*****Erika''s POV*****


    "Alpha. My Lady." She bowed to us.


    I tried to observe her expression but there was nothing to see. "How are you?"


    "I''m fine, Alpha."


    Kat looked at her. "What are you doing all by yourself here?"


    "Nothing. Just watching the ceremony from here." She pointed towards the entrance Kat and I had been about to go sneak a peek from. There were no maids in the ceremony, they were all busy trying to keep the mansion running clean, it was just the guards that were in there and not all of them.


    They had been ordered to be there for security and protection, to ensure nothing went wrong with the ceremony.


    "Ah, so you want to be a part of the celebration?" I asked her, a smile forming on my face.


    For some reason, I really liked Melisse and like I had stated earlier, she was not my personal maid but these days, I preferred having her around more and handling whatever it was I wanted done.


    Maybe it was because she was smart and all. I really liked people who were smart, Melisse was one of those people. Despite the fact she was a maid, she was still very intelligent and it drew me closer to her.


    She smiled coyly. "I would not mind but there''s no other maid in there, moreover, I know the rules so I''m quite contented watching from here."


    I looked at Kat, she returned the look. I would have loved to take her to my room and help her look good but Pa and Gage were in there, I would not want to disturb them.


    "I.."


    "Alpha ckwood."


    Even before I turned to see the face, I already knew the owner of the voice. I would recognize it anywhere and any time. My ex-mate and husband, Alpha Alexander. What else did he want? Was he ready to listen to my own terms and conditions?


    I wanted to smile, I was tempted to but I withheld myself from smiling. I did not want him to see me smile. Kat gave me a subtle nudge to turn around, I looked away and intentionally ignored his presence behind me for what seemed like forever but was actually few seconds to be exact.


    "You can go away now, Melisse. We''ll talkter." I smiled at her.


    She beamed and bowed politely. "Thank you, Alpha." She turned to Kat. "My Lady." Then she walked out of our presence.


    I heard her greetings to Alpha Alexander, and her fading footsteps. With a slow, deliberate turn, I faced him. "Yes, Alpha Robertson?"


    "Can we talk?" He stood staring at my face.


    "Have you thought about the terms and conditions?" I refused to acknowledge how handsome he had looked to me and how handsome he still was.


    "I require your presence alone, please." He was a desperate man and he looked like a desperate man.


    "I do not have the time to waste, Alpha Robertson. As you can see, today is my coronation and I am supposed to be there with my people celebrating the beginning of my reign." I was intentionally throwing my position and reputation in his face. It might look and sound petty, I did not care. I was ready to go every shade and kind of petty there was.


    "I know but you''re not there. Moreover, you''ve changed your dress, which shows you''re no longer going back there. So, please, let us talk."


    I turned to Kat, she looked at me and shrugged. "I would advise you do not waste


    my time, as an Alpha, you definitely know how much time is precious to us. Understood?" I quirked a serious brow.


    He gave a small nod. "Understood."


    "Let''s go." I nudged Kat.


    "Uhmm..."


    I frowned, looking at him. "What is it, Alpha Robertson?"


    He looked from me to Kat, then to me. I stood watching him. What was wrong with him? Why was he behaving as though he could suddenly not talk?


    "In private." He finally said.


    "In private? What''s wrong? You know Kat, she''s not a stranger." I knew this was an official meeting but since it was him, I did not want to be alone with him.


    I did not want to have to be found


    seating with just him. For some reason, I wanted a support. The


    presence of some other person


    other than the two of us would help me Maybe I still harbored feelings for him or maybe I did not, I was yet to find out.


    And that was probably what I did not want to find out just yet. I wanted to just keep it professional with him. With everything he had done to me during the three years of our marriage, it was not going to be easy to just find anymon ground with him.


    But I was willing to make him pay. For that, was willing to go the extra mile to make Alexander Robertson pay for how he had humiliated me, cheated on me, disrespected our mate bond and insulted me.


    "I do not deny knowing Kat, but I just want to see you alone." His tone was pleading.


    "I''m sorry but you can not see me alone. It''s either you see Kat and myself or you leave my pack." I made to leave his presence.


    "Don''t leave Eri... Alpha ckwood. Let''s just talk."


    Kat looked at me, I could understand the words in her eyes. She wanted me to go with him. "Go."


    "If you''ll excuse me, Alpha. Let me see her a bit." I pulled Kat out of his earshot.


    "What are you trying to say, Kat?"


    "You already know." Kat said.


    "Yes, I already know but what I don''t understand is the why." I could not believe


    she was telling me to go with him.


    "I just feel pity for him." She shrugged.


    "You? Feel pity for him? Have you forgotten what he did to me, Kat?" My struggle


    to keep my voice from trembling was difficult. I did not want to remember.


    Remembering brought me pain.