The Alpha's Forbidden Mate: A Heart Shattered

Ilana POV:

"Ilana, get up! Do you really want to keep your precious Cole waiting downstairs all day?"

The sharp, impatient voice of my brother, Silas, sliced through the last vestiges of my dream, accompanied by a series of thundering knocks that rattled the cheap wood of my bedroom door. I groaned, pulling the comforter over my head to block out the sliver of morning sun that had found its way through a gap in the curtains, landing squarely on my face.

But his words had already done their damage.

*Cole.*

The name was a spark in the darkness of my mind. My inner wolf, a gentle she-wolf I called Moonlight, perked up at the thought of him. Her tail gave an excited thump against the inside of my skull.

I was awake. Instantly.

The comforter was thrown back as I shot up into a sitting position. The cool morning air hit my bare arms, and I glanced down at my faded sleep shirt, a cartoon wolf howling at a crescent moon printed on the front.

I scrambled out of bed and yanked the door open, my hair a tangled mess around my face. Silas was leaning against the doorframe, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. He was already in his Nightshade Pack training gear, the dark gray fabric stretching across a frame that seemed to get broader and more solid every month. Since being promoted to Gamma, he carried himself with a new, unshakeable authority that even I, his sister, found intimidating at times.

"Cole isn't here, is he?" I accused, folding my arms across my chest. A blush was already creeping up my neck. I hated that he could still get me so easily.

"Strategic deception," he said, shrugging. He held out a steaming mug of coffee. "Otherwise, would you have been up before noon?"

I snatched the mug from his hand, the warmth seeping into my cold fingers and melting some of my irritation. "You're just jealous," I mumbled into the steam, taking a careful sip.

The smirk on his face vanished, replaced by the serious, guarded expression I knew all too well. "I'm just doing my job as a Gamma, and as your brother. That means keeping you safe."

My stomach gave a little lurch. I knew what he meant. He wasn't talking about rogue wolves or rival packs. He was talking about Cole. He was talking about the chasm of status that separated us.

I turned away from his piercing gaze and walked back into my room. My eyes landed on the small, silver-plated frame on my nightstand. It was a picture of Cole and me from last summer's pack picnic. His arm was slung around my shoulders, and he was laughing, his head thrown back. The sun caught the highlights in his sandy-brown hair, and even just looking at the photo, I could almost smell him-that warm, comforting scent of pine needles and damp earth after a rain.

My fingers traced the outline of his smiling face. The love that swelled in my chest was a powerful tide, strong enough to wash away the anxieties Silas always stirred up.

"Just get ready," Silas's voice came from the doorway, softer now. He'd seen where I was looking. He let out a quiet sigh. "I'll drive you to school."

I nodded without turning around and headed for the bathroom. The hot water from the faucet splashed against my face, a welcome shock that helped to clear my head. In the mirror, my reflection looked tired, my eyes still puffy with sleep. Moonlight nudged me encouragingly in my mind. *You'll see him today!*

That thought was all the motivation I needed. I brushed my teeth with vigor, my mind already racing, planning my day around the possibility of seeing him. What would I wear?

Back in my room, I rummaged through my closet, pushing aside worn jeans and old pack t-shirts until my fingers found it-a simple, pale blue sundress. Cole had once told me it matched my eyes. It was his favorite.

After slipping it on, I ran a brush through my long, dark hair and gave myself a final, hopeful smile in the mirror. I looked... pretty. I hoped he would think so.

The smell of frying bacon drew me out of my room and into the kitchen. My mom, Annelise, stood at the stove, humming a soft tune. Silas was already at the small kitchen table, his head bent in concentration as he methodically polished a silver-bladed training dagger.

The sight of the silver made me flinch internally. It was a necessary tool for pack warriors, but to a werewolf, the metal hummed with a latent threat, a cold promise of pain that went deeper than the skin.

I slid into the chair opposite him and grabbed a piece of toast, chewing it with an exaggerated crunch to break the tense silence.

"Don't forget you have combat training this afternoon," Silas said, not looking up from his dagger. "Your defensive skills are still sloppy."

"I don't need to be a great fighter," I retorted playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "I have you to protect me, Gamma Croft."

He stopped polishing. He slowly lifted his head, and his gray eyes, so much more serious than my own, met mine. They were filled with a deep, unsettling worry that I couldn't quite decipher.

"You can't always count on someone else to protect you, Ilana," he said, his voice low and heavy.

The fragile bubble of my morning happiness popped. I put the toast down, my appetite gone. The simple ache of missing Cole intensified, sharpened by my brother's grim mood. I pulled out my phone, the screen lighting up with a picture of Cole and me as the background. I hovered my thumb over our message thread, wanting to text him, to hear from him, to be reassured.

But then, a better idea sparked in my mind. A much better idea.

I wouldn't just text him. I'd give him a surprise.

The thought was like a ray of sunshine, chasing away all the morning's gloom. Yes. That's exactly what I would do.