Chapter 1

OAKLEY

I sit in the darkness of the livingroom of the home I share with my mate, the beta of the moon river pack, Derek Wright. It's late. Probably after midnight. I can't bring myself away from the window to check the time as I watch for his homecoming. I am praying to the moon goddess that nothing bad has happened to him and that his phone just died. Hoping he just got caught up in his work and that's why he didn't contact me to let me know he would be late.

I pull myself out of my thoughts of horrible things happening and decide to get changed for bed. I put on my comfy, soft pink pajama pants and a plain black night shirt. I pull my long blonde hair into a bun and brush my teeth. Once I have completed all my nightly, before bed routine, I find myself back in the darkness of the livingroom. I sit in the window seat and stare out the window.

Haven, my wolf, has been pacing in my head, a feeling of unease coming from her. I don't dare to ask her what is wrong because I fear her answer. I also cannot ask her to stop pacing, despite the headache it's beginning to give me, because I understand why she is pacing.

I try reaching out to Derek through the mind link for what feels like the hundredth time only to be met with silence. If we were marked and mated then I would be able to feel him, feel his emotions. I would know if something was wrong. But Derek insisted we wait. He won't tell me why or when but just that he is waiting for the right time. Everyone knows that we are fated mates. It's not a secret. As soon as we discovered we were mates he insisted I move in with him. I attended beta training with his mother. She treated me like I was a daughter and also said I was excelling at beta training.

I was so lost in thought that I nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone dinged, signaling a text message. I pick it up to see a message from my half sister, Amber. When I was little my mother was killed in a rogue attack protecting the alphas wife. My dad was devistated. For a few years it was just us but he decided to take a chosen mate, Bailey. For a few years everything was good. She was kind to me and treated me like a daughter. Until she had Amber. After that, whenever my dad was not around they would treat me like I was their slave. Bailey would tell me that I could not say anything to my father because I would destroy his happiness and it would make me selfish. I didn't want to see my dad upset again. I remember what it was like when my mom died and how he could barely function at first.

I'm a little surprised that she is texting me since we barely speak to each other. She is probably at a party and is drunk. Why else would she text me? Deciding I could use this as a temporary distraction I open up the message.

Amber: hello big sister.

Oakley: what do you want?

Amber: is that any way to talk to your sister?

Oakley: if you don't have an actual reason for texting me then goodbye.

Amber: oh, but I have a reason.

Amber: I just wanted to thank you.

Oakley: for what?

Amber: for sharing your mate with me.

Oakley was confused. Until the next message that came through from Amber was a picture of Derek and Amber in bed together. They were naked and Derek was behind Amber, leaning over her, while she was on all fours. It was very obvious by the picture of what they were doing. I wasn't even sure how she was able to get a picture like that without having someone else take it or setting up a camera.

Oakley: what is this?

I had no idea how to respond to this. I felt like my heart was in my throat and I was doing everything I could to fight back the tears. Haven was howling in agony in my head.

Amber: oh don't be so surprised. I am far better then you. In everything according to Derek. That is why he will be taking me as his chosen mate and rejecting you.

I didn't even bother responding. I knew she was just trying to get under my skin. And it was working too. I felt awful. My mate, my fated mate, was cheating on me with my own sister. And now I understood why he wasnt marking me yet. Because I would feel every indiscretion. Every time he cheated I would know. But as long as we were not marked I would have no idea. All these times I thought he was just working late. I wondered how many of those times he slept with her and then came home and slept with me. That made me feel so gross and angry. I knew I couldn't stay here any longer.

I heard his car pull into the drive. I hurried to the bedroom and got into bed. There was no way I was going to confront him right now. I needed a plan. I needed some time to think.

I could hear Derek come into the house. I hoped he wouldn't come to me because I am not sure how long I could pretend to be asleep and keep it together. It was taking everything I had to not cry and give myself away. I didn't want to hear his excuses. Haven is sulking in my mind. Going back and fourth between wanting to claw his eyes out to painfully howling.

I can hear his heavy footsteps as he gets closer to the bedroom, the floor creaking under his weight. He comes into the room and pauses for a moment. I don't move, I won't risk him coming to me. After what feels like an eternity, which was probably only seconds, he makes his way into the bathroom. I can hear the shower come on and I breath a sigh of relief, releasing my breath that I don't even realize I was holding in. I was glad he went to shower because I could smell my sisters scent mixed in with his. He was careless this time it seems. That or I was just to blind to notice. Maybe I was even in denial. A few times I when I was paranoid and thought he was cheating I had expressed it to him and he always claimed he would never do that, that the fated bond was sacred.

"Does he know that Amber sent that picture?" I think to myself. Then I am doubtful about it. I decide that I should probably try and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a really long day. I have a lot to do.