Victoria
My fingers trembled as I followed Leo out of his massive estate toward a sleek black Audi in the driveway. The morning sun glead off the polished surface, nearly blinding .
Just as we approached the car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I froze, recognizing the ringtone I’d assigned to Enzo. My heart hamred against my ribs as I fumbled to retrieve it.
"I should probably—" I started, but before I could finish, Leo’s hand closed over mine.
"Who is it?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm.
I swallowed hard. "My stepbrother."
Sothing dark flickered across Leo’s face. Without warning, he plucked the still-ringing phone from my hand and answered it.
"Victoria’s phone," he said, his voice dropping to that dangerous alpha timbre that made my skin prickle.
I couldn’t hear Enzo’s response, but judging by Leo’s tightening jaw, it wasn’t pleasant.
"She’s unavailable to you," Leo stated flatly. "Now and in the future. The debt is settled. Your business is with , not her."
I watched, transfixed, as he listened for another mont before interrupting whatever Enzo was saying.
"Let be clear," Leo growled, and I felt the vibration of his words in my chest despite not being connected to his mindlink. "She belongs to the Shadow Pack now. To . Any further attempt to contact her will be considered a territorial challenge."
With that, he ended the call and handed the phone back to .
"Delete his number," he instructed, his eyes never leaving mine.
I blinked up at him, torn between indignation and sothing far more confusing. "You can’t just decide who I talk to."
"I can and I will when it cos to him." Leo stepped closer.
"That doesn’t an you get to control my—"
"I’m not controlling you," he cut in, his voice softening just enough to make my protest falter. "I’m protecting what’s mine."
He reached up, his thumb brushing my cheek in a gesture so tender it made my heart stutter. "I don’t share, little wolf. And I don’t tolerate other males thinking they have any claim on my mate."
The word ’mate’ hung between us, heavy with aning I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
"You’re... jealous?" I asked incredulously, the realization dawning on .
Leo’s eyes darkened, and a slow, predatory smile curved his lips. "Is that so surprising?"
"I just didn’t expect to hear that word from you," I admitted, my pulse quickening.
"Get used to it," he murmured, opening the car door for . "There’s a lot about you don’t know yet."
The drive to the mall was rcifully quiet as I tried to process the intensity of our exchange. Leo Moretti, powerful Alpha of the Shadow Pack, was jealous over . The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.
When we arrived at the Crescent Moon Plaza—apparently yet another property owned by his pack—I couldn’t help but gawk. The gleaming glass structure rose at least six stories high, with luxury brand nas displayed prominently on each level. I’d never been anywhere so opulent.
As we walked through the main entrance, I noticed how people reacted to Leo—averting their eyes in deference or straightening their posture as he passed. It was like watching the sea part for a predator.
My own reception was mixed. So stared curiously, others with barely concealed disdain as they caught my scent. Leo seed oblivious to none of it, his hand possessively resting on the small of my back as he guided through the atrium.
His phone buzzed repeatedly, and I watched as his expression tensed with each notification. After the fifth consecutive ssage, he sighed heavily.
"Sothing wrong?" I asked.
"Pack business," he replied, his eyes scanning another ssage. Then he paused, tilting his head slightly in that way I was beginning to recognize ant he was using his mindlink to communicate.
After a mont, he focused back on , looking genuinely apologetic. "I need to handle sothing. It shouldn’t take long."
I noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers flexed with restrained energy. "You seem really busy," I offered. "I can browse around on my own if you need to work. You can join when you’re done."
He studied carefully. "You wouldn’t mind?"
"I’m used to doing things alone," I assured him, then winced inwardly at how pathetic that sounded.
Leo’s expression softened. "That’s going to change," he promised. "But if you’re sure, I’ll handle this quickly." He reached into his wallet and handed a black credit card. "Get anything you want. Anything."
I stared at the card, uncomfortable with the casual display of wealth. "Leo, I don’t need—"
"It’s not about need," he interrupted gently. "Consider it my first gift to you as Luna."
Before I could argue further, he leaned down and pressed his lips to my cheek, lingering just long enough to make my skin tingle. "I’ll find you in thirty minutes," he murmured against my skin. "Don’t leave the building."
I stood there for a mont, touching my cheek where his lips had been, before turning toward the directory. The Hunt Festival he ntioned seed formal, so I headed toward the high-end boutiques on the third floor.
