Oblivious to my presence, he continued, "Alpha Austin's mate has some past trauma, shaping all her insecurities as she grew up…."
He noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere, and his voice trailed off as he sensed something was amiss.
"I guess what I said is right…."
I forced a smile, masking the urge to let my inner wolf shift to zip his unfiltered lips. "Oh, dear, you're right on target. Philosopher in this gathering, huh? So I guess all my confidence is in you now."
In the blink of an eye, Alpha stood, sensing chaos rising. He tightly grabbed my hand, slowly calming me down.
"Calista, he didn't mean any harm to you."
Everyone turned their awkward gaze on me while Zora stood up, trying to ease the tension.
"We're sorry if this doesn't sit well with you, but we're just doing our best to lend a hand," she said, sounding sincere.
I shifted my focus away from Zora, throwing shade at the Alpha. "The time Zora moves into the pack house, there seems to be more to that story."
Alpha forced himself not to lose his cool. "I had to admit that I didn't understand my feelings before. But as I always said, I see Zora as a sister, nothing else."
As soon as he admitted, Zora's face turned pale.
I shook off Alpha's firm grip, and when my emotions became uncontrollable, I grabbed a glass of red wine from the table and flung it into his face.
Everyone's jaws dropped as I dared to disrespect the Alpha in everyone's witness.
It was beyond my control now, and joining this gathering seemed to mark the end of our bond—a decision I already regretted.
"It's been an honor that Moon Goddess made me your fated mate. But Alpha, let's end our bond."
