Ember's POV
My phone rang so hard on the kitchen counter that it fell to the floor making a loud sound.
"Ember!" Maya's voice shouted through the speaker before I could even pick it up. "Get to Luna's Diner right now!"
"Maya, I can't..."
"Don't say no! Sophie, Lily, and I are already here. We need to talk. Right away!"
The call ended. I stared at my cracked screen, my hands still shaking from what happened earlier that morning. Victoria's cold laugh kept playing in my head. And Cade's face… the way he looked at me when he didn't answer her question… it hurt.
Another message.
Sophie: Omega emergency meeting. NOW.
Then Lily: Don't make us come drag you out.
Then Maya again: This is about Cade. We know everything.
My stomach dropped. If they knew… then maybe everyone knew. My secret was out.
I grabbed my jacket and hurried outside. I had no interest in fixing my hair or cleaning my tear-stained face. The mountain breeze was cold as I walked fast through the town, keeping my head down to avoid seeing anyone's expression.
Luna's Diner was at the edge of Main Street. its flashing neon sign, lighting up the dull sky. Through the window, I saw my three best friends sitting in our usual booth.
The bell rang when I opened the door. Everyone looked at me. I felt their eyes and heard the soft whispers as I made my way to the back.
"Finally," Maya said, scooting over to give me space. She was always the loud one—brave and bold.
Sophie reached out and held my hand as I sat down. "You look awful. Are you okay?"
"Thanks," I muttered.
Lily, the quiet one, pushed a cup of hot chocolate in front of me. "Here. Drink this. You need it."
Maya leaned in. "So, is it true? Did Cade really stay two nights at your cabin?"
I almost spit out my drink. "How do you even know that?"
"Everyone knows," Sophie said. "Mrs. Peterson saw him leave your place yesterday. Then again this morning."
"And Victoria came to the pack house with her dad before sunrise," Lily added. "They were so angry."
Maya slammed her hand on the table. Our cups shook. "I can't believe it! Cade broke his one-night rule!"
"Keep your voice down!" I whispered. "People are staring."
"Let them," Maya said, not caring at all. "This is huge."
Sophie gave my hand a squeeze. "Ember, do you understand what this could mean?"
"It means I'm in trouble," I said softly. "Victoria threatened me. Her dad wants to ruin me. And Cade… he's marrying her. Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Lily gasped. "The wedding wasn't supposed to be so soon!"
"They moved it up. Because of me."
Maya's eyes widened. "They're scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Of you," Maya said. "Think about it. Cade has kept that one-night rule for ten years. He never broke it. Not once."
"Not even with the prettiest she-wolves," Sophie said.
"So why you?" Maya asked. "Why now?"
I shook my head. "I'm not special. I'm just..."
"Stop that," Sophie said firmly. "You're not nothing. Cade wouldn't have come back if you were."
"He came back because I went into heat," I said quickly. "It's just how biology works."
Maya groaned. "Please. Cade's been around many omegas in heat. He never broke his rule for them."
"But with you," Lily said softly, "he came back. Twice."
"And he would've kept coming if Victoria hadn't caught you," Sophie added.
My chest felt tight. "What are you trying to say?"
The three of them shared a look.
Maya leaned forward. "We think Cade might be your true mate."
Those words hit me hard. "That's not possible."
"Why not?" Sophie asked. "True mates are rare, but real. When they find each other, they can't stay apart."
"It pulls them in," Lily whispered. "Like a string connecting their hearts."
I thought of Cade's eyes. The way he touched my face. The way he said he couldn't stop thinking about me. His hands shaking like mine did.
"Even if that's true," I said, "it doesn't matter. He's marrying Victoria tomorrow."
"Not if he realizes what you are to him," Maya said.
"He already knows something's different," Sophie added. "Didn't he tell you he's never felt this way before?"
I nodded slowly.
"True mates always find each other," Lily said. "And every time they're together, the bond grows stronger."
