Chapter 30
The yacht glided out to sea, its engines purring like a contented wolf.
Elliot and I returned to the deck, letting the salt breeze ruffle our hair.
Inside the cabin, Alpha Gideon was the center of attention, fielding flattery with ease, offering faint smiles
that never reached his eyes.
Camilla’s presence didn’t seem to faze him one bit.
Silas was masterful at creating openings for Isadora, steering conversations her way, dropping hints about
shared interests like a wolf laying out bait.
Isadora, bold as brass, kept finding ways to chat with Alpha Gideon with eagerness, her eyes screaming I’m
into you loud enough for the whole room to hear.
Alpha Gideon stayed polite-neither cold nor overly warm.
Camilla, standing by his side, kept up a poised front, but there was a forced edge to her smile, like she was
gritting her teeth to keep from snarling.
Ouch.
I, watching from the sidelines, felt a pang of empathy for her fellow she-wolf’s hidden heartache.
Unrequited love was a bitter pill, even for a wolf as sharp as Camilla.
My gaze bounced between the three of them,.
Then, out of nowhere, Alpha Gideon’s eyes flicked my way.
I froze.
Too late to look away-he caught me gawking.
His eyes narrowed, like he could read every thought in my head, and I swear my ears burned under that
scrutiny.
“Elliot, can I take a walk up front?” I asked, turning to him, guilt creeping in like a stray wolf.
“Go for it. I’ve got this,” Elliot said easily, his attention already drifting back to the power plays inside.
“Cool, call me if you need me.”
With that, I escaped, my heels clicking against the deck as I fled, eager to put distance between me and that
awkward stare.
I found a spot at the bow, an open area with two chairs, and sank into one, letting the wind buffet my cheeks.
The waves churned below, frothing white, and the distant pack lights sparkled like gold dust scattered across the hazy night.
My whole body relaxed-mind, heart, everything, as if the sea breeze was washing away the last of the
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banquet hall’s chaos.
After soaking in the salt air for a while, I pulled my phone from my bag’s inner pocket.
I’d turned it off after talking to Cassie, getting a new phone and number for work once I arrived-no sense in letting Alpha Adrian’s drama leak into this new chapter.
Powering on the old one, the screen lit up with a flood of notifications: over a hundred missed calls.
Even after shutting it down, he’d kept at it.
Unknown numbers, my parents, Cassie, other friends, former packmates, even business contacts-everyone
seemed to be in on the hunt.
I opened WhatsApp, my thumb hovering over the screen.
Cassie had sent several messages.
The earliest: Don’t answer, don’t engage, don’t trust-it’s all Alpha Adrian!
An hour later: Vivian, where are you? He’s losing his mind.
My parents: Where’d you go? Come back! We can fix this.
Even Sabrina, a former packmate I hadn’t spoken to in months: Where you at? Adrian’s been blowing up my phone.
Message after message, it took me ages to scroll through.
It felt like everyone in my life was hunting for me.
Alpha Adrian, you lunatic!
I sighed, exhaustion weighing on me like a wet fur coat.
Exiting WhatsApp, I found a flood of texts and voicemails.
They started calm, asking where I was, then grew frantic, angry, unhinged.
The latest, from five minutes ago, was a hoarse, broken mess, choked with sobs.
“Mate, I screwed up. I know I did. I’m a bastard, I deserve to rot. I let you down, but please, give me one more chance. Punish me however you want-take my life if it comes to that. Go clear your head, I’ll wait at home. I messed up once-you can’t just sentence me to death for it…”
I shut the phone off fast.
Somewhere in the Cloud Pack, I could picture Alpha Adrian sitting on the grass outside, haggard, hair a mess, stubble shadowing his jaw.
Empty liquor bottles littering the ground.
He couldn’t go in-couldn’t face a home without me.
The fear of losing me choking him like vines around his throat, squeezing tighter with every passing hour.
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་་་་་་་་་ པང
newan
MICHU
Red-eyed, he’d stare at the moon, as if begging the sky to bring me back.
Out at sea, I looked up too.
It was a full moon, bright as a mirror, stinging my eyes.
Slowly, it seemed to crack into countless shards, like our past, shattered beyond repair.
I sat there, lost in time, until Elliot’s call pulled me to the second deck.
The second deck was all fun-pool, karaoke, media room, poker, indoor golf, the works.
Elliot said they were in the poker room, playing Texas Hold’em, and from the sound of it, the stakes were high.
I grinned-big shots loved their high-stakes games.
We found a spot to sit, grabbing some desserts to nibble-rich chocolate mousse that melted on the tongue, tart berry tarts that made my lips pucker.
About an hour later, Alpha Gideon called us in.
Elliot and I hurried over, the scent of cigars and expensive cologne hitting me like a wall.
The poker room reeked of cigars.
EPA
Tycoons sat around an oval table, some grinning smugly with wins, others scowling at losses like they’d just been outmaneuvered in a pack challenge.
