The Silent Mate The Alpha Left to Die

nasty dog bite, so I called my fiancé,

was in Aspen, on a ski trip

right now?" he snapped, before hangin

leg quickly developed into a raging infection. I texted Cohen an update,

: a photo of her and Cohen, cheeks flushed from the cold, smili

grim hospital waiting room, staring at my silent phone, I knew he had already made his choice.

lked out into the gray dawn. I wasn't just grieving. I was done. I was

pte

CEE

ll of my childhood, of safety. I was scrubbing the countertops, trying to erase the las

hed on the screen. My hear

iller," I answere

her end. "Your mother's condition has wors

the wall for support. Before the nurse could finish

he picked up. "Jayc

t. But today, it was strained, like he was caught between two worlds. In the background, I hea

ver each other. "The hospital called. She was att

d* in his tone, a desperate plea for control disguised as authority.

tated, the name leaving a bitter

tive for the Granite Peak Pack. This merger is critic

n!" The words tore from m

n. "Do you want me to abandon the

ical blow, stealing the air fro

he smooth, commanding tone of an Alpha. "Hillary is about to

ne wen

silence screaming around me. He h

faced doctor led me into

eyes. "We ran the saliva samples. The animal is regist

od ran

his voice low. "It prevents clotting and causes rapid infection in human

, my mind a whir

rk white sheets. A web of tubes and wires connected her to b

ce a dry rasp. "I must have startl

trying to smooth things over so I wouldn

Cohen. I opened it, a desperate, foolish p

I read

Hillary. I'll

nd in that moment, I knew my mother wasn't just a