Christina’s POV
"You did WHAT?"
Ysolde’s shriek caused at least three nearby tables to turn their heads in our direction. Her perfectly done nails froze midair, the fork hanging like a forgotten prop.
I leaned across our table at La Vache Dorée, the overpriced French restaurant where we’d spent countless evenings talking about our terrible life choices over ridiculously small portions of food.
"Could you possibly announce it any louder? I don’t think the wolves in the next territory quite heard you," I hissed, looking around the restaurant nervously.
Ysolde lowered her voice to a whisper. "Let get this straight. Your father made you get fired, threatened to destroy my family’s business, tried to pimp you out to so geriatric Alpha with a divorce record longer than a CVS receipt, and your solution was to... propose a fake marriage to your insanely hot, Alpha neighbor who you had a one-night stand with?"
"When you put it that way, it sounds completely reasonable, right?" I smiled tightly.
"Honey, that’s not a plan. That’s the plot of a romance novel with questionable consent issues."
I sighed, stabbing my overpriced salad. "What was I supposed to do? My father basically gave an ultimatum: either beco Leonard Shaw’s fifth conquest or watch him crush your family’s business while I live on the street."
"And your neighbor just... agreed? Just like that?" Ysolde’s eyes widened.
"Shockingly, yes." I took a large gulp of water. "Though to be fair, he said it works for him too. Apparently, his family’s been pressuring him to find a Luna."
"How convenient," Ysolde arched an eyebrow, her face split between suspicion and amusent. "So when do I get to et this knight in designer armor?"
"Three days. Pack gathering." I grimaced. "Fair warning,it’ll be a total shitshow."
Ysolde grinned wickedly, signaling the waiter. "Then we need sothing stronger than water. Two glasses of your best red, please."
Once the waiter left, she raised her water glass."To finally telling Niall to go fuck himself, and giving Franklin Vance a taste of his own dicine."
I clinked my glass against hers. "To temporary solutions that will probably blow up in my face."
The wine arrived,a deep red liquid that promised temporary relief from the craziness of my life. I was about to take my first sip when I felt Akira suddenly tense within . She sensed sothing I didn’t.
"Speaking of things blowing up in your face..." Ysolde muttered, her eyes fixed over my shoulder.
The universe,being the sadistic entity it is,had decided my day wasn’t quite catastrophic enough.Because there, striding through the entrance were Niall and Beatrice.
"You’ve got to be kidding ," I groaned, resisting the urge to slide under the table. "Of all the overpriced restaurants in this city..."
Ysolde’s face darkened. "Want to leave?"
"No." I straightened my spine. "I’m done running."
Akira growled in agreent.
It took Beatrice about three seconds to spot us,probably because she had years of practice tracking down just to ss with my life. Her eyes went wide in fake surprise before she grabbed Niall’s arm and pulled him straight to our table.
"Christina!" My sister said sweetly. "What a delightful surprise!"
I smiled back, channeling all the warmth of an Arctic winter. "Beatrice. Niall. What an unexpected... interruption."
Beatrice’s smile didn’t change as she leaned in for air kisses I didn’t return."Daddy ntioned you were seeing soone new. The... distinguished Alpha Leonard was it? I heard he’s quite experienced—four failed mateships, imagine that!"
Her eyes flicked aningfully toward Niall, who was standing there looking like soone had force-fed him a lemon. The subtext was crystal clear,See how quickly she replaced you? With an old man, no less!
"Actually," I began, but Niall cut off.
"Is that why you rejected ?You slept with him, didn’t you?" His voice was tight, controlled. "I felt it three nights ago—the pain, the betrayal burning. He’s old enough to be your father!"
Oh, this was rich.
A laugh bubbled up from my chest before I could stop it. So my night with my mysterious neighbor had caused Niall physical pain through our dying mate bond? Good. Let him get a taste of his own dicine after years of cheating with my sister.
He thought I’d betrayed him with Leonard when I’d actually had the best sex of my life with soone who wasn’t a disgusting old creep. If only he knew the truth.
"I’m so glad you felt the sa pain I did," I said with mock sweetness. "Too bad our mate bond is completely severed now, or I’d make sure to give you even more to feel."