Chips piled high, a sultry dealer shuffled with practiced ease, and servers brought endless rounds of wine, champagne, and cigars.
Amid calls of “raise” or “fold,” it was a scene of pure decadence.
Alpha Gideon didn’t smoke, a glass of champagne by his side, looking like he belonged in a different league- too composed, too sharp, like he was playing a game only he knew the rules to.
His chip stack showed he’d raked in plenty, a small mountain that made the others eye him warily.
Camilla, beside him, seemed drunk, propping her head on one hand, dazed-her usual sharpness dulled by whatever she’d been drinking.
“Help Ms. Worthington out. She’s had too much,” Alpha Gideon ordered calmly, his gaze flicking to me.
Elliot and I stepped forward.
“I’m fine,” Camilla slurred, swatting us away like we were flies, her claws extending slightly in her irritation.
We tried a few times, but she kept pushing us off, her pride stronger than her inebriation.
“Camilla,” Elliot started, hesitant to touch her-she was still a high-ranking wolf, after all.
I, figuring it was less awkward for me as a she-wolf, slipped an arm around Camilla’s waist to lift her, my touch firm but gentle.
“Where are you touching me!”
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Camilla snapped, shoving me hard.
I stumbled back, but Elliot caught me just in time, his arm steady around my waist.
I was startled-she’d gone from dazed to enraged in seconds, her wolf aura flaring like a wildfire.
Every eye in the room turned their way, curiosity and amusement written all over their faces.
Alpha Gideon’s face darkened, his alpha aura coiling like a threatened snake.
He stood, personally helping Camilla up from her chair, tossing out, “Cover for me.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, trying to stay composed, my heart still racing from the shove.
Truth be told, I wasn’t sure who he was talking to-Elliot or me.
Elliot answered, so I let it slide, focusing on smoothing my skirt.
Alpha Gideon guided Camilla out of the poker room, her steps unsteady, her arm wrapped around his neck
like he was her lifeline.
Elliot shot me a worried glance, thinking I wasn’t used to this high-stakes chaos and he should take over.
Before he could say anything, I slid into Alpha Gideon’s seat, cool as ice, my fingers brushing the cards he’d
left behind.
914
I checked the hole cards-king and ace of spades, a solid start-then the community cards: two more spades
and a ten.
Not losing was easy-just fold.
But I was standing in for Alpha Gideon. Folding every hand would make him look weak, like his secretary
didn’t have the spine to hold her own.
Winning, though?
No guarantees. But where’s the fun in playing it safe?
I quickly formed a plan: play tight, then strike when the odds were in my favor.
On the surface, I was calm, unruffled, giving off pro vibes-leaning back in the chair, steepling my fingers,
smiling faintly when I won a small pot.
For the first half-hour, I played safe-checking, folding, calling, raising modestly on strong hands, keeping a low profile.
But then I got itchy, the thrill of the game sparking something wild in me. I started betting bolder, won a few
hands, and got cocky. When a royal flush seemed within reach, I nearly went all-in, my fingers hovering over
the chip stack.
Elliot, behind me, frantically signaled me to stop, his eyes wide, his hands making cutting motions like he was slashing the air.
Are you nuts? Lose this, and you’ll be indentured to Alpha Gideon for life! Cover for him, not go wild!
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“Vivian, go check on Alpha Gideon. I’ll take it from here,” Elliot said, his smile strained like he’d bitten into a
chili, his voice tight with panic.
“No-
“No arguments. Go!”
He cut me off firmly, his alpha tone slipping through-
Elliot might be a beta, but he knew when to put his foot down.
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I stood, eyeing the cards with regret. So close to a royal flush…
As I left, several tycoons’ gazes followed, dripping with hunger.
Their eyes raked over my body-my stunning face, slim yet curvy figure, the way my blouse stretched over my chest-and their smirks made my skin crawl.
They figured they could snag my number for a steamy fling-surely Alpha Gideon wouldn’t mind sharing a mere secretary, a wolf without a pack to protect her.
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CABAL 15:17 O
I stepped out of the poker room, my jaw tight, resisting the urge to bare my teeth.
Let them think what they wanted-they’d learn soon enough I wasn’t a toy to be passed around.
Thinking of Elliot’s excuse, I stifled a laugh.
Alpha Gideon and Camilla, alone?
Only an idiot would interrupt that.
Whatever history they had, it was theirs to hash out, not mine to spy on.
Grabbing a water bottle, I sipped as I climbed to the third deck, craving fresh air to clear my head-air that
didn’t reek of cigar smoke and greed.
Reaching the round sofa area, I turned-and froze.
Alpha Gideon’s back was to me, Camilla on her tiptoes, arms around his neck, their silhouettes locked in
what looked like a kiss, their bodies pressed close under the moonlight.
Holy-!
I choked on my water, coughing hard, the liquid burning my throat.
So much for not interrupting.
