Freya’s POV


    “Steal?” Kade scoffed, the corner of his mouth curling in thatzy, infuriating smirk of his as he weighed the diamond ne in his hand. “I’m just helping Freya reim what’s rightfully hers. You really think you could take me to wolf court for this?<b>” </b>


    The words hit Caelum like a cold gust of wind. He had almost forgotten that Kade ckridge came from one of The Capital’s most formidable legal dynasties. The ckridge family’s influence was absolute; their protégés dominated the topw firms. A single word from Kade’s father could make or break a case, and the very thought made Caelum stiffen.


    Aurora’s re burned into Kade, her jealousy sizzling in the morning air. “When did you be a sidekick like this, Kade? I didn’t <b>see </b>iting. Freya, capable as she <b>is</b><b>, </b>first flirts with Ss Whitmor, and now even you? You’re conspiring with her?”


    I narrowed my eyes at her, the wolf inside me bristling at the venom in her tone. Before I could even respond, Kade moved- a fluid, predatory step forward and delivered a sharp, precise p across Aurora’s cheek.


    She yelped, the sting of the strike cutting deeper than any words could. Only yesterday, she’d endured Ss’s reprimand at the g. She had spent hours masking the swelling with makeup, and now–today–it was Kade’s hand that reminded her who truly held power in this game.


    “Kade, you can’t-” Caelum stepped in, his growl low and cautious, cing himself between Kade and Aurora.


    Kade’s gaze, cold and unwavering, locked on Aurora. “This is a warning,” he said smoothly. “Say anything more against Freya, and a single p won’t be enough to silence you.”


    Aurora’s eyes narrowed to slits, hatred and shock mingling as she shot daggers at me. “You just hide behind men, Freya, that’s all you do!”


    I tilted my head, the wolf’s predator instinct kicking in, and gave her a look sharp enough to pierce through steel. “Are you sure you want me to show you what happens when I act?” I said, voice icy. “Because if I strike, it won’t just be a minor sting like at the airport.”


    Her body stiffened instantly. The airport incident–humiliating and permanent in her memory–shed vividly in her eyes.


    “What did I do wrong?” she spat, teeth bared. “At the airport, I acted for the safety of everyone on that ne. And you, Freya… you had the nerve to incite the authorities!”


    Kade’s smirk deepened, his tone dripping with contempt. “Aurora, you dare lecture someone about morality? Haven’t you reflected enough on your little stint at the station?”


    I folded my arms, letting the wolf in me radiate dominance. “If you still don’t realize your errors, then perhaps your career as a first officer is at an end,” I said, deliberately slow and cold.


    Aurora’s eyes burned, rage twisting her features. “I know what you’re jealous of, Freya! Jealous that Caelum noticed me, jealous that I became first officer, jealous of what you can never reach!”


    I felt Kade snicker beside me before I could even speak. His gaze on Aurora was full of disdain, wolfish and piercing. “Jealousy? Aurora, do you really think anyone envies the concern of a fool like Caelum for you?”


    Caelum’s face darkened. “Kade, even if you support Freya, you shouldn’t humiliate her like that!”


    Kade yawnedzily, as if offended by the notion. “I’m not humiliating him. I’m stating facts. You took credit for apany going public. Three years of marriage, spentvishly on your paramour, while neglecting the woman who built it with you. Tell me, what does that make you if not a fool?”


    Caelum’s jaw tightened, the blush of anger creeping into his neck.


    And you-” Kade turned his sharp gaze to Aurora, “don’t get too proud of being first officer. Freya has flownbat aircraft you couldn’t even identify half of.”


    Aurora’s face med crimson, yet Kade wasn’t finished. His voice dropped, edged with lethal calm. “And don’t assume the airport incident is behind you. Time wille, and you may not remain first officer. You think a few days of detention covers your mistakes?”


    Finished


    Her expression shifted from red to pale, lips pressing thin. Her eyes were cold, calcting, but I could smell the fear–the primal recognition that her dominance was slipping. “You have no right to decide my career,” she spat, venom barely masking desperation.


    “Then we’ll see.” Kade said, voice low and certain. He turned to me, eyes softening in contrast. “Freya, shall we go?”


    I nodded, feeling the pack instinct rx only slightly now that Kade was beside me. “Yes.”


    As we moved, Caelum blocked our path, voice strained. “Kade… return the ne.”


    Kade’s hand was steady as he handed it to me. “This belongs with Freya,” he said firmly.


    The ne glimmered in my hand, the diamonds catching the sunlight like captured stars. Years of mybor, years of building alongside Caelum, and yet he hadvished all of that on Aurora. The ne was both beautiful and mocking–a symbol of misced loyalty and squandered effort.


    Caelum’s voice was low, tense. “Freya, I know I owe you… but that ne is hers. Please, just give it back. I’ll repay youter


    I raised a brow, feeling the wolf in me growl softly. “Caelum,” I said slowly, letting the weight of my presence fill the space, “you owe me? How exactly do you intend to repay that debt? Do you think you could ever?”


    Silence followed. The tension in the morning air was thick and palpable, a storm before the lightning strike. I felt the pack instincts within me pulse, a reminder: loyalty, dominance, and pride weren’t just words. They were survival.


    And today, I would not let anyone forget it.


    Send Gifts