Niall snapped, "You cheated on with so old creep after our four years together!"
Seriously, who is he putting on this act for? Wasn’t he the one who cheated with my sister and then rejected ? God, did he practice my parents’ public statent about calling off our engagent so much that he got confused about what actually happened?
I could already picture him in front of a pack of reporters, crying dramatically— "Christina cheated and rejected our mate bond." Then he’d have every werewolf in Highrise City calling a slut.
My fingers tightened around my wine glass. The urge to throw the wine in his face was almost too strong to resist. But the last thing I needed was to go viral on TikTok,"Jilted Woman Douses Ex in Expensive Cabernet."
Instead, I took a deliberate sip. "Fascinating how you’ve rewritten history where I’m the one who needed to ’work things out,’ not the one who got slapped and verbally abused."
"That was one ti, and you know I—"
"One ti too many," Ysolde interjected."You don’t get to play victim after what you did, Niall. You and Beatrice betrayed the most sacred bond in our world, and you think Chrissy owes you an explanation for moving on?"
Niall’s face flushed dark red. "You should watch your mouth, Ysolde. Small packs like yours survive on the goodwill of larger ones."
"Is that a threat?" I asked quietly.
"It’s a reality check," Beatrice cut in,"Not everyone has Daddy’s protection forever. Oh wait—you don’t anymore, do you, sis?"
That did it. I placed my glass down with deliberate care and began to rise. Akira was practically clawing to get out, ready to teach my sister exactly how sharp her teeth were.
"Alpha Niall, Miss Vance." A crisp voice sliced through our tension.
The restaurant manager had appeared beside our table, immaculate in a tailored suit.
"I’m afraid I must ask you to leave."
Niall blinked, montarily thrown. "Excuse ?"
"You’ve been added to our establishnt’s blacklist. Your presence is no longer welco at La Vache Dorée." The manager’s tone left no room for argunt.
"This is ridiculous!" Niall sputtered. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"Perfectly aware, Alpha Niall. Which is why security is already waiting." He gestured toward the entrance, where two large n in dark suits stood watching.
Beatrice’s face had morphed from smug superiority to shocked disbelief. "This is absurd! We haven’t done anything!"
"Nevertheless, those are my instructions." The manager remained unmoved. "Please exit without further disruption."
Niall’s eyes darted to , narrowing with suspicion. "You did this."
"I wish I could take credit," I replied honestly. "But this is as surprising to as it is to you."
The security guards began moving toward us. Niall’s jaw clenched so tight I could almost hear his teeth cracking, but he knew better than to make a scene. With a final glare that promised future retribution, he took Beatrice’s arm and stalked toward the exit.
The manager turned to , his deanor shifting to apologetic. "Ms. Vance, please accept our sincere apologies for the disturbance."
"No apology necessary. That was..." I searched for words. "Impressive."
"Your dinner this evening is, of course, complintary." He reached into his jacket and produced a black card with the restaurant’s gold logo. "The owner has also instructed to provide you with this. It ensures priority seating and complintary dining at any ti."
I stared at the card, then back at him. "The owner?"
"Yes, madam.He was quite insistent."
As he departed with a respectful nod, I turned the black VIP card over in my hands, a suspicion forming.
"Girl." Ysolde reached across the table to grab my hand. "Do you know the owner of this place?"
I stared at the black card. "I have absolutely no idea."
With Niall and Beatrice gone, the tension finally lifted from our table.
"Well, that was better than dinner theater," Ysolde said, raising her wine glass. "To mysterious benefactors and perfect timing."
I clinked my glass against hers, savoring the mont. "I still can’t believe that just happened."
"Your mysterious neighbor wouldn’t happen to own French restaurants, would he?" Ysolde smirked.
"Don’t be ridiculous," I laughed, though sothing nagged at . "He’s just my neighbor."
"Right. Just a coincidence," Ysolde said, clearly not buying it.
An hour later, I stood outside my apartnt building, fumbling for my keys. The evening had been perfect—too perfect, maybe.
That’s when I noticed him.
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