<b>Chapter </b>64
Alexander
The pack’s territory in
question was a three–hour drive north, through winding mountain roads that slowed the entire journey. The Alpha, a stern older man named Kieran, met me at the pack house with a
scowl that could have frozen hell over.
“Alexander,” he said, clearly not bothering with pleasantries today. “I wasn’t expecting you toe personally.”
“When my Beta tells me there’s a dispute over a trade contract, I handle it myself,” I replied, stepping out of
the car.
The Alpha’s expression darkened further. “Your Beta, yes. Interesting man. Very… forting about your pack’s intentions.”
Something cold settled in my gut. “What do you mean?”
“Come. We’ll discuss this in my office.”
We made our way to the Alpha’s office, where heunched right into his tirade.
ording to Kieran, Gabriel had contacted him two days ago, iming that Ashw was nning to pull
out of our long–standing trade agreement. Gabriel had allegedly told him that I was looking for better deals
elsewhere and that Kieran’s pack should prepare for the contract to be terminated.
“So naturally,” Kieran said, spreading the paperwork across his desk, “we decided to cut ties first. Better to
end things on our terms than be left scrambling when you inevitably broke the agreement.”
I stared at the documents, my jaw clenching so hard I thought my teeth might crack. “Gabriel told you!
wanted to terminate our contract?”
“He said you were dissatisfied with the current terms and were actively seeking other partners.” Kieran
leaned back in his chair. “Was he lying?”
“Yes, he was fucking lying.” The words came out in a rush. “Our contract is solid, and I have no intention of changing suppliers. It seems my Beta overstepped his authority.”
It took another two hours to straighten everything out. I had to reassure Kieran that Ashw remained
consequences for this.
By the time I left the territory, my blood was boiling. What the hell was Gabriel thinking? Making unteral decisions about pack business without consulting me first? Jeopardizing important trade rtionships?
11:32 Sat, 23 Aug t·
<b>Chapter </b><b>64 </b>
Alexander
The pack’s territory in
question was a three–hour drive north, through winding mountain roads that slowed the entire journey. The Alpha, a stern older man named Kieran, met me at the pack house with a scowl that could have frozen hell over.
“Alexander,” he said, clearly not bothering with pleasantries today. “I wasn’t expecting <i>you </i><i>to </i><ie </i>personally.”
“When my Beta tells me there’s a dispute over a trade contract, I handle it myself,” I replied, stepping out of
the car.
The Alpha’s expression darkened further. “Your Beta, yes. Interesting man. Very… forting about your pack’s intentions.”
Something cold settled in my gut. “What do you mean?”
“Come. We’ll discuss this in my office.”
We made our way to the Alpha’s office, where heunched right into his tirade.
ording to Kieran, Gabriel had contacted him two days ago, iming that Ashw was nning to pull out of our long–standing trade agreement. Gabriel had allegedly told him that I was looking for better deals elsewhere and that Kieran’s pack should prepare for the contract to be terminated.
“So naturally,<i>” </i>Kieran said, spreading the paperwork across his desk, “we decided to cut ties first. Better to end things on our terms than be left scrambling when you inevitably broke the agreement.”
I stared at the documents, my jaw clenching so hard I thought my teeth might crack. “Gabriel told you I
wanted to terminate our contract?”
“He said you were dissatisfied with the current terms and were actively seeking other partners.” Kieran leaned back in his chair. “Was he lying?”
“Yes, he was fucking lying.” The words came out in a rush. “Our contract is solid, and I have no intention of changing suppliers. It seems my Beta overstepped his authority.”
It took another two hours to straighten everything out. I had to reassure Kieran that Ashw remainedmitted <i>to </i>our partnership, review the original contract terms, and promise that Gabriel would face
consequences for this.
By the time I left the territory, my blood was boiling. What the hell was Gabriel thinking? Making unteral
decisions about pack business without consulting me first? Jeopardizing important trade rtionships?
11:32 Sat, 23 Aug E
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I drove back to Ashw faster than I probably should have on those winding, dangerous roads, but I didn’t
care. Gabriel had some exining to do.
I found him in his office, calmly reviewing pack reports like he hadn’t just nearly destroyed one of our most important partnerships.
“Alexander,” he said, looking up with surprise. “You’re back early. How did the negotiations go?”
“Cut the bullshit, Gabriel.” I mmed the door behind me hard enough to rattle the painting hanging beside it. “What the fuck did you tell our allies?”
Gabriel’s expression didn’t change, but I caught the slight tightening around his eyes. “I informed him that there might be changes to our current agreements.”
“You told him I wanted to terminate the contract.”
“I told him you were exploring other options.”
“I wasn’t exploring anything! You had no right to speak for me.” I stepped closer to his desk, letting my Alpha presence fill the room like thunder rumbling in the distance. The force of it almost seemed to dim the lights. “You nearly cost us that partnership. Not to mention the fact that you fucking sent me on a wild goose chase while my wife is sick in bed.”
Gabriel’s face paled slightly, but he held his ground. “I was protecting your interests.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
He stood slowly. Too slowly. “I talked to E, you know. She told me she has no intention of letting you mark her. And she actually said some pretty heinous things.<b>” </b>
The storm raging inside of me guttered momentarily. “What?”
