Chapter 3

Loretta's POV

I released a faint trace of the authority that belonged to the pack's Luna. Susie froze.

"If you forget your place again, I won't mind telling Margaret exactly how you've been 'taking care' of me."

I'm leaving the Razor Pack soon anyway. Why should I keep putting up with these people?

Susie's face went pale. She snapped, "The Alpha is waiting for you in the dining room."

When I entered, Zane looked up at me.

I knew exactly how I looked. My plain white shirt stretched awkwardly over my swollen, misshapen body. My face was puffy and blotchy, and my eyes had nearly disappeared into the flesh around them.

Open disgust filled his face.

I gave myself a bitter smile and silently took the seat farthest from him.

Zane spoke with the cold, scolding tone of a man used to giving orders. "You're pregnant, not paralyzed. Stop expecting everyone to accommodate you."

I stirred the thick soup in my bowl. The needle mark from yesterday's IV was still visible on the back of my hand.

"If they feel so mistreated, send them all back to the pack house," I said, working to keep my voice calm. "I can take care of myself."

I already did all the cooking, laundry, and cleaning.

Those Omega maids only pretended to work when Zane was around.

His expression darkened at once.

Zane was a controlling man whose word was law. No one challenged him to his face.

"Loretta." His voice was ice, and his Alpha pressure allowed no argument. "I'm warning you. I didn't ask for your opinion."

I said nothing.

He stared at me, his face nearly black with anger.

Then he turned to Susie. "From now on, she can handle her own needs. Don't wait on her."

My fingers tightened slightly around my fork.

After breakfast, Zane slammed the door on his way out.

I went to Brody's office at the University of Los Angeles.

The young man behind the desk wore a custom charcoal-gray suit and rimless glasses. He was handsome and intense.

At only 29, Brody Winslow was the university's youngest professor and a famous genius in the finance world.

He looked up and clearly did a double take.

"Professor Winslow," I said.

Brody quickly hid his surprise. "You're here. It's been a long time. I almost didn't recognize you."

My lips curved in self-mockery. "I look so awful now, I almost couldn't bring myself to see you."

Brody came around his desk, his voice remarkably gentle. "Weight gain during pregnancy is normal. It'll come off after the baby is born. Sit down."

He glanced at my high, rounded belly. "The program starts at the end of January. Isn't that right around your due date?"

I looked up at him. "I need to ask a favor. Could you help me defer my enrollment?"

There was no way around giving birth, but I refused to give up this rare opportunity.

Brody's expression grew serious. "Why are you so determined to go?"

I lowered my eyes. My voice was calm, but my decision was final.

"Once the baby is born, Alpha Zane will reject me as his mate. I don't want to keep wasting my life. I want a fresh start."

"I'm glad you've finally decided to rebuild your life."

Brody gave me a sober look. "Once you leave him, you'll find the mate who's truly meant for you."

"Professor..." I suddenly met his eyes. "What kind of man do you think Zane really is?"

Brody considered the question, then answered coolly. "He'll do anything to get what he wants, and profit comes before everything. A man like that isn't capable of love."

"Is that so?" I murmured.

Then how could the tenderness Zane showed that she-wolf be fake?

I pulled my emotions back under control and asked nothing else.

"Since you've made your decision, I'll take care of the deferral request."

I filled out the application.

Then Brody asked, "Will the baby stay with the Razor Pack after she's born?"

I gave a self-deprecating smile.

The Razor Pack was too powerful. I could never take my daughter away from them.

"The Razor Pack will take good care of her."

Brody didn't press. Instead, he made me an offer. "I happen to need an assistant. It's only for one month. Interested?"

I answered without hesitation. "Yes!"

After I became pregnant, Zane had demoted me from a core division to a dead-end department.

I needed this job badly. I needed to get my stalled life moving again.

The next day, I printed my resignation letter and sealed it in an envelope.

As I reached the office building, I ran into Zane getting out of his car.

He wore a custom black suit. Tall, commanding, and elegant, he carried the confidence and mature appeal of a man born to rule.

I came to my senses, lowered my head, and stepped back twice, making myself as invisible as possible.

Zane walked straight past without looking at me, as if I were empty air.

When I reached the office, I slid the envelope across Josephine Harper's desk.

Josephine used to report to me.

Now I had fallen to the bottom, doing her grunt work instead.

To her, I was nothing but an ugly nobody who had tried to sleep her way to the top.

She glanced at my resignation, then at my huge belly. She barely tried to hide her sneer.

"At least you finally know your place. Try looking in a mirror once in a while. Carrying some bastard doesn't mean you get to climb into a powerful family. This is the Razor Pack we're talking about. Who the hell do you think you are?"