16 Chapter 16 Get out. Now.
Victoria (1
The tension in the boutique was palpable as Leo stood beside me, his presence commanding immediate respect–and fear. I watched as the manager’s expression shifted from arrogant dismissal to wide–eyed terror. The transformation was almost comical.
“What seems to be the problem here?” Leo asked, his voice deceptively soft. His hand rested possessively on my lower back, warm and steady.
The manager quickly recovered from his shock, straightening his suit jacket as he attempted to regain control of the situation. “Alpha Moretti, sir, this… woman was causing a disturbance in our establishment. She was deliberately antagonizing my mate and threatening our business.” I bit my lip to stifle a laugh, choosing to remain silent as the manager continued spinning his tale.
“She demanded special
her frame” me aggressive when my mate simply suggested a
more appropriate size eatment and
for gestured toward me with barely concealed disdain. “When we politely suggested she might be more comfortable shopping elsewhere, she became belligerent.”
The manager seemed encouraged by Leo’s silence, growing bolder. “We maintain certain standards for our clientele, as I’m sure you understand, Alpha. We couldn’t have known she was… acquainted with you.”
Melissa nodded emphatically beside her mate. “She’s clearly not familiar with proper etiquette in establishments such as ours.”
Through all of this, I maintained my silence, meeting Leo’s gaze when he finally looked at me. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes before he turned back to the pair.
To everyone’s surprise, Leo completely ignored the manager’s accusations. Instead, he turned to me, his arm sliding around my waist in a gesture that was unmistakably intimate.
“Did you find something you like, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice warm with affection that made my heart flutter traitorously in my chest.
I couldn’t resist playing along, leaning into his embrace. “I did, actually. Unfortunately, the dress I want happens to be in a store run by people I don’t particularly care for.”
I gestured toward the emerald gown I’d been eyeing. “That one caught my eye.”
The color drained from both the manager’s and Melissa’s faces as they watched our interaction. The realization of their massive error was dawning on them in real time, and I couldn’t deny the satisfaction it gave me,
“An excellent choice,” Leo murmured, his thumb tracing small circles on my hip that sent shivers up my spine.
16 Chapter 16 Get out. Now.
He turned his attention back to the now–trembling pair. “Let me make something absolutely clear,” he said, his voice dropping to that dangerous alpha timbre that seemed to vibrate through the entire room. “This woman you’ve been insulting is Victoria Howlthorne, my chosen Luna.”
The word ‘mate‘ sent a jolt through me that I tried desperately to hide.
“Alpha, we had no idea-” the manager began.
“Silence,” Leo commanded, and the word seemed to physically strike the manager. “You claim to be my cousin? Interesting. I wasn’t aware I had family working in this mall.”
“It’s it’s a distant relation, sir,” the manager stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. “It’s—it’s
“How convenient,” Leo replied coldly. “Well, ‘cousin, consider yourself and your mate terminated from this position, effective immediately.”
Melissa gasped, clutching her mate’s arm. “You can’t do that!”
Leo’s eyes flashed dangerously. “This is my property. My mall. My pack territory. I can and will do as I see fit.”
He stepped closer to the manager, lowering his voice. “If you speak one more disparaging word about my Luna, I’ll ensure you permanently lose the ability to speak at all. Am I understood?”
The alpha power behind his words was so strong that I felt it despite not being the target. The manager visibly shrank, nodding frantically.
“I–I apologize, Luna,” he choked out, bowing his head toward me. Then, in a stunning display of cowardice, he rounded on Melissa. “This is all your fault! You and your stupid attitude toward customers!”
Melissa’s face crumpled in shock. “Mark, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying you’ve cost us everything!” he snarled. “I reject our bond. I reject you as my mate!” The words seemed to physically strike Melissa. She doubled over with a cry of pain that made my stomach clench, her hand clutching at her chest as though something was being ripped from
her.
“You can’t mean that,” she gasped, tears streaming down her face. “We’re bonded! You’re my
mate!”
“Not anymore,” Mark spat. “I sever our bond. I want nothing to do with you.”
I watched in horror as Melissa collapsed to her knees, the pain of the mate rejection causing her actual physical agony. Despite her earlier behavior toward me, my heart clenched at the sight. No one deserved that kind of pain.
“Stop it!” I snapped at Mark, my voice carrying more authority than I knew I possessed. “You’re hurting her!”
Mark sneered at me. “With all due respect, you don’t have the authority to interfere in wolf matters. Mate rejection is my right.”
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16 Chapter 16 Get out. Now.
“I am Victoria Howlthorne, Luna of the Shadow Pack. “I said, stepping forward. “And I’m telling
you
that your behavior is a disgrace to our kind.”
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The words flowed from me with a confidence I didn’t know I possessed. “You’re blaming your mate for your own moral failures. It was your responsibility as her mate to guide her, to set the example. Instead, you encouraged her prejudice and cruelty because it served your ego.”
I pointed to the door. “You’re both banished from Shadow Pack territory until you’ve learned respect and humility. Get out.”
Mark’s face contorted with rage, but when he opened his mouth to argue, Leo stepped forward.
“You heard your Luna,” Leo said softly. “Get out. Now.”
Two security guards appeared as if summoned by Leo’s thoughts alone, escorting the disgraced pair from the boutique.
As the drama concluded, I became aware of the stunned audience of shoppers and employees watching us. My newfound confidence wavered, but Leo’s arm slid around me again, steadying
- me.
“You handled that beautifully,” he murmured in my ear, his breath warm against my skin. “Like a true Luna.”
I looked up at him, searching his face. “I didn’t plan to do that.“”
“Leadership isn’t planned, little wolf. It’s instinctual.” His eyes glowed with pride that made my heart race. He pulled out his phone, typing a quick message. “Tiny will arrange for new management immediately. In the meantime…”
A nervous saleswoman approached us, holding the emerald dress I’d been admiring. “Would you like to try this on, Luna? I’ve brought it in a size eight, as you requested.”
I smiled gratefully at her. “Yes, thank you.”
She led me to a spacious fitting room with plush seating and full–length mirrors on three walls. As she hung the dress on a hook, she bowed slightly. “Please let me know if you need any assistance, Luna.”
After she left, I took a deep breath, still processing the intensity of what had just happened. I reached for the hem of my sweater, ready to change, when the door clicked open behind me.
I whirled around to find Leo slipping into the fitting room, quietly closing and locking the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, suddenly very aware of how small the space felt with his large frame filling it.
“Helping,” he replied, his eyes darkening as they trailed over my body. “You might need assistance with the zipper.”
He moved behind me, and I felt his fingers trace slowly down my spine, leaving goosebumps in their wake. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of my
ear.
16 Chapter 16 Get out. Now.
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“I meant what I said out there,” he murmured. “You were magnificent, Victoria. Born to be Luna.”
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