Chapter 4

Xavier:

Hunter stood by the couch, waiting for me to finish reading the paper that I wasn’t even bothering with. My wolf had been pacing since dawn. And the idea of her being out of the house was not helping.

“She’s on her way back,” Hunter said finally. “She met with Maxine at the café. No guards saw her try anything. They just spoke. It seemed like a normal conversation though. Maxine is helping her with this divorce. Are you sure that you want her to keep meeting up?”

My jaw tightened. “If I stop her from meeting up, she's just going to be more stubborn. I would rather that she do it right in front of me, right to where I can hear her, predict her moves and have others watching her, then for her to do it in secret. It is enough that she chose to file for this divorce and I did not know about it.”

Hunter shifted uneasily. “Alpha… Valerie’s not like the others. She’s not lashing out. She’s… colder. And that makes her even worse because we don't know how she's going to react. Don't you think that this is going too far?”

I looked up at him sharply. “I know. And that is why you are going to keep an eye on her. As for going too far, she was the one who made the choice. She should have never filed for that divorce in the first place.”

Before he could say more, the door opened.

Valerie stepped inside, still wrapped in the same icy calm she’d left with. She set her bag down on the table like it belonged there and looked at me without blinking.

“I’m back,” she said evenly. “If you wanted to know anything, you could have called me instead of having Hunter track me like a dog. You know, I do have a phone and you could call it. It's not like I'm going to lie to you about where I am. And it is not like I have anyone that I'm going to meet that would disgrace you.”

I arched a brow, forcing my voice steady. “How was your meeting with Maxine? I believe that the two of you might have come to a better understanding on my stance when it comes to whatever it is that you're plotting.”

She gave me a small, humorless smile. “Doesn’t the Alpha have a date with his lover? I believe that you are going to be late if you're going to be questioning me, and I doubt that she's going to want to feel you around me.”

The room went silent. And for a moment I found this harder for myself to stop the growth that almost escaped me. Hunter glanced at me once and immediately stepped back, retreating without a word. The door clicked shut behind him.

I stood slowly. “Watch your mouth, Valerie. You're crossing your limits. And you are forgetting that the man standing in front of you is your alpha.”

She tilted her head, still calm. “Why? Are you going to burn another paper if I don’t? Then again, how can I forget that you are the alpha? And you keep reminding me every other moment. It is you who is forgetting that you are my husband.”

I stepped closer, letting my dominance roll over the space. “Don’t do something you’ll regret. Otherwise, the consequences are not going to be in your favor, and I doubt that you are going to want that to happen.”

Her eyes flickered but she didn’t step back. “We have a gathering with the other packs next week. Be sure to invite your mistress. It is only appropriate for her to be there, wouldn't you agree?”

My teeth clenched. “Valerie…”

“You wouldn’t want her to miss out on the fun, I know that she tends to enjoy such gatherings, sitting in the shadows where everyone would be watching her, murmuring and whispering and yet not even confronting her with anything. But then again, it is not something that you really care about.” she cut in, her voice like ice. “After all, she’s the one you want at your side, isn’t she? It is not like my presence matters by your side. I'm simply going to cater, host and make sure that everything goes right.”