Chapter 3

I glanced down at my phone. Elder's call had already disconnected.

I darkened the screen and was trying to figure out what to say to him when Alex's phone buzzed.

A message from Madison. I caught sight of an orange tabby in the photo on his screen.

Her voice message played. "Look at this stray I found on my way home. I stopped at the convenience store and grabbed some deli turkey for him."

Alex stared at his phone, and his lips curved up. "Cute."

Madison's reply came instantly. "The cat or me?"

She'd attached a selfie. She was pouting and throwing up a peace sign with the kitten pressed against her chest. The angle gave a clear view down her shirt.

My wolf snarled in my head.

Alex's fingers flew across the keyboard. "The cat's cute, but you're cuter."

He smiled like an idiot.

Then he looked up and saw me still standing in the study doorway. The smile vanished.

He frowned, and his voice went cold. "Didn't I tell you to go to bed early? What are you doing standing there?"

Less than five seconds. He switched from tender with Madison to cold with me without missing a beat.

He'd already forgotten what did I say.

I kept my voice flat. "I still have things to finish."

Alex checked his watch, and his tone turned sharp with irritation. "Do you know what time it is? You didn't finish your chores? Can't you plan your time better? Aria, I don't want to keep saying this, but your procrastination is getting out of hand."

I didn't respond.

I didn't explain that my so-called procrastination came from his last-minute orders. I didn't remind him that at six this morning, he'd suddenly demanded I clean Madison's office at the pack house, and at three this afternoon, he'd made me redo an entire month of financial reports because Madison said the formatting "looked off."

I stayed silent.

Alex waited a few seconds. When I didn't answer, he scoffed and turned toward the bedroom.

His laughter drifted out soon after.

I hadn't heard that laugh in a long time. Five years, to be exact. Only Madison could make him laugh like that now.

I closed the study door and sat back down at my desk.

The Werewolf Council's latest bloodline verification protocol was spread across the table. The pages were packed with technical terminology, analyzing ancient bloodlines and disputes over pack hierarchy. Five years had passed, and the entire field's standards had completely changed. If I wanted to work with Elder Robert again, connections alone wouldn't cut it—I needed to prove I was actually up to speed.

At least my foundation was solid. Picking this material back up wouldn't be that hard.

"Whatcha reading?" I jerked my head up. Alex was standing in the doorway—I hadn't even heard him come in.

He walked straight over and snatched the report from my hands. He flipped through a couple of pages, then let out a dismissive laugh and tossed it back on the desk.

"Council research?" The condescension in his eyes was unmistakable. "You can actually make sense of this stuff?"

I slipped the report back into my bag. "I'm just browsing. Did you need something?" I asked.

There was a time when Alex seeking me out would have made my whole day. Now it just annoyed me.

He seemed caught off guard by how cold I sounded. He hesitated for a second, and his expression shifted slightly.

"Actually, yeah." He cleared his throat, and smugness flickered across his face. "Madison just wrapped up the Northern border territory negotiation. That disputed land is officially ours now. I'm gonna bump up her ranking and give the rest of the pack something to aim for."

He looked at me like he wanted my opinion, but I knew better. This was just a courtesy call. He'd already made up his mind.

"Sounds fine," I said.

"But here's the thing," Alex continued. "If there's rewards, there has to be consequences too. Otherwise no one takes it seriously.

"You haven't completed a single task in months, so I'm moving you down to the lower ranks for now. We'll bring you back up later. It won't be long," he said, like he was talking to a child. "I have to think about what's best for the pack. You're my intended mate, so you understand, right?"

I wanted to laugh.

He still had no idea I'd already signed the Severance Agreement.

He could tell Madison's mood from her scent and remembered what color flowers she liked, but he'd signed and stamped the paperwork for me to leave the pack and didn't even notice.

The difference between caring and not caring couldn't be clearer.

I stayed quiet, and Alex must have thought I was gearing up for another fight like before. His face darkened immediately.

"It doesn't matter if you disagree. The paperwork's already been filed and I gave your old room to Madison."

His tone turned threatening. "You can either accept the demotion or leave the pack. But think carefully because Shadow Ridge is the strongest pack in the region. You really want to walk away from that?"

He sounded so sure of himself.

This had happened too many times before. Over the past year, Madison's casual comments had dragged my ranking from Beta to the bottom.

I'd put up with it every time, and Alex was convinced I'd fall in line again.

I forced a smile. "I didn't say I disagreed."

"Good, then it's settled." Alex looked relieved and turned to leave.

Halfway to the door, he stopped and looked back at my desk.

"Where's that photo? The one of us together, why isn't it there anymore?"