lexander


    ‘he pack’s territory in


    question was a three-hour drive north, through winding


    hountain roads that slowed the entire journey. The Alpha, a stern older man named Kieran, het 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 to ome personally.”


    When my Beta tells me there’s a dispute over a trade contract, I handle it myself,” I replied, tepping out of the car.


    he Alpha’s expression darkened further. “Your Beta yes. Interesting man. Very… orting about. your pack’s intentions.”


    omething 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.


    So naturally,” Kieran said, spreading the paperwork across his desk, “we decided to cut ties irst. Better to end things on our terms than be left scrambling when you inevitably broke the greement.”


    stared at the documents, my jaw clenching so hard thought my teeth might crack. “Gabriel old you I wanted to terminate our contract?”


    He said you were dissatisfied with the current terms and were actively seeking other artners.” Kieran leaned back in his chair. “Was he lyng?”


    Yes, he was fucking lying.” The words came out in a rush. “Our contract is solid, and I have o intention of changing suppliers. It seems my Beta overstepped his authority.”


    t took another two hours to straighten everything out. I had to reassure Kieran that Ashw emainedmitted to 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 mportant trade rtionships?


    1


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    S


    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.”


    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 to 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


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    yourself.”


    The usation stung because there was some trigh 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