Stepping into "Moonlight Couture," I was imdiately struck by the elegant gowns displayed on mannequins.
A saleswoman with perfectly coiffed blonde hair approached, her smile faltering as she caught my scent. "Oops."
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness while her eyes raked disapprovingly over my simple jeans and sweater.
"I’m looking for a formal dress," I replied, straightening my spine. "Sothing for the Hunt Festival."
Her eyebrows shot up, and she made no effort to hide her disbelief. "The Hunt Festival is for pack mbers," she said slowly, as if explaining to a child. "Pure-blooded wolves attend by invitation only."
Heat crept up my neck. "Does this mall only serve pure-blooded custors, then?" I challenged, my voice stronger than I felt.
Her smile turned cold. "Of course not. We accept everyone’s money." She emphasized ’everyone’ with such disdain that my hands curled into fists. "But I’d hate for you to waste your ti on sothing so... aspirational."
I took a deep breath, refusing to let her see how her words stung. "I’ll just look around, thank you."
"Suit yourself," she shrugged, making no move to actually help .
Despite her attitude, I had to admit the designs were stunning. My fingers trailed over luxurious fabrics—silks, satins, velvets—in colors I’d never dared to wear. After several minutes, I spotted it: an erald green satin gown with a rmaid silhouette, subtle beading along the bodice, and a daring open back.
It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
"I’d like to try this one," I said, pointing to the display.
The saleswoman—lissa, according to her na tag—smirked. "That particular design runs small. I’m not sure we carry it in your... size." Her eyes deliberately assessed my curves.
My cheeks burned, but I forced myself to stay calm. "What size would you recomnd for , then?"
Her eyes narrowed as she looked up and down again, deliberately making uncomfortable. "Maybe a twelve? Though even that might be snug around your hips and chest."
I bit the inside of my cheek. I was a size eight, and she knew it.
"I’ll take a size eight," I said firmly.
She gave an exaggerated sigh. "I’m just trying to save you the embarrassnt of not being able to zip it up."
Sothing inside snapped. I’d spent years being bullied by Enzo and his mother—I wasn’t about to take it from this stranger.
"Let worry about that," I said, stepping closer to her. "Your job is to bring the dress I asked for. Unless you’d prefer I speak to managent about your custor service skills?"
lissa’s smile turned venomous. "By all ans," she replied, gesturing toward a small office. "My mate is the manager, and he’s very interested in hearing about difficult custors who waste our ti."
As if on cue, a tall man with the sa haughty expression erged from the office, eyeing suspiciously.
"Is there a problem here, lissa?" he asked, though his glare was fixed firmly on .
"This... custor... is being difficult, darling," she simpered. "I’m trying to explain our clientele, but she insists on making a scene."
I let out a cold laugh. "All I did was ask to try on a dress."
"You’re disrupting our business," the manager said dismissively. "Perhaps you should shop elsewhere. This boutique caters to a certain caliber of client."
"What caliber is that? Rude and prejudiced?" I shot back.
lissa’s eyes flashed. "Do you know who my mate is? His cousin is Alpha Moretti himself. Even if you complain to mall security, nothing will happen to us."
I couldn’t help it—I burst into genuine laughter. "Alpha Moretti’s cousin?" I repeated. "That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year."
The manager’s face darkened. "You’re calling my mate a liar?"
"I’m calling both of you delusional," I replied, feeling reckless. "Because unless Alpha Moretti has multiple identities I don’t know about, I highly doubt he’s related to you."
"That’s it," the manager snarled. "Security!"
Our raised voices had drawn the attention of other shoppers, who were now watching with undisguised curiosity. Two security guards approached, looking uncertain.
"This woman is causing a disturbance," the manager declared. "Remove her from the premises imdiately."
One of the guards reached for my arm, and I jerked back instinctively. "Don’t touch !"
"It’s okay, guys," a deep, familiar voice cut through the tension. "I’ll handle this."
Everyone froze as Leo materialized beside , his presence commanding imdiate attention.
"A-Alpha Moretti," the manager stamred, his face draining of color. "We didn’t realize—"
"Clearly," Leo replied, his voice deceptively calm. But I could feel the rage radiating from him in waves. "Now, would soone like to explain what happened?"
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