Page 2 of Wolf Betrayed

Chapter One

Charlotte Jamenson ducked beneath a fallen tree branch and inwardly cursed when she tripped over an aboveground root. If she’d been in her human form, she’d probably have said the word aloud and added a few others, as well. Instead, she huffed a breath, lowered her head, and moved faster through the woods.

Her wolf pushed at her, ready to take control and let the run do what it needed to: relieve the tension and stress that came with being who she was in a Pack on the brink of war. Yet she couldn’t quite let her wolf come to the surface even though she was in that form. Her human half needed to think, to feel the dirt beneath her paws, and hold on to what little control she had over her life. The war was coming, perhaps it was even here, and she didn’t have a clue how she could help.

She was the adoptive daughter of the former Omega of the Redwood Pack. The true daughter of the traitor to the Central Pack.

Yet she had nothing to show for her blood other than the guilt that came with continuing to breathe when so many others did not.

The other wolf with her nipped at her flank, and she sped up, thankful that he’d pulled her out of her thoughts of self-pity. She had enough trouble figuring out how to help her people without falling into a depression over where she’d come from yet again.

Charlotte didn’t bother to turn and bite at the other wolf for daring to touch her. This was Bram, her best friend and everything else that she could possibly ever need, he could nip at her if he wanted. She’d just nip back.

When he tried to snap at her again, she slammed her body into his. He was so much bigger than she was, though—in either form—that he didn’t budge, and she almost stumbled. He let out a soft growl, even as they continued their pace, as if admonishing her for being so careless. Either that or he worried about her too much. As this was Bram, it was probably a mixture of both.

They continued their run, their pace increasing until she was panting and losing steam. She hadn’t been sleeping well, not with the steady unrest around them and the wolf at her side, and now it was starting to show. She wouldn’t be much help to her Pack and family if she didn’t start taking care of herself. And while this run had initially been part of that, as all wolves needed the exercise, she was going to hurt herself if she didn’t slow down and head back home.

Bram seemed to sense her needs—as always—and slowed down first. She held back another sigh and matched his pace until they were both walking back toward the set of trees where they’d left their clothing.

When they reached the area, she let out a low moan, knowing the pain from the change was coming. Even though she’d done this countless times before, the transition between wolf and human, human and wolf, never got any easier. For people like Bram, who seemed to excel at everything he did, it looked as if he gently flowed from one form to another. He never showed any signs of weakness, never looked like he wanted to pass out from the pain. That was probably why he was an enforcer and protector for her Uncle Kade, the Alpha of the Redwood Pack.

And why she was still caught in the in-between without a clear duty or purpose.

Her bones popped, her muscles tearing as her body completed the unnatural change between her two forms. It wasn’t like in the movies the humans had made before the Unveiling. This wasn’t full of sparkly magic and wishes. It was an intense agony infused with faith in the moon goddess that Charlotte wouldn’t get stuck halfway between her two halves.

She’d had nightmares about that when she was little.

Of course, the fact that she’d seen it happen to her brother’s…experiments before she’d come to the Redwood Pack probably had something to do with it.

When she was finally back in her human form, she stood on shaky legs and let out another breath. Her body was sweat-slick and achy, but the run had done her good. Her wolf had needed the escape, and Charlotte had needed to be alone with Bram. Even if just the idea of it was a sweet agony.

He was her best friend. Her everything.

The one man who the goddess had chosen to be her mate.

But when the mating bond didn’t come, her heart had shattered into a thousand pieces. She’d always known she’d never be good enough for a wolf such as Bram, yet some small part of her had hoped the moon goddess would allow her that one piece of happiness. But the blood in her veins spoke loudly to those who dared to listen, and because of that, Bram would never be hers.

There would be another chance for him to mate, she knew. There were potential mates around the world for every shifter in existence. One only needed to find them. They could choose whom the moon goddess put in front of them, or wait to find someone their human half could love.

Charlotte had thought Bram was hers. Her wolf knew it to be true.

But no bond had come.

So she would remain his best friend, and when he found another wolf to complete the bond, she would step aside and shatter, breaking every day until she took her last breath.

Strong fingers gripped her chin, and she pulled herself out from beneath her blanket of self-doubt.

“Charlotte.” Bram’s voice soothed her, even as it brought her to the edge and made her ache.

“What?” she breathed.

“You need to stop thinking so hard,” he said softly. His eyes were dark, yet the yellow ring around the irises told her that his wolf was close to the surface. “You’re hurting yourself; pushing yourself until you’re bound to break.”

She’d already broken.

But she didn’t tell him that. He knew it already since he’d crumbled right next to her when the bond hadn’t come.

“I’m fine.” A breathy answer. She cleared her throat. “I’m fine,” she repeated, her voice far stronger. She was good at pretending she held a strength within herself she would never actually possess. Her sister, the only mother she’d ever known since Ellie had raised her from a small child, had taught her how to pretend, how to face her fears even if she may never fully overcome them.

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