ry

knees pulled to my chest, shivering despite the heavy duvet. The pain of the rejection wasn't just emotio

nchor. I need

h the static of my pain to find the familiar mental signature of Clint

s thin, trembling like

instantly. Emery? Thank the Godd

roat. It hurts, Dad.

alf. Instead, there was a heavy pause. When Clint's voice returned,

id Aiden reacted to something he saw. She mentioned a warrior... that you were intimate with an

left m

ay my head spun. I was with Jonah!

Aiden was c

wolf bristling with betrayal. I was humiliated in front of a restaurant full of peo

ve to consi

ed, slamming my mental

air as the solitude crashed back

ody felt like it was made of lead, and my eyes were gritty from a sleepl

as thick enough to choke on. It smelled of ozone,

. He was staring at his computer screen with a ri

raspy. "I have the updated file

rumble, devoid of any warmth. It scraped against my ra

was as if I were a ghost he was

y desk. My legs were shaking, the proximity to him making my wolf whine

orner of his desk. As I did, my gaze snagg

cream-colored paper, th

TITION OF

down to the two names printed in bold

: Alpha Ai

nt: Eme

left t

me up. The man at the restauran

all the sa

had been working for my mate. I had been trying to impress the very

cond, the mask of the cold CEO slipped, revealing the wild, tormen

ated through the desk, thr

my chest, and fled the of

een, my hands trembling. I should have quit. I should have run. But m

s Tr

me. His face was a mask of professional indifferenc

wood Annual Gala to be finalized by end of day," he

lipping to the last p

right next to Aiden's seat, was

e Don

he tabloids called "The

ith the utmost discretion," Ferdinand s

would take my place. He wanted me to arrange the seat for his ch

white. He wanted to break me? Fine. But I wouldn't giv