My Mate Chose My Rival

The smile felt like broken glass on my face, but I held it there. Silver was screaming at me to rip their throats out, her fury a living thing clawing at my insides. But Lucas was a trained warrior. His reflexes were faster, his strength greater. If I attacked now, I'd lose.

So I let my smile tremble. Let my hands shake as I reached for the back of the chair again.

"I—" My voice cracked perfectly. "I need time. To process this. The Moon Goddess blessed you both, and I—" I pressed my fingers to my lips, forcing tears to well in my eyes. "I'm just in shock."

Lucas's shoulders relaxed. The tension in his jaw eased. He actually looked relieved.

"Of course," he said, his tone gentling into something that might have passed for compassion if I didn't know better. "This is a lot to take in. We understand."

Sutton's smile widened. She thought she'd won.

"Take all the time you need," she purred. "We're not going anywhere."

I nodded, backing toward the hallway. "I should—I have an early shift at the clinic tomorrow. I need to rest."

Lucas waved me off, already turning back to the bar cart. "Go ahead. We'll talk more in the morning."

I fled to my bedroom and locked the door. The moment the bolt clicked, Silver surged forward.

"We should kill them," she snarled. "Rip them apart. Make them pay."

"Not yet," I whispered, pulling out my phone with shaking hands. "We're smarter than that."

I texted Victoria Stone, the pack's most ruthless prosecutor. We'd worked together on a medical malpractice case last year. She owed me a favor.

Emergency. Need to see you first thing tomorrow. Legal matter. Confidential.

Her response came within seconds. 7 AM. My office. Bring documentation.

I didn't sleep. I spent the night gathering every piece of paper related to the estate—the deed, the mortgage statements, the utility bills. All in my name. Every single one.

---

Victoria's office was in the pack's administrative building, a sleek glass structure that reflected the early morning sun. She was already waiting, a cup of black coffee in one hand and a legal pad in the other.

"Tell me," she said without preamble.

I did. Every humiliating detail. The mating marks. Lucas's claims of common-law rights. Sutton's suggestion that we all live together.

Victoria's expression didn't change, but her pen moved faster and faster across the pad.

"His name isn't on the deed?" she asked when I finished.

"Nowhere." I slid the documents across her desk. "I purchased the estate three years ago with my inheritance. He never contributed a cent."

She flipped through the papers, her lips curving into something predatory. "This is going to be easier than I thought. We can have cease-and-desist orders drafted by noon. But Maya—" She looked up, her dark eyes sharp. "If you want him exiled instead of just evicted, I need more. Evidence of abuse. Threats. Something that proves he's a danger to you."

"I'll get it," I said.

Her smile was cold. "I know you will."

---

I returned home just after ten, my healer's bag slung over my shoulder as if I'd actually been at the clinic. The moment I stepped off the elevator, I knew something was wrong.

The living room had been transformed. My carefully curated art prints were gone, replaced by cheap festival banners. The throw pillows I'd spent weeks selecting were piled in a corner, replaced by garish floral cushions that clashed with everything.

And Sutton was standing in the middle of it all, hands on her hips, surveying her work like she'd just conquered a kingdom.

"What do you think?" she asked brightly. "I thought the place needed a woman's touch."

Silver lunged forward, and I barely held her back.

"Where are my things?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet.

"Oh, I put them in storage. They were so drab." She waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, you'll get used to the new look."

I walked past her toward the master bedroom. The door was open. Inside, Sutton's clothes were scattered across my bed—my bed—and her cheap perfume hung thick in the air.

"Get out," I said.

Sutton appeared in the doorway behind me. "Excuse me?"

"This is my room. Get. Out."

Her eyes narrowed. "Actually, Lucas said I could have it. The master suite is more appropriate for a mated pair."

Footsteps behind us. Lucas emerged from the bathroom, a towel around his waist, his hair wet.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"She's trying to kick me out of our room," Sutton said, her voice taking on a whining quality.

Lucas's expression hardened. He stepped forward, and suddenly the air felt heavier. Thicker. He was using his aura, pushing it out like a physical force.

"Maya." His voice dropped into that commanding tone warriors used in battle. Not quite an Alpha command, but close enough to make my wolf bristle. "Sutton needs the comfort of the master bed for her transition. You'll take the guest room."

The pressure of his aura pressed down on me, demanding submission. Silver snarled, fighting against it, but I forced her down. Forced myself to lower my eyes.

"Fine," I whispered.

Lucas's aura retreated. "Good. I'm glad you're being reasonable about this."

I turned and walked toward the guest room, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Behind me, I heard Sutton's triumphant laugh.

Silver's voice was ice in my mind. "We're going to destroy them."

"Yes," I agreed silently, closing the guest room door. "We are."