Chapter 47
The other three wolves in the elevator looked like their eyes might pop out of their heads.
Cassie hurriedly yanked my wheelchair back,
Frank and Elliot averted their gazes, their shoulders hunched like they were trying to disappear into the walls.
We saw nothing. Nothing at all.
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I dropped my head, hand rubbing my forehead, my face burning like a wildfire tearing through dry brush.
The elevator chimed-15th floor.
Thank the moon goddess I hadn’t bought a place on the 25rd or 35rd floor. I’d have melted into a puddle of mortification before reaching my apartment.
Cassie muttered a hasty “goodbye” and hauled me out of the elevator, her heels clicking like a whirlwind on the marble floor, as if fleeing a disaster zone.
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The elevator doors slid shut behind us.
I didn’t look back, but I could almost feel the weight of Elliot and Frank’s stares on Alpha Gideon-no doubt trying to gauge if he was about to incinerate someone.
“Spill it. What’s really going on with you and Alpha Gideon?” Cassie demanded the second we were inside my place, hands on her hips.
I, still reeling from the thigh-grabbing fiasco, groaned.
“Get me a defibrillator. I think my heart flatlined back there.”
“Don’t dodge the question!”
I sighed, defeated.
There was no escaping this.
I laid out the whole story-how I’d met Alpha Gideon, how I’d ended up as his secretary.
It wasn’t that I’d meant to keep it from her; breaking my bond with Adrian had dominated every conversation, leaving no room for anything else.
Cassie listened, wide-eyed, then let out a low whistle.
“Wow, talk about fate! All these wild coincidences-sounds like the moon goddess herself is picking out your
true mate!”
I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly stuck.
“First, he’d never be into me. Second, I don’t need a ‘true mate’ cluttering up my life. And last, he’s just my boss. He needed a secretary, and I needed to break free from Adrian’s network. Being the Hartley Pack’s head secretary lets me rebuild my connections and boost my career. That’s it.”
“You’re telling me you can keep your paws off that gorgeous wolf?” Cassie teased, grinning.
She hated seeing me swear off love forever, like Adrian had burned the very idea of it to ash.
But my romance brain?
It had been surgically removed.
“You think Alpha Gideon’s the kind of wolf I could just lose control over? The last she-wolf who couldn’t keep it together-someone who loved him, mind you-tried to hug him after years apart and nearly got tossed out of his car. If I so much as thought about touching him, he’d probably drag me to the river and dunk me until I remembered my place.”
I said it with such deadpan seriousness that Cassie blinked, then tried to reassure me.
“Don’t be so grim. You just grabbed his thigh, and he didn’t do a thing. Have some faith in your charm!”
My face flared at the mention of the thigh incident.
“Grabbed his thigh? You shoved me forward! If I hadn’t braced myself, my face would’ve ended up in his…”
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I trailed off, too embarrassed to say crotch.
Cassie burst into laughter, collapsing onto the sofa, clearly imagining the scene.
I shot her a withering glare, but even I couldn’t help a small, mortified smile.
Once we’d laughed it out, Cassie realized I meant it-Gideon and I really were just colleagues.
And honestly? After nine years with Adrian-love turned to hate, bond fraying like old rope-erasing him completely from my heart wasn’t as easy as slamming a door.
With Cassie’s help, I took a shower.
The past few days in the clinic, my wounds couldn’t get wet, so the nurses had only sponged me down.
It was day five post-injury; the surface wounds had healed, but I still couldn’t move too much without twinges
of pain.
Cassie, hearing how I’d gotten hurt, fretted that I’d pissed off some cosmic force this year, with bad luck piling up like storm clouds.
She insisted on taking me to a church for a protection charm once I was better.
I just rolled my eyes-like a trinket could fix the mess I’d made of things.
Dusk
I sat on my balcony, watching the sunset bleed orange and across the sky.
Cassie had stepped out to grab groceries from a nearby store, muttering something about “feeding the
invalid.”
Bzzt-bzzt-
My phone vibrated on the side table, an unknown Cloud Pack number flashing on the screen.
I frowned.
I’d figured Adrian would leave me alone for at least a couple of days. It’d only been three hours.
I hung up and blocked the number.
At the clinic, Adrian handed his phone to Ryan, his jaw tight.
“How’s the house situation?”
“All set,” Ryan said.
“Vivian’s on the 15th floor. There was a unit on the 25th floor for sale-paperwork’s done. You can move in
anytime.”
“Good work.” Adrian clapped his shoulder.
He’d tasked Ryan with this the day he left for the Shaloria pack.
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<Chapter 47
No way was he letting Vivian live in the same building as Gideon.
Rewards = Menu
Convincing her to come back to him wouldn’t be easy, so buying a place in her building was the next best
move-proximity, persistence, presence.
Chasing Vivian was a long game, and her sharp temper was something he wasn’t used to, but he’d be patient. He had to be.
From the clinic room, soft whimpers echoed.
Adrian walked in.
Vanessa’s cheeks were swollen, her lips bruised, tears pooling in her eyes.
“Alpha Adrian,” she called softly, reaching out a trembling hand.
“The healers says you’re fine. A bit more rest, and you can leave,”
Adrian said, standing far from the bed, his tone cold.
Vanessa’s heart lifted. She kept her hand outstretched.
“Alpha Adrian, can I hug you one more time?” She quickly added, voice trembling,
“I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just… thinking about going back to being just your friend, like a sister, it
hurts.”
More tears.
Most wolves ate that up-sympathy, protectiveness, all that nonsense.
Adrian’s resolve wavered.
After a moment, he stepped closer.
Vanessa sprang up, wrapping herself around him like a vine, arms around his neck, legs around his waist, clinging on for dear life.
“Vanessa!”
Adrian growled, trying to peel her off, his patience snapping.
“Don’t push me away,” she purred in his ear, kissing his neck, her hands roaming his broad back, nails grazing
his skin through his shirt.
“Stop it,” he warned, but his voice faltered, his grip loosening-old habits, old weaknesses.
Vanessa felt his hesitation, tightening her hold, pressing her body closer, whispering bold, breathy words.
Kneeling on the bed, she reached for his zipper.
“Stop!”
Adrian snapped.
He shoved Vanessa off, zipped up, and stormed out, fleeing the room like it was on fire.
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