Chapter 6

Santos:

I should have returned to the packhouse hours ago.

Reports were waiting for my approval, my schedule was packed with meetings I had no desire to attend, and half the pack apparently couldn’t make a decision without consulting me. Nikolai had already called twice that morning. Ignoring him would only create another problem, but I still had no intention of returning to the packhouse… at least not today.

Morning sunlight flashed across the buildings surrounding the penthouse. I had told Angela this was my home, which wasn’t exactly a lie. I owned it and came here whenever I needed to escape the packhouse, but I had never lived here permanently. Most of my time was spent at the Romanov estate, where being second Beta meant remaining available whenever Nikolai needed me.

The penthouse was supposed to be somewhere I could disappear without explaining myself to anyone.

At least, that had been the original plan.

I bought it shortly after my promotion, convinced it would eventually become more than an expensive place to sleep whenever pack affairs became unbearable.

I had imagined Elena living here with me.

The thought hardened my expression.

“No, Santos. I can’t marry you.”

I rubbed a hand over my face.

I was beginning to despise those words.

For years, I had worked toward having something of my own, something that didn’t belong to Ivan Morozov or come with the expectation that I spend the rest of my life proving I deserved it. Now I had everything I once wanted, yet the woman I had imagined sharing it with had rejected me without hesitation.

At least the night had given me something else to think about, though bringing an unconscious human waitress home was hardly how I had expected it to end.

My phone vibrated on the table.

Another message from the packhouse. “Beta, Alpha Nikolai is asking if you are coming in for the day?”

“I’ll be back in the morning… I have a few things to take care of today.” I replied almost instantly before setting my phone on the table.

The sound of a door opening drew my attention toward the hallway.

Angela appeared a few seconds later, moving carefully with one hand braced against the wall. Her loose hair fell around her shoulders, and she was still dressed in her wrinkled work clothes. The bandage beneath her ear stood out almost as much as the bruise darkening her cheek.

She stopped, uncertainty crossing her face.

“Good morning,” she said quietly.

I set my phone aside. “How are you feeling?”

“Still tired. My head hurts a little too.”

“More than it did last night?”

She shook her head. “I think it’s about the same.”

Humans were far more fragile than wolves. If I had suffered the same injuries, my wolf would have healed most of the damage by now. Angela had no such advantage. “Are you dizzy?”

“A little when I first stood up, but I’m okay now.”

I gestured toward the chair opposite me. “Sit down before you fall again.” She hesitated, and I exhaled, realizing how the order must have sounded. “Please.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but she walked over and carefully lowered herself into the chair.

“Did you sleep?” I asked.

“A little. I woke up a few times.”

“Because of your head?”

“Mostly.” She looked around the living room before her attention settled on the windows. The view was considerably better in daylight, with most of the city stretching beneath us.

“It looks different in the morning,” she murmured. “I mean, the view.”

“I suppose.”

A small smile touched her lips, and for some reason, I watched it longer than necessary. “It must be nice living somewhere like this,” she said.

I glanced around the room. I had spent a ridiculous amount of money making sure everything was exactly as I wanted, yet I couldn’t remember the last time I had truly noticed any of it. “It’s convenient.”

Her lips curved again, as if she wanted to laugh or ask questions, but before she could, the housekeeper appeared from the kitchen. “Sir, breakfast is ready.”

“Bring it here, please.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You are going to need to eat,” I said, looking at Angela.

Angela watched her leave. “You didn’t need to…”

“Your body is a little too weak for you to be arguing right now, and having something to eat is going to help you recover.” I said casually. “I had the maid prepare a few things given that I don’t know what you would actually like to eat.”

The housekeeper had worked for me since I bought the penthouse. I had called her early that morning to prepare breakfast because cooking had never been one of my talents, and Angela didn’t need food poisoning added to her injuries.

 She opened her mouth, and I could tell that she wanted to argue, but I raised my hands in mock surrender before she could. “The doctor said you should have food before taking the medication she left.”

The housekeeper returned with eggs, toast, fruit, pastries, oatmeal, coffee, and juice. Angela stared at the dishes as they were arranged on the table.

“Would you like anything else, miss?” the housekeeper asked. “Is there anything that you would like to drink? Tea?”

“No, thank you.” Angela said shyly.

Once the woman disappeared into the kitchen, I nodded toward the food. “Please…” I said gently.