“You’re falling for her, Alexander. I can see it written all over your face. And I knew she was going to say some hateful, horrible things, so I did what I thought best to get you out of the house so she could say them <i>to </i>me instead.”
I couldn’t believe it. My Beta, my friend, had lied to me… because he wanted to protect me? From E?
“I’m not falling for her,” I growled.
Gabriel scoffed. “Right. Because the hospital visits, the public appearances, all of it isn’t making you soften toward her. You’ve been distracted from pack business because of her, and you know it.”
“You’re out of line.”
“Am I? When was thest time you reviewed our quarterly reports?” Gabriel’sposure was starting to crack. “I’ve been covering for you, handling things you should be managing yourself.”
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11.32 Sat, 23 Aug
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The usation stung because there was some truth to it. I had been distractedtely, spending more time. thinking about E than I should have. But that didn’t give Gabriel the right to make decisions behind my
back.
“Regardless, you don’t make unteral decisions about pack partnerships,” I said, my voice deadly quiet. “Ever. If I catch you overstepping again, you’ll find yourself in the same position you were in after you insulted my mate right in front of her parents. Are we clear?”
Gabriel’s face went pale at the reminder of his punishment. I’d practically beaten him to a pulp in that alleyway, and then afterwards, I had made him scrub the entire mansion from top to bottom until he vomited from the physical effort.
“Say ‘yes, Alpha?” I took another step forward, fangs slipping out in warning.
Gabriel’s throat bobbed. “Yes, Alpha.”
“Good. Now, you’re going to fix this mess. You’re going to contact Kieran and beg him for forgiveness. Then
you’re going to contact all of our other trading partners and make sure you haven’t filled their heads with
lies too.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
I left Gabriel’s office before I did something I’d regret, like rip his throat out. My Beta was walking a very thin lely, and I was getting tired of his insubordination.
But I hated that he was partially right.
I was falling for E. Hard and fast and far deeper than I ever wanted to.
And… It hurt to think that she had said she didn’t want me to mark her. What else had she said?
But I couldn’t trust a word out of Gabriel’s mouth, so I decided to go straight to her. It was a relief to know
that she was awake, and now it was time to talk.
I found her in the bedroom, sitting by the window with a book in her hands and a nket spread over herp. She looked up when I entered, but there was no warmth in her expression. No relief that I was back. She just blinked at me slowly, then returned to her book.
“E,” I said, closing the door behind me. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Her voice was t.
I moved closer, noting the bandage on the side of her head where she’d hit the bathroom floor. “I’m sorry I had to leave. The trade dispute couldn’t wait.”
“Of course it couldn’t.”
11:32 Sat, 23 Aug
The coldness in her voice made me pause. “Gabriel gave you my message, I take it?”
“Yes.”
I waited for her to borate, but she just stared at her book like I wasn’t there. “And?”
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E finally looked at me, and the emptiness in her eyes was like watching stars wink out of the night sky in real time. “I want you to reject me as soon as possible. I don’t want your worthless fucking mark. I never did, and I never will. I want to finish our contract and then I want you to reject me and I never want to see your face again as long as I live.”
“E-”
“It’s what I want.” She turned toward the window. “And since Liam is gone now, I’ll be moving back to my old room. There’s no need to keep up the charade anymore. I hated sharing a bed with you and I can’t wait for it to be over.”
“No.” The word came out sharper than I meant it to.
E’s eyebrows rose slightly. “No?”
“You’re not moving back to your room. Not yet.” I scrambled for a reasonable exnation that didn’t involve admitting I’d gotten used to having her beside me at night. “The pack needs to see a strong Alpha- Luna rtionship. It’s good for morale, and it’ll help with the election.”
It sounded hollow even to me, but it was better than the truth. Better than admitting that the thought of sleeping alone again made my heart ache.
E stared at me for a long moment, then looked away with something that might have been disappointment. “Fine. Whatever you want. It’s always about what you fucking want.”
I stared at her for a long moment, stunned. She seemed so angry. So hateful. As if I hadn’t offered to do
whatever she wanted to solve her problems.
The silence stretched on interminably. I wanted to say something else, but the words wouldn’te. What
was there to even say? She hated me. She didn’t want me to mark her. She just wanted toplete our
contract and get divorced. She had never felt anything toward me except for loathing.
“I’ll let you rest,” I said after a few eternal moments.
She didn’t acknowledge me. Just licked her thumb and forcefully flipped to the next page of her book. I realized then that she wasn’t wearing the bracelet I’d purchased for her.
I clenched my jaw and turned on my heel, storming out, the door mming shut behind me. As I made my way down the hall, I nearly ran into a young woman carrying a tray of tea. I’d never seen her before.
“Oh!” she said, stumbling back with a sweet smile. “I’m so sorry, Alpha. I didn’t see you there.”
11:32 Sat 28 Aug
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I steadied her automatically, noting that she was pretty in a generic sort of way. Brte hair, blue eyes, probably early twenties. She sort of looked like Sophia. But I didn’t recall hiring her despite her wearing a maid’s uniform. “Who are you?”
“Sarah, sir. I’m the new maid. I’ve been helping Luna E with her recovery.” Her smile widened. “It’s such an honor to meet you.”
I nodded distractedly. “Right.” E must have hired her. “Well, if you’ll excuse me.”
I walked away before she could say anything else, too frustrated with the conversation with E to make small talk with a random maid I’d never seen before.
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