“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.”


    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 her book like I wasn’t there. “And?”


    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 you 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.”


    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.


    Chapter 12)