Calvin’s POV
The elevator doors opened. I saw Keith Frost standing too close to Evelyn.I recognized him,he headed one of Wolfe Haven International’s subsidiaries.
Keith stepped in front of her in a protective gesture.
My jaw clenched at his presumption.
"Move," I commanded, my Alpha voice filling the space.
The word carried weight, heavy with authority. Keith’s wolf recognized the order instantly, forcing him to step aside despite his obvious reluctance. Even Evelyn tensed at the power in my voice.
I hadn’t expected to see her here, so soon after leaving her house. She looked striking in her formal wear,untouchable.
When she pulled Keith behind her, sothing dark stirred in my chest. My ex-mate, shielding another male.
Really? That barely-out-of-diapers kid is on her roster of "n"?
"Need sothing?" I asked coolly, holding back my rage.
Keith started to answer, but Evelyn cut him off. "No, nothing."
They waited for to exit the elevator before entering. As the doors began closing, I caught fragnts of their conversation.
"Evie, please, don’t cut off completely."
"I really know I was wrong. I’ll never do it again. Please give one more chance. I promise I’ll treat..."
"I swear, I’ve ended things with all those won!"
"They ant nothing to . The only one I truly love is... I’ll only be good to..."
The elevator descended, taking them away from my hearing range. But I’d heard enough.
"Alpha?" Zeon’s concerned voice broke through my thoughts.
Through our mind-link, he added, "Alpha, your scent just turned deadly. People are starting to notice."
"That kid was practically begging my mate to take him back," I snarled through our connection, keeping my outward appearance composed as I strode toward our reserved room.
"With all due respect," Zeon continued carefully,"that was Keith Frost. Helena’s brother. You know, the one whose girlfriend tried to..."
"I know who he is," I cut him off, the temperature around us dropping several degrees.
"Sir, I don’t think it’s what you’re thinking. The Luna, I an Ms. Blackwell, looked professional, not romantic. Besides, she doesn’t seem the type to go for immature boys. Cougar and her boy toy situation isn’t her style."
"Shut up," I growled, severing our mind-link as I entered the private dining room.
I ignored his attempt at reassurance. The image of Evelyn pulling Keith away from continued to replay in my mind.
***
After that disastrous encounter, I couldn’t focus on business. I made my excuses and returned to Evelyn’s ho, determined to confront her. Why was she eting with Keith Frost? What was their relationship? The questions burned through like acid.
I found myself waiting outside Alexis’s room after Evelyn had finished putting her daughter down for her nap. When she erged and spotted , surprise flashed across her face. She rubbed her eyes as if doubting my presence.
I knew she’d dismissed the security guards from the staircase after I’d left this morning. She clearly hadn’t expected to return.
Evelyn quietly closed the bedroom door. "Sothing you need?"
Even with my stoic expression, I knew my presence commanded attention. Years as an Alpha had ingrained that power into my very being. I debated how to approach the subject, then decided on directness.
"I should warn you about Keith Frost," I said, watching her. "He’s trouble. Never without won around him."
I paused. "A month ago, he drove his mate to suicide by cheating on her. She was carrying his child."
Evelyn nodded. "And?"
Her indifference made my blood boil. Did she care so little about getting involved with soone like him? Her mind seed elsewhere. Thinking about him, right in front of .
My wolf raged inside. My fists clenched as I fought for control.
"Does our mate bond an nothing to you?" I asked, voice low and dangerous.
She looked at , confused. Then understanding hit, followed by frustration.
She hadn’t checked. Didn’t know I hadn’t remarried.That I couldn’t cut that last tie between us.
She frowned at . "It was just coffee. Why are you making this an issue?"
Her words hit hard, echoing what I’d once told her— "It was just dinner. Why are you making such a big deal?"
The irony wasn’t lost on . Karma?
Her phone buzzed. Contact "J." Her face turned serious.
After the call, she moved fast—ordering a helicopter, extra security, staff checks.
That evening, she knocked to say she had to leave for Evelink lab. An ergency.
I caught her worry, but she was gone before she could see my darkening eyes.
When our sons ca ho to find their mother gone on business, they weren’t surprised. This had happened before, I’d known so little about her work.
The next morning, after dropping the boys at preschool, I found myself thinking about Alexis. The little one was too young to understand what "business trip" ant. Yet when told her mother would be back in a few days, she hadn’t cried or thrown a tantrum – just blinked those bright, understanding eyes.
Sothing about her innocent resilience tugged at . Instead of heading directly to the office, I turned my car toward Evelyn’s ho.
I found Alexis in her playhouse, surrounded by pink fox plushies of various sizes – gifts from Evelyn and Astrid. When she heard footsteps, she ca running excitedly, clearly hoping to see her mother.
The disappointnt on her face when she saw instead was unmistakable. Her expression fell, and she turned to retreat back to her toys.
Concerned about her safety alone in the house and worried she might be lonely, I crouched down to her level.
"Alexis, would you like to co to the office with today?"
Her confused expression told she didn’t understand what "office" ant. Was it food? A drink? A new toy?
Thirty minutes later, I carried her through my private elevator, her tiny arms wrapped around my neck. She wore a purple princess dress that made her look like royalty, her curious eyes taking in everything around her.
Suddenly, the elevator doors opened, and I ca face-to-face with a female executive whose eyes widened at the sight of the little girl in my arms.
"Alpha, is that... Ms. Blackwell’s daughter?"Zeon’s voice echoed through our mind-link, a mixture of shock and curiosity in his tone.
"Yes," I replied simply, enjoying the stunned expressions of my employees as I strode through the office with Alexis. "And anyone who has a problem with it can find employnt elsewhere."
"No problem at all," Zeon hurried to assure . "But, um... the rumors are already spreading faster than a wildfire during a drought. The great Alpha Calvin, bringing his secret daughter to work..."
I ignored him, my attention on the small child smiling against my chest.
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