"That's why Victoria rushed the wedding," Maya said, eyes wide. "She knows. She's trying to stop it before Cade realizes it too."
My head was spinning. Was it possible? Was there more between Cade and me than just attraction?
"But what if you're wrong?" I asked. "What if he picks duty over me?"
"Then he's a fool," Maya said flatly.
"Maya!" Sophie scolded.
"What? It's true. If he lets his true mate go, he'll never be happy. That's how it works."
"That's just old stories," I whispered.
"My grandma was a true mate," Lily said softly. "When her mate died, she said it felt like half her soul went with him. She never loved anyone else after."
A chill ran through me.
"You have to tell Cade," Sophie said. "Before the wedding."
"Tell him what?" I asked. "That I might be his true mate because my friends said so?"
"No," Maya said. "Tell him how you feel. Tell him you love him."
Love. That word hung in the air like a heavy secret.
Was that what this was? The ache in my chest when he left? The way I craved his touch, his voice?
"I can't," I said. "He made his choice. This morning, he couldn't even speak when Victoria asked him to choose."
"He was shocked," Sophie said. "He didn't expect her to ask that."
"He's had years to get ready," I whispered. "He knows his duty."
"But does he know his heart?" Lily asked quietly.
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed again. My hands shook as I read the message.
Meet me at the old oak tree at midnight. We need to talk.
"What is it?" Maya asked, leaning over.
I showed them the screen. All three of them gasped.
"He wants to see you!" Sophie said, clapping her hands.
"This is it," Maya said. "He's going to call off the wedding!"
"Or say goodbye," I mumbled.
"Don't think like that," Lily said. "True love always finds a way."
I wanted to believe them. I wanted to believe I was enough for someone like Cade to choose me over everything else.
But I'd learned not to hope too much.
"I should go," I said, getting up. "I need to get ready for tonight."
"Get ready how?" Maya asked.
I looked down. "By preparing to have my heart broken."
As I reached the door, Sophie called after me. "Ember! If he's your true mate, he won't be able to walk away. The bond won't let him."
I nodded and stepped outside. The wind was colder now, and it smelled like snow and pine trees. I pulled my jacket tighter and headed home, my head full of everything they had said.
True mates. It sounded like something from a fairy tale.
But when I thought about how Cade looked at me… like I was the only one that mattered to him. maybe fairy tales could be real.
I was halfway home when I saw him.
Cade was standing at the end of my street, phone to his ear. Even from far away, I could see how tense he looked.
"Yes, sir," he said. "I understand. I'll be there soon."
He hung up and ran a hand through his hair, clearly stressed.
Then he looked up and saw me. His face went pale.
"Ember," he called, walking quickly toward me. "I was just—"
"Going somewhere important?" I asked.
"My dad wants to talk. About the wedding."
My heart sank.
"I have to go," he said, but he didn't move. He just looked at me like he was trying to remember every part of my face.
"Cade.."
"Tonight," he said quickly. "Meet me tonight. Please."
"I got your message."
"Good." He reached out like he wanted to touch me, then let his hand drop. "There's something I need to say. Something big."
"What is it?"
"I can't tell you here. Too many people watching."
I glanced around. He was right. Pack members were pretending not to stare, but we both felt their eyes.
"Tonight," he said again.
Then his phone rang. The name on the screen made him go pale.
"Alpha Marcus," he said.
Even I could hear his father shouting on the other end.
"Where are you? You should've been here already!"
"I'm coming, sir."
"You'd better be. Because what I'm about to tell you will change everything."
The call ended.
"What did he mean?" I asked.
But Cade was already backing away, looking worried.
"Tonight, Ember," he said. "It'll all make sense tonight."
Then he turned and ran toward the pack house, leaving me standing in the cold, full of questions and a heart that didn't know what to hope for.
True mates can't stay apart. The bond won't let go.
Change everything.
What was Cade's father going to tell him? And why did Cade look so afraid?
As I watched him disappear, only one thought stayed in my mind:
What if tonight is the last time I ever see him?