Chapter 1
NICKI
The hospital corridors had gone quiet, save for the occasional buzz of fluorescent lights overhead. The last delivery came hours ago. Not medical supplies this time, but something much more personal. A carefully wrapped box with a dark blue ribbon sat in the breakroom fridge, labeled discreetly with his name: Dr. Calen Ward.
Inside was his favorite dessert: spiced honey cake, flown in from a boutique bakery across town. I’d begged the kitchen staff for space to keep it cold, swearing it was for a birthday. It wasn’t. It was just Tuesday.
But it was our Tuesday.
Our shifts barely aligned these days, and tonight—this one precious night—we were finally overlapping. It had been weeks since we had dinner together, let alone curled into the same bed.
So I made a plan. Something simple. Something sweet.
Even after fourteen hours on my feet, I wasn’t going to let fatigue ruin it. I slipped out of my scrubs in the locker room and changed into the fitted navy dress I’d hidden in my bag. The one with a modest slit and soft stretch that hugged just enough to remind him why he used to growl when I walked past. I applied the deep burgundy lipstick he loved, the one that left faint kisses on his collar.
My curls, flattened from the day’s chaos, were refreshed quickly in the mirror, then pinned loosely to one side, just the way he liked.
Calen always said I looked like temptation when I wore blue. And now, I wanted to see his face when he saw me. I pictured the way his amber eyes would crinkle with surprise, how he’d pull me close with that quiet, crooked smile and whisper, “You spoil me.”
God, I missed him, even now with the tension that had creeped in lately. He’d been distant, tired, and distracted. He blamed it on work and his new position as a Gamma. Gammas carried a lot of weight, and he was the youngest the pack ever had. I knew what that kind of pressure did.
As a doctor too, I understood late shifts, burnout, and silence. And maybe… I also understood my place.
I had no pack name. No legacy. I was an omega who worked twice as hard just to stand in rooms like this. And being with him had elevated me in ways I hadn’t expected. Pack members said I should be grateful. That I was lucky he’d chosen me. But love didn’t feel like luck, not when it was real. And with Calen, it was too real.
Tonight was a reminder of our love.
Nerves fluttered in my stomach as I made my way to the breakroom to get the cake. Our date was in less than an hour. I checked my phone, but he hadn’t texted back.
Maybe he was swamped. He hated his phone during shifts because it broke his focus. It was the same with me.
As I turned into one of the side corridors, I spotted an omega crouched low, scrubbing at a streak of dried mud on the tiles.
Hospital floors were always dirty by the end of a shift, so I walked past her, stopping when I noticed the way she leaned on one side. Her movements were awkward, and her ankle was swollen. The skin was mottled and raw where the sock had rubbed through.
The sour tang of infection clung faintly to the air. Even a pup could see she wasn’t in good condition. But part of me knew why she had done nothing about it. Her rank.
“Come with me,” I murmured before I could talk myself out of it.
Her eyes widened, hands freezing on the scrub brush. “Doctor. I’m not supposed—”
“Don’t worry.” Glancing down the hall, I guided her to an empty exam room. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.”
The limp in her gait made my jaw tighten. Once the door shut, I crouched and peeled back the worn fabric over her foot. Heat radiated from the inflamed skin, and I hissed under my breath. Why was life this hard for us?
“This should’ve been treated days ago.”
“I… I can’t afford—” she began.
“Who says you have to pay?” I whispered, reaching for supplies. Her eyes shone with sudden tears, and I pressed a finger to my lips. “Remember, you can’t tell anyone.”
She nodded quickly, shoulders trembling.
Omegas didn’t heal as quickly as higher-ranked wolves, and untreated wounds like this could turn dangerous fast. My hands worked from habit. Cleaning, applying salve, and wrapping the injury snugly until the skin was hidden beneath fresh bandages. All done, I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out some cash.
“Get yourself dinner,” I said, voice stern so she wouldn’t refuse. She tried to protest, but I was already guiding her to the door. “Eat well. Get some rest when you can.”
A small, choked, “Thank you,” followed me back into the hall. She turned the other way, and I didn’t look back.
Gratitude and love mixed in my chest as I continued to the breakroom. I hoped even more that Calen liked my surprise. Maybe if he wasn’t my mate, I wouldn’t be here.
Someone rounded the corner leading to the breakroom too fast and knocked into me. I stumbled backward, my shoulder throbbing from the hit. Thankfully, Calen had already claimed and marked me, strengthening my body through the mate bond, or it would have hurt even more.
“Sorry,” I whispered instantly, though he hadn’t looked.
He barely glanced at me. Of course he didn’t. Omegas were always the ones in the way. But once I remembered why I was headed to the breakroom, I stood straighter.
Don’t shrink. Calen loved me. He’d said it this morning.
With a confident smile, I grabbed the cake, slipped out through the staff entrance and into the quiet night.
By the time I got home, it was nearly 9 p.m. Calen was late, but I didn’t mind. He said he would be done by ten, which gave me ample time to set the atmosphere.
As soon as I kicked off my shoes, I rushed to the fridge and removed the pasta I prepared before my shift. Once it was heated and plated, I set the cake and bottle of wine on the table. It was his favorite, a deep, bold cabernet that always made him pull me closer after just one glass.
A golden glow scattered across the modest apartment we shared when I lit the candles. Everything was ready. All I needed now was him, but the silence only stretched.
There was no text or key turning in the lock. I perched on the edge of the couch, trying not to glance at the door again. My phone sat facedown beside me, buzzing once, then again.
