The Alpha Took Me As A Stand-in, he regretted

I came to in a dim haze, the sky outside the healer's room swallowed whole by night. The room echoed empty-just me and the sterile hum of machines. My chest clenched, a raw ache I couldn't shove down.

I fished out my phone, squinting at the time. A friend request pinged up: Clara.

I swiped it away, thumb heavy.

Then a text buzzed in-a video clip.

Backdrop was that chem lab wing Ian had bankrolled in my name. There I sat on the steps, him crouched low, paws gentle on my ankle, kneading out the twist like I was spun glass.

Clara leaned in sudden, lips crashing his. His shoulders locked rigid... but he didn't shove her off. Not right away.

I thumbed delete, gut twisting. But the messages kept flooding, a wall of venom.

"Tina, you really buy that Ian's moonstruck over you? Face it-you're my echo. I dig biotech? That's why he shoved you into that dual-track program, built you a whole lab tower. I'm all about extreme thrills but too chicken to chase 'em? Boom-he drags you skydiving, paragliding. Thank me later for the taste of the high life, pup. But game's over now that I'm back. No slipping away clean-I'm not done clawing. That scar on your cheek? Starter warning. I pulled strings to get you in the door, remember? Drag your tail back to work tomorrow. Can't wait."

I froze on the screen, heart slamming like a trapped beast. Clara was unhinged, full feral.

The door creaked. Ian slipped in, all casual storm. "Headed to the pack office without a heads-up?" He eased to the bed's edge, voice smooth as ever, like the world's still spinning right. "Need that internship sign-off?"

His scent hit-familiar musk tangled with some sharp, alien perfume. My stomach lurched, bile rising hot.

I didn't fight it. Just yanked two blank sheets from my bag, shoved 'em his way. "Sign here."

He didn't blink-scrawled his name like it was nothing.

My breath hitched, a sour twist in my throat. Damn, he looked at her like she hung the moon. How could it all be smoke?

He set the papers aside, reaching to cup my cheek, that soft indulgence in his eyes.

My gaze snagged on the lipstick smear at his collar-fresh, taunting. Face draining cold, I jerked away. "Ian... you remember what you swore when you chased me down?"

His mask flickered, just a hairline crack.

I went ice. "You vowed it'd be me, eternal-betray that, and the moon strike you down."

His face shadowed hard, eyes dropping to that damn mark. A flash of guilt, buried quick under cool. "You know how I spoil you. Joravia Town pups barely weaned know better than to cross a Quinn she-wolf. You charged in anyway-call this a hard lesson. Steer clear from now on."

I gaped, the sting blooming fast-hurt crashing in waves, bitter and thick.

Rip him open, call the bluff? He dragged me into this snarl, cast me as her stand-in-how dare he flip the blame?

But I swallowed it. Pointless now. No teeth in the bite.

Fine. He'd play blind? I'd match him, scene for scene.

My payback-slow burn, make 'em bleed for it. Ian and Clara, both.

I dropped my gaze, voice scraping raw. "Ian... if it's Clara you burn for, we can shatter the bond. Clean."

"Don't be ridiculous!" His calm splintered, voice cracking wild.

His phone shattered the beat. He snatched it, face storming dark. "Pup's missing? Easy-on my way."

Lips say no fire for her, but paws don't lie.

He bolted, not a backward glance.

I tracked his shadow out, then cracked a laugh-wet, broken, tears spilling hot.

That panic in him? Undeniable. In his world, Clara's pup outranked me every time.

True mate versus echo? Stark as moonlight on blood.

I looped in a pack scribe to draft the unbound papers. Holed up in the healer's room three days, then bailed.

Ian? Ghosted. No visits, no tracks home.

His study still a warzone-shards and spite.

Queen back on throne; no need to pine in shadows anymore.

I called in a fixer for the door, slid the signed unbound sheets inside.