15 Chapter 15 Jealous
Victoria
My fingers trembled as I followed Leo out of his massive estate toward a sleek black Audi in the driveway. The morning sun gleamed off the polished surface, nearly blinding me.
Just as we approached the car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I froze, recognizing the ringtone I’d assigned to Enzo. My heart hammered against my ribs as I fumbled to retrieve it.
“I should probably-” I started, but before I could finish, Leo’s hand closed over mine.
“Who is it?” he asked, his voice deceptively calm.
I swallowed hard. “My stepbrother.”
Something dark flickered across Leo’s face. Without warning, he plucked the still–ringing phone from my hand and answered it.
ball
“Victoria’s phone,” he said, his voice dropping to that dangerous alpha timbre that made prickle.
my
skin
I couldn’t hear Enzo’s response, but judging by Leo’s tightening jaw, it wasn’t pleasant. “She’s unavailable to you,” Leo stated flatly. “Now and in the future. The debt is settled. Your business is with me, not her.”
I watched, transfixed, as he listened for another moment before interrupting whatever Enzo was saying.
“Let me be clear,” Leo growled, and I felt the vibration of his words in my chest despite not being connected to his mindlink. “She belongs to the Shadow Pack now. To me. Any further attempt to contact her will be considered a territorial challenge.”
With that, he ended the call and handed the phone back to me.
“Delete his number,” he instructed, his eyes never leaving mine.
I blinked up at him, torn between indignation and something far more confusing. “You can’t just decide who I talk to.”
“I can and I will when it comes to him.” Leo stepped closer.
“That doesn’t mean you get to control my-‘
“I’m not controlling you,” he cut in, his voice softening just enough to make my protest falter. “I’m protecting what’s mine.”
He reached up, his thumb brushing my cheek in a gesture so tender it made my heart stutter. “I don’t share, little wolf. And I don’t tolerate other males thinking they have any claim on my
mate.”
The word ‘mate‘ hung between us, heavy with meaning I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
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15 Chapter 15 Jealous
“You’re… jealous?” I asked incredulously, the realization dawning on me.
Leo’s eyes darkened, and a slow, predatory smile curved his lips. “Is that so surprising?”
“I just didn’t expect to hear that word from you,” I admitted, my pulse quickening.
“Get used to it,” he murmured, opening the car door for me. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know yet.”
The drive to the mall was mercifully quiet as I tried to process the intensity of our exchange. Leo Moretti, powerful Alpha of the Shadow Pack, was jealous over me. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.
When we arrived at the Crescent Moon Plaza–apparently yet another property owned by his pack–I couldn’t help but gawk. The gleaming glass structure rose at least six stories high, with luxury brand names displayed prominently on each level. I’d never been anywhere so opulent. As we walked through the main entrance, I noticed how people reacted to Leo–averting their eyes in deference or straightening their posture as he passed. It was like watching the sea part for a predator.
My own reception was mixed. Some stared curiously, others with barely concealed disdain as they caught my scent. Leo seemed oblivious to none of it, his hand possessively resting on the small of my back as he guided me through the atrium.
བསྐྱེད བ ན ར ར ར ར ར ར ར ར ར ས ས ས ས ས ས
His phone buzzed repeatedly, and I watched as his expression tensed with each notification. After the fifth consecutive message, he sighed heavily.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
the
“Pack business,” he replied, his eyes scanning another message. Then he paused, tilting his head slightly in that way I was beginning to recognize meant he was using his mindlink to communicate.
After a moment, he focused back on me, looking genuinely apologetic. “I need to handle something. It shouldn’t take long.”
I noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers flexed with restrained energy. “You seem really busy,” I offered. “I can browse around on my own if you need to work. You can join me when you’re done.”
He studied me carefully. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“I’m used to doing things alone, I assured him, then winced inwardly at how pathetic that sounded.
Leo’s expression softened. “That’s going to change,” he promised. “But if you’re sure, I’ll handle this quickly.” He reached into his wallet and handed me a black credit card. “Get anything you want. Anything.”
I stared at the card, uncomfortable with the casual display of wealth. “Leo, I don’t need-” “It’s not about need,” he interrupted gently. “Consider it my first gift to you as Luna.”
15 Chapter 15 Jealous
Before I could argue further, he leaned down and pressed his lips to my cheek, lingering just long enough to make my skin tingle. “I’ll find you in thirty minutes,” he murmured against my skin. “Don’t leave the building.”