She reached for a piece of toast, then hesitated. “What is it?”

“I’m not very hungry.” She whispered. “Please don’t get me wrong, but I don’t know if I am going to be able to hold it in.”

“Then don’t force yourself. Eat what you can manage.” I said gently, understanding what she meant. It wasn’t easy for someone who felt drowsy to keep something in, let alone someone in her situation.

She nodded and spread a little butter over the toast.

And I had to admit, I wasn’t used to sharing quiet mornings with anyone. Elena had visited me at the packhouse countless times, but we had never spent an ordinary morning together.

I had always assumed there would be time for that after we married.

My grip tightened around my coffee. There I went again, thinking about something that would never happen. “Is the food all right?” I asked, choosing to guide my train of thoughts anywhere where I knew it shouldn’t going.

Angela looked up. “It’s really good. Thank you… and I don’t just mean for breakfast… I mean thank you for everything.”

I didn’t answer right away. Gratitude had always made me uncomfortable, especially from someone who knew too little about me to understand the kind of man she was thanking.

If Angela knew what I had done for Ivan, she might look at me differently. I reached for the packet the doctor had left behind and handed it to her. “The medication she prescribed. Follow the instructions and take it with food.”

Angela examined it carefully. “Was the doctor expensive? I mean, coming here in the middle of the night couldn’t have been cheap.”

“You were unconscious and bleeding. I wasn’t thinking about the cost.” I said gently. “And the fact that you are thinking about it shouldn’t be an option either.”

“But…”

“It’s taken care of.” I said softly. “You don’t need to worry.”

She pressed her lips together, clearly wanting to argue, but lowered her gaze instead. “Thank you.”

I simply nodded in response, and watched as she finished her toast and took the medication with water.

My phone vibrated again, and I knew that it would be Elena… she was the one person who I’ve been ignoring since the rejection.

“Are you supposed to be somewhere?” Angela asked, noticing that I was ignoring my phone. “I mean, I hope that I am not keeping you from anything important… you’ve already been through enough trouble because of me.”

“You don’t need to worry about it.” I set my phone on silent and put it inside my pocket, choosing not to allow it to annoy me any longer.

Angela shifted in her chair. “Is something wrong?”

“No. I just remembered something.” She said, and I watched as she reached into her trouser pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box, making me go still… the ring.

The sight of it in Angela’s hand brought Elena’s rejection rushing back, sharp enough to destroy what little appetite I had left.

Angela held the box toward me. “You forgot this at the bar.” I stared at it. “I found it on your table after you paid,” she continued. “I tried calling you before you left, but you didn’t hear me. Then everything happened with Darren. I put it in my pocket because I didn’t want anyone taking it.” She hesitated. “I hope you weren’t looking for it.”

A quiet, humorless laugh escaped me. “No.”

Her eyebrows drew together. “No?”

“I wasn’t looking for it.” She glanced from me to the box, confusion plain on her face. I couldn’t blame her. Most men didn’t casually forget an engagement ring worth that much.

I had spent weeks choosing it, determined to find something Elena would love without giving her a reason to accuse me of trying to buy her affection.

None of it mattered.

She had rejected me before I even had the chance to put it around her finger.

“Thank you,” I said bitterly. I held out my hand, and she placed the box in my palm. I stared at it before closing my fingers around it, hating the weight of it inside my hand.

“It’s beautiful,” she said quietly. “Is it an engagement ring?”

My usual response would have been to tell her it was none of her business. But she wasn’t asking to irritate me. “Yes.”

Her expression softened. “Whoever it’s for is lucky. You might have an attitude, but you do have good taste when it comes to jewelry.”

Lucky.

I looked down at the box as Elena’s voice returned to me.

“You don’t love me, Santos.”

I had thought the ring would prove how serious I was. Instead, Elena had forced me to admit that I had never understood her as well as I thought.

I placed the box on the coffee table.

“Did I say something wrong?” Angela asked. “If I did, I am sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

The doorbell rang before I could respond, and I frowned because I knew that I wasn’t expecting anyone. And I made it clear that I didn’t want visitors.

The bell rang a second time, pulling my attention toward the entrance, and then I caught the scent, and my fingers tightened around the armrest.

Of everyone who could have shown up that morning, she was the last person I wanted to see.

Elena…