Cecilia
There was nothing but heavy silence on the other end of the line.
"It was just the heat of the mont," Xavier finally said, his voice dropping into that gentle tone he used whenever he was trying to manipulate . "I didn’t an to hurt you."
I hate his false affectionate mask of hypocritical behavior.
"Save it," I cut him off, each word he spoke making my stomach churn. "Whether you ant it or not doesn’t change the fact that you laid hands on . The Alpha who swore to protect beca the one who hurt ."
"Fine, fine, it’s my fault. It’s all my fault," he growled, his Alpha temperant slipping through his false contrition. "Just tell where you are! I need to know right now!"
"I already told you, I’ll co back."
"You will return ho tonight," he demanded, his voice dropping to that dangerous timbre that made most pack mbers cower, "or I swear I’ll tear this city apart until I find you."
I could sense his fury building, his control slipping. My body instinctively tensed, rembering all too well how an Alpha’s rage could fill a room.
After a long pause, I finally relented, agreeing to return within the hour.
When he got like this—territorial and frenzied—he was capable of anything. I couldn’t risk him discovering my new apartnt. It would be my sanctuary once the divorce papers were signed.
As Harper drove back to what had once been my ho,she gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"This asshole betrays you over and over, yet still acts like he owns you," she fud. "That temper, that terrifying need to control everything... Cecilia, when he finds out you tricked him into signing those divorce papers, I’m afraid he might actually kill you."
I gazed out at the city lights twinkling in the distance, feeling strangely detached from it all. "Maybe I should keep so wolfsbane handy," I joked darkly. "Poison him before he gets the chance to strangle ."
...
The mont I stepped through the door, Xavier rushed toward like a storm, his face a complex mixture of concern and barely contained anger. The scent of his anxiety hung heavy in the air.
I gave him a cold glance and moved past him to change my shoes, determined to maintain my distance.
As I bent down, a sharp pain shot through my injured back, causing to wince visibly.
Xavier reached out to steady , his instinct to protect his mate.
"Don’t touch !" I hissed, recoiling as though his touch burned my skin. I’d rather endure the pain than feel his hands on again—the sa hands that had been all over Cici earlier today.
Sothing flickered in Xavier’s eyes—hurt, perhaps, or guilt. Good. Let him suffer a fraction of what I had.
He withdrew his hand and followed into the living room, pulling out his phone as we walked. "I’ve installed security caras in the office," he said, holding the screen up for to see. "You can check the feed anyti you want. What happened today won’t happen again."
This caught off guard. I’d expected him to minimize the situation as he always did when caught in his lies.
I studied the screen thoughtfully. "Afraid I might walk in on another of your intimate monts with your little candy girl? Worried about embarrassing her again?"
Xavier’s jaw tightened. "There’s nothing between us."
When I raised an eyebrow, he continued, his voice becoming more insistent. "Fine. I admit I find her fun and cute, but I only see her as a little sister. She’s at the company because her father asked to ntor her."
He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I once found endearing but now saw as calculated. "We’re signing the contract with Shadow Pack next week. The Whites made this small request—how could I refuse?"
How convenient. He frad it perfectly—she was just a sister figure, a business obligation. Nothing that would justify his allowing her to disrespect his mate, satisfying her every whim at the expense of his wife’s dignity.
When had he beco so false? This wasn’t the man whose bond I had accepted years ago.
My eyes locked with his, steady and unflinching. After a mont, I put on a mask of sudden understanding. "Oh, I see. Just a sister, hmm? But didn’t she ntion all those nights you spent together? A brother sleeping with his sister—isn’t that called incest in human terms?"
"...I told you, she’s just an impulsive child who says whatever cos to mind."
"A child whose impulsiveness you find so fun and cute," I countered.
Xavier sighed deeply, recognizing he was getting nowhere. "Look, there’s nothing between us. In a few days, you can go on that trip we discussed. When you return, we’ll start trying for a pup. After that, you can settle comfortably into your role as Luna of Blood Moon Pack. I promise, that position will always belong to you."
I stared at him as a smile slowly ford on my lips, the revelation settling like ice in my veins.
Now I understood.