Not him. I sighed, then stood. If he was stuck at work, I could at least keep the food warm. I moved back into the kitchen, placing the dishes back into the microwave.
The scent of sautéed garlic and fresh rosemary lingered in the air, clinging to the warmth of the kitchen. I caught myself humming, a habit I picked up from working long shifts in the ER. It was a way to keep myself grounded.
I’d spent my day tending to pregnant women, stitching bellies, delivering babies, and offering exhausted smiles. Somehow, none of it compared to how tightly my chest ached now. I didn’t need grand gestures.
Just him. Just his presence, his warmth, the quiet strength of his arms when the day finally broke me.
Was that really too much to ask?
The clock ticked past midnight, and I stared at the closed door. Come home, I thought. Please, just come home.
Tonight mattered. Not just because it marked the anniversary of our bond. But because I’d finally saved up enough money to book a weekend trip for the two of us.
Something far from pack duties and hospital shifts. A quiet cabin, near a lake, where I imagined us reading by the fire, wrapped in one another, laughing, breathing, and being more than just two titles clinging to each other in a world built on rank.
Smiling softly, I retrieved the printed confirmation from my purse, folded it neatly into an envelope, and tucked it under his dinner plate. Done, I reached for my wine glass and poured myself a sip. It was warm and smooth. Just like tonight was supposed to be.
The lock turned, and my heart thundered. Finally. I rose, brushing my hands on my dress as the door swung open.
But Calen didn’t step in like usual. He didn’t call my name or smile at the smell of his favorite dish. No teasing words. No kiss.
Instead, he stepped in with her. Her hand still clung to the sleeve of his coat, like they had been kissing on the way here. They both froze when they saw me standing there, framed in candlelight and dressed up for him, eyes wide and stupid with hope.
“Oh,” his guest said, voice small.
He stepped in front of her, like shielding her would fix it. “Nicki, I didn’t know you’d be home.”
That was all he said. Not I’m sorry. Not this isn’t what it looks like. Just that, like I was the one in the wrong. Like I’d invaded their space.
The wine glass slipped from my fingers. But it didn’t shatter, only tipped against the edge of the table and rolled, crimson trailing along the wood like a wound. I stared at it, heart slamming into my ribs.
“You didn’t know?” I whispered. He could have made up a more believable lie. “We had plans. I cooked for you—”
His eyes flicked to the table. The candles. The carefully set plates. And he cursed under his breath. The woman behind him, pale, blond, high-ranked if I had to guess, shifted uncomfortably.
“I didn’t know you had a mate,” she said. Not even apologetic. Just irritated. “Should I leave?”
“No. Wait.” He winced. “It’s… complicated.”
“Complicated,” I repeated, the word tasting like blood. A low, shaky laugh broke from me. “Is that what you told her while you were inside her?”
“Nicki,” he snapped. “Don’t do this. Not now.”
“Not now?” I took a step forward. My heels clicked against the floor like tiny gunshots. “How long?”
“Nicki—”
“How long, Calen?” I asked again, quieter now. “Was any of this real? Or was I just your little omega project to get points with the elders?”
His jaw clenched. That said enough. The sting rushed in before I could stop it. It wasn’t just from betrayal, but humiliation. The knowledge that I had worked twice as hard to be seen as worthy beside him. That I’d ignored the looks, the whispers, the way even the nurses at the hospital had called me “doc” with a smirk because they didn’t believe an omega like me could earn it on merit alone.
But I had earned it. And I’d thought I’d earned him too. Yet here he was, unapologetic.
“I need you to leave,” he said to his companion, his voice tight. “Please, Nicki. Don’t make this harder than it is.”
The ache in my chest cracked. But I spoke above it.
“Calen, I made you, us, dinner,” I said softly. “I booked us a cabin. Just for two nights. I was going to give it to you tonight. I thought—” My voice broke. “I thought maybe you were tired. That you’d come back to me like always.”
Something shifted in his expression. Something like guilt, but it was fleeting. He didn’t cry or beg, neither did he reach for me. When he looked at the woman who insisted on staying back, maybe to watch the scene unfold, then back at me, I knew I’d lost him forever.
My wolf whimpered at the thought of what I intended to do. I felt her for the first time after he marked me. But I’d rather be single and alone than stay with an unfaithful mate.
“I reject you,” I whispered. My body trembled, and my voice shook. “I reject you as my mate, Gamma Calen.”
His expression shifted. First it was shock, then rage, then something ugly I couldn’t name. Not sadness. Not guilt.
“You think you can reject me?” he snapped. “You forget who elevated you, Dominique. You forget your place.”
“No. I never forgot,” I said quietly. “But you did.”
The silence afterward wasn’t peace. It was loaded with fury and shame, his not mine. I refused to feel guilty over this.
“Nicki,” he said, more softly. “We’ll discuss this.”
Calen grabbed the woman by her upper arm and tugged her toward the door. She flicked me a glance over her shoulder, her lips curving in a smile. They left without a word, and I stood there in a silence so loud it screamed.
The candles flickered. The wine pooled at the edge of the table. And the envelope under his plate, that last fragile hope, burned like a brand I couldn’t touch.
Tonight was supposed to be perfect, but now, I belonged to no one. I was alone, just like I’d always been.
Hey, Queens!!!
It’s time to introduce all of you to a new world. Thanks for picking up TBHP. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.
Don’t forget to like, share your thoughts in the comment section, and leave a review.
Started: February 9th, 2026
Q: What day did you start reading?
