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Chapter 45
+15 BONUS
Chapter 45
Ethan nodded grimly, taking the now–released and gasping Sean by the arm.
“Wait,” came a new voice. Council Envoy Theo, stepped forward with a folder in hand. “Before you go, Sean, as Beta representing Alpha Foster, please accept these court documents. The divorce hearing is scheduled for next week. Please inform your Alpha that his presence is expected.”
Sean’s face contorted with rage as he snatched the papers. Ethan’s grip on his arm tightened as he practically dragged Foster’s Beta toward the exit.
Once they were gone, Alex turned his attention to the flowers, his jaw tight with barely contained fury. “Get rid of these. All of them. Now.”
Pack members hurried to follow his orders, quickly removing the elaborate arrangements. As they worked, Alex pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my neck and inhaling deeply.
“You smell like me,” he murmured against my skin. “Good.”
I shivered as his lips grazed my pulse point. “Alex…”
“Mine,” he growled softly, the word vibrating against my throat. His hand slid down to squeeze my ass possessively. “Every last fucking inch of you.”
During dinner, my phone rang. Seeing Susanna’s number, I answered hesitantly.
“Do you like the flowers?” she asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
“What do you want, Susanna?” I demanded.
“I just thought you should know where those flowers came from,” she said with smug satisfaction. “Foster sent them to me first. I refused them, of course. I suppose you were second choice… again.”
My stomach twisted painfully as humiliation washed over me. I ended the call without another word.
“Who was that?” Alex asked, his voice deceptively calm though I could see the muscles in his jaw twitching.
“Susanna,” I whispered, unable to meet his gaze. “She… she said the flowers were originally meant for her. Foster only sent them to me after she rejected them.”
Alex’s fingers tightened around mine. “Look at me,” he commanded softly. When I raised my eyes to his, the intensity I found there stole my breath. “You are nobody’s second choice. Not to me. Never to me.”
Lyra reached across the table to squeeze my other hand. “My brother’s right. And honestly, who cares what Foster does? The man clearly has the taste of a blind goat and the personality to match.”
I laughed, though it sounded hollow even to my ears.
But my appetite completely gone,Alex didn’t push me to eat more, but I noticed his protective gaze never left me for the rest of the meal.
I had barely reached my bedroom when a knock sounded at the door. A timid maid stood outside, holding the most stunning arrangement of deep red roses I’d ever seen.
“From Alpha Blackwood,” she whispered, placing them on my bedside table betore scurrying away.
Unlike Foster’s ostentatious displays, these roses were simple but breathtaking–their petals dark as blood, their scent rich and intoxicating. A small note was tucked among them, written in bold, masculine script: “These were grown for you alone. -A”
I was still staring at them, fingers tracing the velvety petals, when another knock came at my door.
1/2
Chapter 45
+15 BONUS
“It’s me,” Lyra called out. “Girl talk time!”
I let her in, and her eyes immediately went to the roses. “Well, well… my brother doesn’t do things by halves, does he?”
She flopped onto my bed, patting the space beside her. I sat down hesitantly, still feeling emotional whiplash from the day’s
events.
“He’s never brought a woman home before,” Lyra said suddenly. “Not once in all these years.”
“Never?” I asked, surprised despite myself.
She shook her head. “Oh, he’s had his… arrangements. Discreet meetings in neutral territories. But never here, never in our home.” She looked at me meaningfully. “Do you know what that means?”
“I didn’t ask to be here,” I reminded her.
“No, but you belong here,” Lyra insisted. “I’ve never seen Alex like this–protective, yes, he’s always been that way with me. But possessive? Openly affectionate? That’s new territory.”
“He threw me over his shoulder and kidnapped me,” I deadpanned.
Lyra laughed. “Wolves aren’t known for their subtle courtship.” Her expression turned more serious. “Just… give him a chance, okay? He’s been alone for so long, carrying the weight of the pack, never letting anyone close enough to see the man behind the Alpha.”
“I’m afraid,” I admitted quietly. “Not of him, exactly. But of what happens when he gets bored, or realizes I’m not what he
wants.”
“That’s not how mate bonds work,” Lyra said softly. “When a true Alpha finds his mate, it’s for life. No substitutes, no replacements.”
I wanted to believe her, but years with Foster had taught me that men–especially powerful men–took what they wanted until something better came along.
After Lyra left, I changed into my nightgown and crawled into bed, pulling the roses closer so their scent enveloped me. Despite my doubts, there was something undeniably comforting about being surrounded by Alexander’s gift as I drifted off to sleep.
I woke the next morning to the sensation of being watched. Opening my eyes, I found Alexander standing at the foot of my bed, his eyes dark and hungry as they trailed over my body beneath the thin sheet.
“You sleep with my roses,” he observed, voice rough with desire.
I sat up quickly, clutching the sheet to my chest. “What are you doing in my room?”
