KANE POV:
My wolf perked up, hoping it was her. For a mont, I did too. Any distraction at this point would’ve been welco, and if it was Elena, I would’ve gladly abandoned this mountain of work to pull her into my lap and...well. You get the idea.
But no. Of course, my luck wasn’t that good.
"Co in," I said, my voice gruff, already regretting it.
And that’s when she walked in.
Ashley.
Fucking hell.
Goddess, why on earth did I ever let myself get tangled up with this bitch?
My wolf snarled in disgust, his mood souring instantly. The mont her perfu hit —sothing cloying and overly sweet—I fought back the urge to wrinkle my nose. Goddess, why on earth did I get myself tangled up in this ss?
Ashley sauntered in with that practiced sway of her hips, the one she probably thought was seductive. It wasn’t. Not anymore. Not when I had a mate whose very existence put every other woman to sha. She perched herself in front of my desk like she owned the damn place, giving a look that I’m sure she thought was sultry.
"Busy, Kane?" she purred, dragging out my na like nails on a chalkboard.
I leaned back in my chair, pinching the bridge of my nose as I counted to ten. My wolf was already growling. He hated the sound of her voice now, and I couldn’t bla him. "What do you want, Ashley?"
She pouted. "You’re still as cold as ever, Alpha. It’s been weeks since—"
"Don’t," I cut her off sharply, my tone leaving no room for argunt.
Ashley’s expression faltered for a second, but she recovered quickly, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder and fixing with a coy look. "We still have a contract, rember? Or has that sweet little mate of yours made you forget all about it?"
I froze, my wolf snapping to attention. Mate. Hearing her even ntion Elena made my jaw tick with barely contained anger. "Watch what you say," I warned, my voice low and dangerous.
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t back down. "I’m just saying, Kane. You’ve been neglecting your end of the bargain."
I bit back a growl, the sound rumbling deep in my chest. Neglecting. That was rich. She wasn’t wrong—I had been avoiding her like the plague—but the thought of touching Ashley now was repulsive. My wolf wouldn’t let , and my body had zero interest in anyone who wasn’t Elena.
I still had a month and a half left on the contract I had stupidly signed—a contract binding as her dominant, to provide protection, money, and...other things. I had been a neglectful dominant lately, and I knew it wasn’t fair to her, but fuck. I had found my mate.
The thought of touching her—hell, of even looking at her that way—made my skin crawl now. Elena was the only woman my body ached for. The only one I would ache for.
She leaned against my desk, trying to look seductive as she trailed a perfectly manicured nail along the edge. "You know the contract—"
"I know what the contract says," I cut her off, my voice sharp enough to make her flinch. "And I’ve upheld every part of it except one. You’re getting your money. You’re getting protection. The rest? It’s not happening."
She tilted her head, her lips curling into a sly smile. "You know what I want, Kane. It’s what you promised in the beginning. A real Alpha-submissive relationship."
My wolf bristled, practically lunging at the ntion of it. "Not gonna happen," I growled, my voice dropping into a nacing snarl. "That part of the contract is done. Over. I won’t touch you, Ashley. Not now. Not ever."
She narrowed her eyes, the smile finally slipping from her face. "That’s not how it works, Kane. You don’t get to pick and choose which parts of the contract you want to honor."
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes locking on hers, unbothered by her attempt to intimidate . "I’m not picking and choosing. I’m telling you it’s over."
"You don’t get to decide that." Her voice rose slightly, a note of desperation breaking through her otherwise calm deanor. "We have a contract—"
"Which can be terminated at any ti with mutual agreent," I interrupted coolly. "And I’m offering to terminate it right now. I’ll pay whatever’s left. Double, if that’s what you want."
Her lips curled into a sneer. "This isn’t about the money, Kane."
I tilted my head, letting a dark, humorless smile cross my face. "Then what is it about, Ashley? Because I’m telling you right now, whatever ga you think you’re playing, you’re not going to win. I’ve found my mate."
Her smile faltered again, her confidence cracking for the briefest mont. "Is this about her?" she asked, her voice sharper now.
"Yes." I didn’t even hesitate. I wasn’t going to play gas with her anymore. Elena was my mate—my everything—and I wouldn’t allow this woman to try to manipulate . "I’ve found my mate, Ashley. You knew this arrangent would end the mont I found her."
"But the contract—"
"The contract is bullshit," I snapped, slamming my hand down on the desk hard enough to make her jump. I stood, looming over her as I let my Alpha aura fill the room. "I’m done playing gas. I gave you what you asked for—protection, status, resources—but you will not get more from . I won’t break my mate’s trust because of a stupid deal I made before I knew she existed."
"The only reason I haven’t ripped up that contract is because I don’t break my promises. I’m trying to be civil. But don’t push , Ashley."
Ashley’s eyes widened, a mix of anger and fear flickering across her face. "You’re throwing away for her?"
"Yes," I said coldly. "And you’re lucky I’m letting you walk away with everything I’ve already given you."
Her fists clenched at her sides, and she glared at like she wanted to claw my eyes out. "You think she’s going to want you?" she snapped. "When she realizes what kind of man you are—what you’ve done—she’ll run. She’ll leave you just like everyone else. she is too innocent for you."
