My chest burned, a wild, bitter fire igniting behind my ribs, yet I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break. My fingers hovered over the screen, trembling as if the blood of my ancestors, the fierce Blackthorn wolves, were coursing through them, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Before I could respond, the door creaked open, carrying the stiff, deliberate energy of someone who belonged to the human world but knew little of the pack's silent rules. A man in a crisp black suit stepped in, his movements precise, his gaze sweeping the room with practiced efficiency, barely acknowledging me before turning to Alpha Alaric.
“Alpha. Alaric,” he said, his voice low and deferential, almost ceremonial, “as per your instructions, we’ve prepared everything for the press conference. The transfer of Silverfang Holdings to Nyra Blackthorn can proceed as planned.”
My heart constricted in my chest as the truth settled over me like a heavy, suffocating fog. I turned my gaze to Alpha Alaric, searching for a hint of remorse, for a flicker of the man who had once been my mate, but instead, I found only the calm, controlled smile of a predator, satisfied with the hunt.
“Good,” he said, his voice smooth, measured, and terrifying in its ease. “If my wife, Luna Kaia, asks about this, tell her that Silverfang Holdings suffered a major financial crisis and went bankrupt.”
Then, turning to me with the practiced concern of a wolf feigning tenderness to protect its territory, he signed with exaggerated urgency, “Kaia, something urgent happened at the company. I have to handle it. Wait here for me.” Each motion was flawless, the care in his hands meticulous, but my restored hearing revealed the silent truth behind his act. His words were empty, rehearsed, a performance, not protection.
For a long moment, I simply stared, letting the room, the sterile walls, the faint scent of antiseptic, and the quiet hum of the hospital sink into me. The truth was blindingly clear: Alpha Alaric’s loyalty, his supposed devotion, had never been mine. It had been a lie wrapped in skillful deception, designed to entrap me in a role I had outgrown, a pack member who had never truly belonged.