Home. But Sable didn’t have a home. She was an orphan. Our house was the only stability she’d ever known.
But doubt crept in like poison. If she’d really left Moonridge, if she’d actually quit her job…
“Thank you.” I turned and walked away before the nurse could see the panic building in my chest.
I burst through our front door with enough force to rattle the hinges.
‘Relly?” Camila rose from the living room sofa, magazine sliding to the floor. ‘What’s wrong? You look…”
I need to check something upstairs.”
Should I come with you? She started to follow.
“No. Stay here.
I took the stairs three at a time.
Our bedroom door stood open. I closed the door and yanked the closet door wide.
Empty.
Every hanger bare. Every shelf cleared.
I dove for her dresser drawers, pulling them out so hard one nearly fell to the floor. Nothing. Not even the cheap jewelry I’d bought her for birthdays.
Wait. Did she find… no, she couldn’t have…
Panic shot through me as I realized what else might be gone. If Sable had been thorough in packing, if she’d searched through everything…
I reached into the drawer to the small wooden box I’d hidden in the back corner.
Relief flooded through me as my fingers closed around familiar wood. I pulled it out, checking the contents- Camila’s photos, her black lace panties and the love letters.
All safe. Sable had never discovered my secrets.
I rushed to the bathroom, which told the same story. Her toothbrush, face wash, birth control pills – everything gone.
Back in the bedroom, I checked the nightstand. Even our couple photos had vanished.
I collapsed onto the edge of the bed.
Right. Ever since Sable said she moved to the hotel to give space to Camila and me, I’d barely come home. Too busy with Camila at the hotel. I’d been so wrapped up in having my real woman back that I hadn’t even noticed Sable packing up her entire life.
Where the hell did she go?
My phone was in my hand before I’d consciously decided to call my beta, David.
“Dave? I need you to check every camera in the city. Find Sable Crawford.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Thirty minutes crawled by. When David called back, his voice carried bad news.
“Alpha, I checked everything. There’s no trace of her anywhere.”
‘What do you mean? Do you understanding she is a fucking woman? How can she just disappear?’ I shouted.
‘It looks like someone deleted the footage. This isn’t some random disappearance.”
I hung up. Ice formed in my stomach. Sable doesn’t have those kinds of resources. But someone helping her does.
Who the hell is protecting her? And why?
A soft knock interrupted my spiral of rage and confusion.
“Relly?’ Camila’s voice carried through the bedroom door. Are you okay?”
I shoved my phone into my pocket and ran both hands through my hair. The last thing I needed was for her to see me falling apart over Sable’s disappearance.
“I’m fine, I called back.
The door opened anyway. Camila stepped inside, her eyes scanning my face with obvious concern.
I forced a smile across my lips. You should be resting.”
I heard shouting.” She moved closer, careful steps like she was afraid of startling me. “What happened?”
The empty closet gaped open behind me like an accusation. I needed to spin this quickly, before she started asking questions I couldn’t answer.
“Actually…” I turned to face her fully, letting my expression soften. “I’ve been thinking. You should move in here. Permanently.”
Her face lit up. “Really?”
“This room has been prepared for you.” I gestured around the space that had been mine and Sable’s for three years. “It’s time we stopped pretending this is temporary.”
Camila launched herself into my arms with a squeal of delight. “Relly! Are you proposing?”
My chest tightened. Marriage meant marking ceremonies, legal contracts, pack politics. Forever.
But what choice did I have now? Sable was gone. Camila was here, warm and willing and everything I’d thought I wanted.
“I might be,” I hedged. “Though I haven’t asked you to be my Luna yet.”
She pulled back to meet my eyes, her smile turning playful. “Well, I haven’t said yes yet either. You’ll have to prove you’re worthy of me.”
“Fair enough.” Relief flooded through me. More time to figure this out. “Take all the time you need to evaluate my qualifications.”
Her laugh tinkled like bells. “I love a challenge.”
Later, Camila arrived with three suitcases and a team of interior designers.
“Surprise!” She gestured to the small army of professionals filing through our front door. ‘I thought we could redecorate. Make this space truly ours.”
I watched from the living room as they dismantled three years of careful choices. The cream curtains Sable had spent weeks selecting. The antique coffee table shed found at a flea market. The throw pillows that perfectly matched the sofa’s navy fabric.
All of it disappearing into boxes and trash bags.
“What do you think of emerald green for the bedroom? Camila appeared at my elbow, color swatches fanned in her hands. It would complement my eyes beautifully.
I nodded without really looking. Whatever you want.”
“You’re not paying attention. She waved the samples in front of my face. “This is important, Relly. Our first major decision as a couple.”
Our first decision. The words felt wrong. Heavy.
“Green sounds perfect, I managed.
She beamed and kissed my cheek before flitting back to the designers.
I sank onto the sofa – one of the few pieces still standing and tried to identify the hollow sensation spreading through my chest.
This is what I wanted. Camila back where she belongs.
But watching our old life get erased box by box felt like losing something I hadn’t realized I valued.
The next morning, I woke to the smell of burning toast.
Camila stood at the stove, hair pulled back in a messy bun, wielding a spatula like a weapon. Smoke rose from the toaster while she cursed at the frying pan.
“Morning, gorgeous.” I settled at the breakfast table, trying to project enthusiasm I didn’t feel.
‘I made your favorites!” She spun around with a plate of charred bread and what looked like rubber eggs. “Just like you used to love.”
I took a tentative bite. The toast crumbled to ash in my mouth. The eggs tasted like they’d been seasoned with an entire salt shaker.
When did Sable’s cooking start tasting good to me?
The thought appeared before I could stop it. I shoved it down and smiled at Camila.
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