“It’s alright,” I said as I walked past her before she could stop me. “I have a key to the floor. I will wait.”
I stepped into the executive elevator and rose to the top level of the tower.
The Alpha suite was quiet. Thick carpets swallowed the sound of my steps. At the end of the corridor stood the heavy double doors leading to Jareth’s office.
I raised my hand to knock. Then I heard it.
At first the sound was faint behind the wooden doors. But it was clear enough.
A deep groan. Then a soft laugh.
My hand froze in the air.
“Lower your voice,” Jareth whispered inside, his tone tight with breath. “Someone might hear.”
“Let them,” Luvena answered smoothly. A heavy object thudded against the desk. “I am tired of hiding, Jareth. You are the Alpha of this council. You can do whatever you want.”
“Not yet. Just wait a little longer. Now turn around.”
The sounds that followed made my chest tighten. Soft gasps. Movement against the desk. Their breaths mixing together. Each sound cut deeper than any blade.
I could not breathe. The hallway spun around me.
I wanted to burst through the door. I wanted to scream until the entire tower shook. But humiliation weighed on me like chains.
If I walked in now, I would not just be the betrayed mate. I would become the mad woman who caused a scene.
Slowly I stepped backward. My legs felt weak but I forced myself to move.
Instead of going to the elevator, I walked down the hall toward the women’s restroom. Inside, I pushed open the largest stall and locked the door behind me.
I leaned my forehead against the cold metal wall and tried to breathe. My hands shook violently.
A minute later, the restroom door opened. The sharp sound of heels clicked across the floor.
“Did you see her?” one woman whispered.
“I did,” another answered. “It’s Luna Warhowl. She walked past my desk earlier. She looked completely unaware.”
“This is so awkward,” Shaelyn said. I heard the water running in the sink. “Do you think she knows? About Luvena?”
“How could she not know? Luvena sits almost on his lap during meetings. She walks through this office like she owns the whole tower. Tight skirts. Laughing at every word he says.”
“Poor Luna,” Shaelyn sighed. The pity in her voice hurt more than anger. “She just lost her pup, right? And now her mate is sleeping with his secretary during work hours.”