I stood there for a moment, touching my cheek where his lips had been, before turning toward the directory. The Hunt Festival he mentioned seemed formal, so I headed toward the high–end boutiques on the third floor.
Stepping into “Moonlight Couture,” I was immediately struck by the elegant gowns displayed on mannequins.
A saleswoman with perfectly coiffed blonde hair approached, her smile faltering as she caught my scent. “Oops.”
“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness while her eyes raked disapprovingly over my simple jeans and sweater.
“I’m looking for a formal dress,” I replied, straightening my spine. “Something for the Hunt Festival.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and she made no effort to hide her disbelief. “The Hunt Festival is for pack members,” she said slowly, as if explaining to a child. “Pure–blooded wolves attend by invitation only.”
Heat crept up my neck. “Does this mall only serve pure–blooded customers, then?” I challenged, my voice stronger than I felt.
Her smile turned cold. “Of course not. We accept everyone’s money.” She emphasized ‘everyone‘ with such disdain that my hands curled into fists. “But I’d hate for you to waste your time on something so… aspirational.”
I took a deep breath, refusing to let her see how her words stung. “I’ll just look around, thank you.”
“Suit yourself,” she shrugged, making no move to actually help me.
Despite her attitude, I had to admit the designs were stunning. My fingers trailed over luxurious fabrics–silks, satins, velvets–in colors I’d never dared to wear. After several minutes, Lspotted it: an emerald green satin gown with a mermaid silhouette, subtle beading along the bodice, and a daring open back.
It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“I’d like to try this one,” I said, pointing to the display.
개념
The saleswoman–Melissa, according to her name tag–smirked. “That particular design runs small. I’m not sure we carry it in your… size!” Her eyes deliberately assessed my curves.
My cheeks burned, but I forced myself to stay calm. “What size would you recommend for me, then?”
Her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down again, deliberately making me uncomfortable. “Maybe a twelve? Though even that might be snug around your hips and chest.”
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15 Chapter 15 Jealous
I bit the inside of my cheek. I was a size eight, and she knew it.
“I’ll take a size eight,” I said firmly.
She gave an exaggerated sigh. “I’m just trying to save you the embarrassment of not being able to zip it up.”
Something inside me snapped. I’d spent years being bullied by Enzo and his mother—I wasn’t about to take it from this stranger.
“Let me worry about that,” I said, stepping closer to her. “Your job is to bring me the dress I asked for. Unless you’d prefer I speak to management about your customer service skills?”
Melissa’s smile turned venomous. “By all means,” she replied, gesturing toward a small office. “My mate is the manager, and he’s very interested in hearing about difficult customers who waste our time.”
As if on cue, a tall man with the same haughty expression emerged from the office, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Is there a problem here, Melissa?” he asked, though his glare was fixed firmly on me.
“This… customer… is being difficult, darling,” she simpered. “I’m trying to explain our clientele, but she insists on making a scene.”
I let out a cold laugh. “All I did was ask to try on a dress.”
“You’re disrupting our business,” the manager said dismissively. “Perhaps you should shop elsewhere. This boutique caters to a certain caliber of client.”
“What caliber is that? Rude and prejudiced?” I shot back.
you know who
my mate is? His cousin is Alpha Moretti himself. Even
Melissa’s eyes flashed, “Do if you complain to mall security, nothing will happen to us.”
I couldn’t help it I burst into genuine laughter. “Alpha Moretti’s cousin?” I repeated. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year.”
The manager’s face darkened. “You’re calling my mate a liar?”
“I’m calling both of you delusional,” I replied, feeling reckless. “Because unless Alpha Moretti has multiple identities I don’t know about, I highly doubt he’s related to you.”
“That’s it,” the manager snarled. “Security!”
Our raised voices had drawn the attention of other shoppers, who were now watching with undisguised curiosity. Two security guards approached, looking uncertain.
“This woman is causing a disturbance, the manager declared. “Remove her from the premises immediately.”
One of the guards reached for my arm, and I jerked back instinctively. “Don’t touch me!” “It’s okay, guys,” a deep, familiar voice cut through the tension. “I’ll handle this.”
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15 Chapter 15 Jealous
Everyone froze as Leo materialized beside me, his presence commanding immediate attention.
“A–Alpha Moretti,” the manager stammered, his face draining of color. “We didn’t realize—”
“Clearly,” Leo replied, his voice deceptively calm. But I could feel the rage radiating from him in waves. “Now, would someone like to explain what happened?”
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