in my stomach.

I pushed open the cabin door, and the world tilted.

Christopher had Adelynn pressed against the wall, his hands tangled in her blonde hair, their bodies molded together in a way that made my wolf howl in agony. His scent—pine and earth, the scent that had comforted me since childhood—was wrapped so thickly around her that I could barely smell her underlying human odor.

But there was something else. Something sickly sweet and wrong, like flowers left too long in a vase.

"Christopher?"

He jerked away from her, but not with guilt. With irritation. His eyes, when they met mine, were glazed and unfocused, pupils slightly dilated.

"What are you doing here?" His voice carried that edge I'd been hearing more and more lately—the one that made me feel like an intruder in my own life.

"You said you were under attack. You mind-linked—"

"I said I needed you to stay away." He stepped in front of Adelynn, shielding her with his body. "This is a private strategy session. Adelynn's been receiving threats from Rogues, and her safety is paramount to the pack's stability."

Adelynn peered around his shoulder, her lips swollen, her expression a perfect mask of innocent concern. "I'm so sorry, Kiana. I didn't mean to worry you. Christopher was just... protecting me."

The way she said my name—like I was a child who'd misunderstood something obvious—made my hands curl into fists.

"Strategy session." The words tasted like ash. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

Christopher's jaw clenched. "Don't start with your jealousy, Kiana. It's beneath you."

Luna whimpered in my mind, confused and hurt. *Why doesn't he want us? Why does he smell wrong?*

I didn't have an answer for her.

The drive to the Alpha gathering the next evening was suffocating. Christopher's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles went white, and the silence between us felt like broken glass—sharp and dangerous.

"You embarrassed me yesterday," he finally said, his voice flat. "Barging in like that, making accusations."

"You sent me a distress call."

"I did no such thing." He didn't even look at me. "You're so consumed with jealousy