Julian’s POV


    Once the shred of doubt had been ced in my mind – maybe Alice was Roman’s, maybe she was mine – I couldn’t let that thought go. It haunted me driving me to distraction, and I didn’t think I’d feel whole again until I found out the truth one way or another.


    Because of how strained things were between Amber and me, I didn’t feel like I could go to her for a straight answer. She might lie to me, or she might tell the truth, but I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.


    I needed something undisputable. Some actual science facts.


    Like a paternity test.


    Amber wouldn’t likely consent to such a thing, and wasn’t about to approach Alice about it behind Amber’s back.


    Fortunately, what I did have, was a strand of Alice’s hair that had clung to my jacket the night of the banquet, from when I had carried a sleeping Alice to my car and then to her room before I walked out of the house.


    It felt like a miracle to have it now, tucked away inside of an envelope I personally sealed shut.


    Now, I handed that envelope over to Beta.


    “Take this straight to the hospital,” I told him. “Don’t let anyone else have it but the medical technician who is running the test. I need to know the truth without anyone else getting in the way.”


    “I understand,” Beta said and epted the envelope.


    “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that you will need to use the utmost discretion here,” I said. “Do not let anyone see those results when you have them. Bring them straight back here to me.”


    “I understand,” Beta said again and nodded. His stern face told me that he was taking this seriously, and for that I was grateful. This wasn’t exactly official Alpha King business, so he had the right to refuse me. After all, a Beta was more an assistant<b>, </b>a second in the pack, that the Alpha King’s personal assistant.


    Still, Beta and I had been working together for many years now, and I knew I could depend on him


    for this.


    He seemed ready for the task, and almost pleased to have it, like he took pride that I could trust him with such a thing.


    “I won’t let you down,<i>” </i>Beta said.


    “I know,” I told him. He’d never let me down before, so I trusted he wouldn’t now.


    Amber’s POV


    “It’s another gift basket<i>,</i><i>” </i>Noah said, having just answered a knock on my office door. This one


    seemed to be filled with a variety of cheeses. He left it with the other ones on the coffee table in the waiting room before returning to join Anna and me were we were circled around my desk, having


    lunch.


    As Noah flopped down on his chair, Anna looked at me. “You’ve been getting a lot of baskets and flowers.” Her eyes flicked around the room. Nearly every avable surface had been covered in one or the other, and that didn’t ount for the ones I’d already stuffed into the closet.


    “Since that engagement announcement, I’ve heard nothing but congrattions and well wishes,” I said. “In other circumstances, I might not have minded so much. But with this as they are…‘


    “The engagement is fake,” Anna said. “That makes it awkward.”


    “Beyond awkward,” I replied. “I’m mortified about the whole thing. But I have no idea how to set the record straight without undermining Roman as the Alpha of his own pack, or making us both look like fools.”


    “If you marry an Alpha, doesn’t that make you Luna?” Noah asked.


    “Theoretically,” I said.


    Recognition crossed Noah’s face. “Ah. Right. Sorry.”


    It was still difficult for him to connect the boss he knew as Healer Amanda with Alpha Julian’s ex- wife. As Julian’s wife, I’d never truly gotten to be Luna. I’d always been tucked away, hidden from


    the world.


    Olivia was the one people recognized as Luna. Even now, though they still weren’t technically married yet.


    They couldn’t be, since Julian was still married to me.


    I still didn’t understand why he wouldn’t sign the paperwork.


    Nothing about this situation made sense, although when had it ever with Julian? The man had been a walking contradiction from day one,


    “Have you talked to Roman about any of this?” Anna asked, “Since he’s the one who pushed this lie to the press, he should be the one to clean it up.”


    “I haven’t answered his calls,” I said.


    “I know you are mad at him, but it might be worth to have just one conversation,” Anna said.


    <b>“</b><b>I </b>thought you didn’t like him?” I asked Anna.


    “I don’t,” Anna was quick to say, “But he was there for you in times when no one else could be. You’ve been friends a long time. You yourself told me you think this came from a ce of good intentions. Do you really think he wouldn’t try to clear this up for you?”


    “I told him that night that I wasn’t and would never be interested,” I said. “I made my rejection as clear as I could. His intentions might be to protect Alice and me, but he


    dn’t listen. He ignored my


    wishes and pushed this engagement narrative anyway.”


    Anna nodded with understanding.


    “I’m so angry with him, I don’t think I’d be able to talk to him without yelling,” I said, then sighed. “You’re right. We had been such good friends before. Even to protect me, I don’t understand why he would push for this so hard. To go directly against my wishes like this…”


    “His own feelings are making him blind,” Noah said. “He cares for you, and he thinks he’s the one who can see things logically…”


    Anna shook her head. “Like an Alpha to make all the decisions on his own…‘


    <b>“</b>I’m not okay with it,” I said.


    “So talking to Roman is out,” Anna said.


    “Yes,” I said. For now, I added in my mind.


    ”


    For right now, I was so tired of being ignored or being pushed around emotionally.


    As far as I was concerned, I was done with both Roman and Julian.


    Julian, who hade in here, ready to start a fight because of an article he read in the newspaper. Something that wasn’t even true!


    “I’m done with men for a while,” I said. “Alpha or otherwise, I’ve had enough.”


    “I don’t think anyone can me you,” Anna said. “But…”


    She was going to say I was lying, that I was talking a big game, but I still had feelings for Julian.


    I didn’t really want to hear that from her or anyone else, so I shook my head.


    Anna blessedly let the matter drop, but I could continue to see the sparkle in her eye, telling me she knew it all even without her having to say it.


    “I just need to finish my work, so I can get out of here,” I said. “Protecting Alice is and forever will be my top priority. I can’t and won’t let anything get in the way of that, especially not the confused feelings of a friend, or the lingering feelings of an ex.‘


    “Really?” Anna said, with a raised brow.