The Luna position would always be mine, so I was expected to turn a blind eye to his increasingly wild heart and its desires. Why should I accommodate him? He’d betrayed with Cici—taking vacations together, sleeping together, watching sunrises... He’d slashed my heart to ribbons, and now he expected to cradle those bloody pieces while bearing his children and growing old by his side?
How cruel and selfish this man had beco.
"I love you," Xavier said, interpreting my smile as forgiveness. He pulled into his arms before I could resist, holding with a desperate intensity, as if truly afraid of losing .
But my heart remained unmoved, a frozen landscape where his warmth could no longer reach.
With each truth I uncovered about him, my resolve to leave only grew stronger.
Xavier helped upstairs and called the pack doctor to examine my back. Only after confirming there was no bone damage did his tension visibly ease.
When I entered the bathroom, he followed, hovering in the doorway. "Let help you," he offered.
"No need," I replied coldly.
If he dared touch with the sa hands that had caressed another woman, I truly might consider slipping wolfsbane into his morning coffee.
Xavier sensed my continued resistance to his proximity. Frustration flickered across his features, but he knew better than to push further tonight.
"I’ll wait outside. Call if you need anything."
"Sure," I responded with a plastic smile.
Don’t worry, I thought bitterly. I’d rather die from pain than ask for your help.
When I erged wearing my nightgown, Xavier still stood by the door. The steam from my shower carried my scent toward him—fresh, clean, and distinctly mine. His eyes darkened as they traveled over my exposed shoulders and collarbone, his wolf responding instinctively to its mate.
I moved toward the bed, preparing to sleep, but noticed the hungry look in his eyes. "My back is killing ," I said flatly. "If you’re hoping for anything physical tonight, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed."
Xavier wrapped his arms around from behind, his lips brushing against my shoulder, blocking any escape. "I can be gentle," he murmured, his breath hot against my skin.
"I’m exhausted and in pain. I’m not in the mood!" My voice was sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t bear his touch right now.
Xavier stared at my complete lack of interest, frustration evident in every line of his body. An Alpha werewolf wasn’t accustod to rejection, especially from his mate.
He released , his expression unreadable. "Get so rest, then."
Without another word, he turned and left the room.
Author
The next day, in the most elegant western restaurant near Blood Moon.
"Cecilia, you really decided to leave?" Jasmine asked with red eyes. In the private room, the core mbers of the project departnt sat around the dining table, and the atmosphere was particularly heavy. The champagne was not blooming, the red wine was not poured, and the cheerful departnt gathering in the past was like a farewell ceremony at this mont.
"Yes," Cecilia raised her wine glass and pretended to be smiling, but there was an indescribable fatigue in her eyes. "I’m sorry to leave everyone like this."
"But you have paid so much for Blood Moon," another team leader Tom interrupted eagerly. "We all rember how you worked hard step by step. At first, so people said you depend on relationships, but every project sets a new record in your hands. Even competitors say that Blood Moon has today’s market share because of you."
"Yes," Linda of the marketing departnt held her hand and sighed. "I rember that on the day the project was successful last quarter, you were so excited that you were like a kid, more concerned about the company’s developnt than Alpha. We all thought... you will soon beco the official Luna."
Before he finished speaking, there was an awkward silence on the dining table. Everyone knows about the woman in the White family, and this topic is now particularly sensitive.
"Don’t ntion those," Cecilia shook her head gently, with relief in her voice. "I have my reasons. If you need help in the future, you can contact anyti."
Jasmine could no longer control her sobs, her eyes were blurred: "What should I do if you leave? The lady from White’s house can’t even use Excel..."
"Speaking of this," Alex of the Human Resources Departnt seed to suddenly think of sothing, and said seriously, "Have you ever thought about the Silver Peak Pack?"
The atmosphere on the dining table suddenly changed, and even the sob stopped.
"I heard that their Alpha son has just returned from Wall Street and is still empty in recruiting talents, especially the chief secretary. The salary is said to be twice as high as Blood Moon."
"You an that Sebastian Black?" Linda exclaid, letting go of Cecilia’s hand. "The business genius, a cold-hearted person, is said to have a particularly strict requirent for his subordinates? The Wall Street Journal said he quadrupled his family’s assets in three years!"
Cecilia’s eyes flashed. Silver Peak Pack, the most prestigious wolf pack in this area... Perhaps, this is another way fate has prepared for her.
Reviews
All reviews (0)