"Why don’t you let your mate fuck you? That’s all you want right? Because honestly, I’m not going to touch you," I said coldly, barely holding my temper in check. All she wanted was a fuck and I gave her money and security, she should go find soone else with all the money she is getting she can go and try buying soone or sothing to fulfil her needs, just not . My wolf was pacing, snarling at the very presence of this woman who dared to speak about Elena—our mate.
Ashley looked up at with those spiteful eyes of hers, the ones she always tried to mask as seductive, but they had no effect on anymore. "That wuss won’t give what I want, Kane. Only you know how I like it," she said, her voice taking on that whiny edge I’d grown to loathe.
I didn’t answer, just stared at her blankly as her words hung in the air like poison.
She took a step closer, as if she thought she could sway , but her voice dropped lower, more bitter now. "I rejected him for you, Kane. So we can be together."
My wolf stilled. My patience snapped.
I cut her off with a low growl that echoed through the office, vibrating in the very air between us. It was a warning—a clear one. She was barking up the wrong fucking tree, and she didn’t even realize how close she was to real danger. My canines ached to elongate, my claws begging to tear into sothing, but I held them back.
"You’re walking on thin ice, Ashley," I said, my voice deadly calm.
Her expression faltered, but she quickly masked it with a scoff. "Why don’t you just reject your mate too? We could still—"
I slamd my fist onto the desk, the sound echoing through the office like a crack of thunder. Ashley jumped back, her face pale for the first ti since she walked in here. My wolf was clawing at to let loose, to show her how dangerous it was to speak about our mate like that.
"Don’t you dare finish that sentence," I growled, my voice low and lethal. I took a step toward her, slow and deliberate, until there was barely a foot of space between us. "You think I’d reject her for you?" I spat, disbelief and disgust dripping from every word. "You’re delusional. And let make one thing perfectly clear: the only thing keeping you safe right now is the fact that you’re a woman. That’s it."
Ashley’s bravado cracked, and for a second, real fear flashed in her eyes. She should be afraid. She had no idea how much restraint it was taking not to let my wolf rip through my control.
"You’re nothing to ," I said, my voice ice cold, my words hitting her like a slap. "You never were. That contract was a mistake, and you know it."
"You didn’t seem to think it was a mistake when you begged to dominate ," she hissed, her voice shaking with anger and desperation.
I laughed darkly, humorless. "Begged? I’ve never begged for anything in my life, and you know it. Don’t rewrite history just because you can’t stand the truth."
Her mouth opened, but I wasn’t done. I took another step forward, leaning in close enough for her to see the barely restrained rage in my eyes.
"You rejected your mate? That’s your problem, not mine. I don’t give a damn what he did or didn’t give you. Don’t you ever compare him to . And don’t you ever bring my mate into this again. She’s not soone you’ll ever speak about."
"Why, Kane?" she said, her voice cracking now. "You love . You know you do!"
The word love left her lips like acid, and my wolf roared so loudly in my head I thought I’d go deaf from the noise. I laughed again—low, bitter, dangerous.
"I don’t love you, Ashley. I never did." I leaned back, shaking my head with a disgusted sigh. "The only reason you were in my life was because I was too blind and too fucking stupid to realize what I was missing. But now? I’ve found her. My mate. My forever. You are nothing but a mistake in my past."
Her face crumbled, tears welling in her eyes, but I couldn’t find it in to care. Not anymore.
"You should leave," I said finally, my tone calm again but laced with warning. "And don’t co back.
I stilled, my wolf snarling viciously at the insult to our mate bond. Slowly, I rose to my feet, towering over her as I let my dominance roll off in waves. Her confidence wavered imdiately, her bravado crumbling under the weight of my power.
"Get out," I said softly, dangerously.
She didn’t move.
"I said, get out." My voice was low, a growl rumbling in my chest.
Ashley took a step back, her face pale as she realized she’d pushed too far. "This isn’t over," she hissed, her voice shaking slightly.
I t her glare with an icy stare of my own. "It is for . You have two options: you can agree to terminate the contract now, or you can keep fighting and walk away with nothing. Your choice.
She glared at , her lip curling in a sneer. "You’ll regret this, Kane."
I laughed bitterly, my wolf snarling behind my eyes. "The only thing I regret is getting tangled up with you in the first place."
She stared at for a long mont, her jaw tight, before finally spun on her heel, storming out of the office with a huff, slamming the door behind her. I sank back into my chair, exhaling a long, heavy breath as I rubbed my temples. My wolf was still pissed, pacing in my head, but at least Ashley was gone.
I needed to end this contract once and for all. And when I did, nothing—no one—would co between and my mate.
The second she was gone, I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair as I tried to calm the storm raging inside . My wolf was still on edge, still furious that she’d dared to insult our mate.
Elena.
I closed my eyes and let her face flood my mind—her shy smile, the way she blushed, the soft noises she made when I touched her. She was mine, and no one—no one—was going to co between us.
Ashley had no idea who she was dealing with, and I wasn’t about to let her—or anyone else—ruin the one good thing the Goddess had given .
I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to my Beta. "Make sure Ashley doesn’t cause any trouble. I’m done playing nice."
Then I sat back down, my lips curling into a slow, satisfied smile.
My mate was waiting for at ho, and nothing was going to keep from her.
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