His regret; the alpha’s rejected maid

The pack house was silent when I arrived at midnight.I carried my single duffel bag up the back staircase. Juan had assigned me a room on the third floor, right next to his office. It was a clear power move. He wanted me close enough to control, but far enough from his personal bedroom to draw a line.I dropped my bag on the narrow bed and sat down. The room was plain. White walls, a small desk, a single window looking out into the dark woods. It felt like a prison cell.A soft knock came at the door.I jumped, my heart racing. I opened it to find Liam standing in the hallway. He looked terrible. His face was pale, and he had a dark bruise forming on his jaw."Liam!" I pulled him into the room and hugged him tight. He smelled like damp earth and fear."I'm sorry, Cora," he mumbled into my shoulder. "I'm so stupid. I just wanted to win enough to get us a real house. To get you out of that diner."I pulled back and gripped his shoulders. "Did Juan hit you?"Liam shook his head, refus

I did not sleep at all.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the dark storm in Juan ’s eyes at the dinner table. I felt the electric shock of his skin against mine. The bond was wide awake inside me, humming like a live wire, and it made the small room feel like a cage.When my alarm went off at five in the morning, I dragged myself out of bed. I put on a grey skirt and a plain black sweater. I tied my hair back again. I needed to look invisible.The pack house was quiet when I walked down to the main office on the first floor. This was where the official pack business happened. Juan ’s personal office was upstairs, but this room was for the assistants and beta members.I turned on the desk lamp and pulled up the engagement party files on the computer. Edith had sent me a list of demands in the middle of the night.I scrolled through the email. She wanted white roses imported from a special greenhouse. She wanted a specific band that lived three towns away. She wanted silk table covers.

By ten o'clock that night, the pack house was finally silent.Most of the staff had gone home. Edith had retired to her room an hour ago. I was still sitting in the main office, staring at a list of names for the engagement party invitations.My eyes burned from staring at the computer screen. My back ached from sitting in the stiff chair. But I did not want to go to my room. Going to my room meant lying in the dark, thinking about Juan .I picked up a pen and started crossing names off a list.The office door shut.I looked up. Juan was standing inside the room. He had locked the door behind him. The sound of the lock clicking made my stomach flip.He walked slowly toward the desk. He was wearing a dark blue button-down shirt and black pants. He looked tired. The shadows under his eyes were dark, and his jaw was covered in rough stubble."Why are you still awake?" I asked, putting the pen down."I could ask you the same question," he replied, stopping on the other side of the desk.