<b>Chapter </b><b>35 </b>


    Alexander & E


    Alexander


    The phone slipped from my fingers and ttered to the floor, but I hardly noticed it. All I could hear was my wolf howling Alfi could feel was hit dhe at my ribcage so violently that I had to grip the arms of the chair to keep myself seated.


    E. Mate.


    ck fabric clung to her body, the front dipping so low between her breasts that I could see the top of her abdomen. The back was almostpletely open, revealing the smooth expanse of her skin all the way down to the dimples of Venus just above…


    Goddess.


    She lookedpletely different from the woman I’d brought to the store. And the way she was looking at me, almost challenging me, left my mouth <b>dry </b>and my heart pounding.


    I’d always known E was beautiful, of course–extremely beautiful. I may have been keeping my distance from her, but I wasn’t blind. Her beauty was also one of the reasons why I kept my distance, because I knew if I stared too long, I might give in to the temptation of marking her despite her potentially being my enemy.


    But I’d never seen her like this before. The red dress at the banquet had been over the top, yes, but this was something else entirely–sexy, alluring…


    scandalous.


    With her hair cascading down her back and her chin lifted, she looked like a bird of prey. Proud and elegant, yet utterly alluring.


    For a moment, all I could picture was herying on our bed beneath me in that dress, hair spread out on the pillow like a halo, calling my name <b>as </b>kissed my way down that plunging neckline.


    Or maybe she would move on top of me, digging those ws into my chest, head thrown back, mouth open.


    It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting to taste her skin, feel her body beneath me, and finally im what was fated to me.


    “Mate, m?te, mate,” my wolf repeated. “Mark her. im her. Make her ours.”


    The urge to sink <i>my </i>teeth into her neck was so strong I could hardly control myself.


    This woman was dangerous. If I wasn’t careful, she would make me forget everything that meant anything.


    I needed to regain <i>control</i>. Now.


    Finally, I managed to shove my wolf down. I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms.


    “You can’t wear that.”


    E


    The smug satisfaction I’d felt at seeing Alexander’s reaction quickly faded. Now, I just felt frustrated, angry, and indignant.


    “Excuse me?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. This only served to push my breasts up higher, and I watched as Alexander’s <b>eyes </b><b>briefly </b><b>dropped </b>before he forced them back to my face.


    “I said, you can’t wear that,” he repeated, leaning down to retrieve his phone from the floor. “It’s inappropriate.”


    <b>08:38 </b><b>Tue</b><b>, </b><b>19 </b><b>Aug </b>


    “Inappropriate for what, exactly<b>? </b>It’s a party. Andst I checked, I’m an adult who can wear whatever <b>I </b>want”


    <b>A </b>múscle jumped in Alexander’s jaw. “You’re a Luna. You have an image to maintain.”


    “Oh, right. Your precious campaign.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but only because we were in public and one slip up could ruin everything. “<b>Sorry</b>, I forgot that my entire existence is supposed to revolve around making you look good.”


    “That’s not what I meant and you know it, E.” Alexander’s voice was low, ensuring no one else could hear us. “Pick another dress. There are <b>plenty </b><b>nice </b>ones here. I’ll even buy you two if you want.”


    “But I like this dress,” I said firmly.


    “E, be reasonable. That dress is-”


    “Your Beta ruined my dress at the theater and disrespected me in public, Alexander. I think that gives me the right to pick out whatever the hell I want <b>as </b>a recement.”


    Alexander stared up at me, and I knew his resolve had begun to crack. But he murmured, “Look, we can find something else. Something more appropriate for a family gathering.”


    “I want this one. It looks good on me and it makes me feel confident. I’ll pay for it myself if that’s a problem.”


    “It’s not about the cost, E-”


    “Well, I’m done letting you dictate what I can and cannot wear. You tried to do this at thest banquet, too.” I straightened my spine. “In fact, if you try one more time to police what I wear, I’ll start showing up in public in nothing but my underwear. See how that ys out.”


    Alexander’s face went red. Whether from anger or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell. Probably both.


    For a long moment, we just stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Finally, Alexander sighed.


    “Fine,” he muttered. “Get the dress.”


    I tried not to let my surprise show on my face. Had I actually won this argument? I had expected more of a fight. But Alexander just turned away and pulled out his wallet without looking at me.


    “I’ll go pay for it,” he said, standing and storming off.


    As he walked to the counter, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. I hardly recognized myself–flushed cheeks, bright eyes, standing tall and confident in a dress I would never have dared to wear just a few months ago.


    It was a small victory, really. Nothing more than an article of clothing. And I knew I could have very well backed down and chosen one of the other lovely dresses here. It would have been easier. It would have made more sense given my circumstances.


    But it wasn’t really about the dress. It was about standing my ground for once in my short life. It was about choosing what I wanted rather than what others expected. It was about embracing my femininity, my confidence, my sexuality without letting anyone else trample on it.


    And for the first time since our marriage, I had stood my ground and gotten exactly what I wanted.


    Maybe the next nine months wouldn’t be so bad after all, if only I held onto the little things. I could help Alexander with his campaign, but that didn’t mean I needed to be his meek little wife again.


    I could still be me.


    The next day, I found myself actually looking forward to the party. Despite my…plicated rtionship with my father and stepmother<b>, </b>I was <b>excited </b>to return to Stormhollow after five years away.


    As I carefully applied my makeup, I couldn’t help but remember the sunny rooms of my childhood home, the sprawling gardens where I used to y<b>, </b><b>the </b>forest paths I knew like the back of my hand. My bedroom had been spacious and bright, with windows that overlooked the rose garden and let <b>in </b><b>the </b>


    morning sun.


    <b>It </b>had been so different from the life I’d had here at Ashw, where I was confined to a tiny guest room for years, isted and ignored<b>, </b><b>only </b><b>to </b>nOW BE forced to share a room with a man who couldn’t stand me and I couldn’t stand him,


    I wondered if my old room was still the same, or if my stepmother had converted it into something else the moment I left. Knowing her<b>, </b>probably <b>the </b>


    Still, I was looking forward to showing Alexander where I’d grown up. Despite everything, a tiny part of me hoped he might understand me better <b>if </b>he saw the ce that had shaped me. Maybe, during the party, I could even sneak away and show him my room…


    No, I thought bitterly. I wouldn’t go that far. That was the sort of thing that real couples did. That wasn’t us. It never had been, it never would be, and would never let myself be so naive again as to fantasize about such things.


    A little while before it was time to go, I slipped into the ck dress, then a pair of strappy silver heels. I then piled my hair into a somewhat messy updo with a few face–framing curls, focusing on what felt good <i>for </i>me rather than how sleek or elegant I had to be.


    It looked good. A little wild, but I was starting to enjoy that sort of looktely. It felt right. As if it made up for the fact that the real wildness inside of me, my wolf, wasying dormant.


    Then, after putting on some bright red lipstick and a long diamond ne that trailed down that plunging neckline, I was ready to go.


    I took onest look in the mirror, adjusting a stray curl, before heading for the stairs. Alexander had said he’d meet me in the foyer at seven.


    As I descended the staircase, I held my breath, half–expecting to see that same stunned expression on Alexander’s face that I’d seen in the store.


    But it wasn’t Alexander waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.


    It was Gabriel and that fucking sneer on his face.


    “Where’s Alexander?” I asked,ing to a stop a few steps from the bottom.


    Gabriel’s eyes flicked over my outfit with disdain, his upper lip twitching slightly as if holding back a snarl.


    “I’m afraid Alpha Alexander won’t be attending the party with you.”


    AD


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