In Bed With My Ex's Brother-in-Law

na'

peeled myself from the bed sheets, every muscle screaming aft

ly had a day off and couldn't wait to rest. When I opened t

poke without emoti

bbed my face. "Yea

ent me. You need to leave

sense. Mr. Dalton-

Is this some kind of prank

thrust toward my face. Official orders bearing Mar

oat tight. "Mark's my boyfriend. Everything's fine

Crest Enterprise has been t

rporate jargon cut

ore. Frozen in my doorway, confusion tw

y voice climbed higher. "I'

phone, and dialed the number burned into my memor

or, my confidence collapsed. "I have to talk to Mar

deliberately. "Ten minutes to

now?" Fear sharpened my words. "

maddeningly calm while I fell apart. Then he dro

d beneath me. My lun

athy? amusement? "You really didn't know?

rk, surviving on caffeine and deadlines. Mark kept praising how dedicat

lliant. Just get through these last few days

rise" after all my effort. Today he d

t, the huge digital billboard that usually showed lu

Union: The Weddin

sparkled acro

boss-was today promising

*

ough social media feeds I never had time to

ding. I consumed every article desperately, piecing togethe

marrying another woman while

someone almost otherworldly beautiful, but what rea

werful Alpha in the Northeast, leadi

ain. Obviously. This wasn't about l

ons, influence, a legacy woven in

fully prepared presentations, poss

thing hotter burned undern

g? Even if this involved some fated mate thing I'd hea

erything he needed. My reward? An eviction notice from a str

peak, not polite rejection. I nee

ic Gothic architecture with soaring towers, windows catchi

lena Dalton" during boring meetings, imagining th

uman girl with swollen eyes and broken dreams had zero chance of getting past them. Then I noticed something-a catering

ipped into the van's dark cargo area, flattening myself between col

ay before climbing out. My plain dress stood out badly among the staff's uniforms, b

just wander around,"

a clipboard and wearing a headset. Her n

the groom's family. Just got here from out of town. Kind of lost. Could y

"family" combined with the desperate hope in my expression seemed e

the building covered in ivy. Room 25. Hurry th

d, barely hearing mysel

. Getting past distracted guards and into the groom's suite fel

ere he

y how I'd once pictured him on our wedding day. His eyes caught mine in the reflection. Brief surpris

casually, not fully turning around. "I wonde

urse strap until the le

" My voice came out

look that lingered with palpable distaste. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he gestured to t

ting married." His tone was com

forced the words out.

already perfect tie. "I'm marrying Bella. I can't be connected to.

to counter the humiliation flooding through

lease. Don't tell me you actually belie

, admiring, always available. But honestly, you held back like we were living in so

f how naive I'd been. This wasn't just heartbreak; it was comp

or, dismissing me completely. "Leave, Elena. You're embarra

the pain. My eyes landed on a champagne flute si

hink. I s

den liquid flew through the air, catching the light before sp

eamed, jumping back as champagne dripped everywhere, destroyi

away and wish you happiness?" My voice came

rified reflectio

'll make it to the ceremony on time? Or maybe I should visit you

bbed for a towel, frantically wiping at the st

shed toward the door and yanked it open. "Get th

fancy hallway as they dragged me-fighting and scratching-toward the elevator. With one final, disgusted shove, they t

attered heartbreak and unspent fury. Drawing my knees to my chest, I clutched my ba

ture I'd foolishly built in my mind. Even the will

surdly at odds with my internal ruin. The do

Oxfords stepped into the periphery of my b

, grew heavier, charged with a pre

na G

stopped. Slowly, painf

uestion, the most devastatingly h

han brute bulk, he was elegance personified in a tailored

s eyes were a penetrating, storm-cloud grey, holding an inten

Alpha Eri

pson Crest

lpha of the Sil

ok that wasn't pity or contempt, but so

tuttered to a dead halt before gallopi

im? W