Chapter 5

Bringing the access logs to Eric, I had confronted him about it.

In response, he showed me some surveillance footage, each one showing Irina entering our home with some documents.

"She lives near here, so it's much more convenient to come over and discuss work matters face to face."

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this?"

"Because this is also my home. I don't need the Luna's permission to bring in a packmate to discuss official pack business."

He then berated me for checking the access logs and rifling through another's personal things. Besides that, he accused me of being too suspicious and paranoid.

From then on, the frequency at which he brought Irina home increased. Instead of reassuring me, he deliberately pushed my limits, time and again. It was almost as though he were forcing me to fight back just so he could get the chance to punish me once more.

Strictly speaking, I had no evidence to prove that they were having an illicit affair. Every time Irina came, she always carried some sort of document. As for those late-night meetings, there always seemed to be a reason for those too.

At one point, I even began to doubt myself. Perhaps I really had let my imagination run wild. Maybe the problem truly lay with me.

If I had focused half the energy and effort I had spent on analyzing their every moment together on my own career, I would've likely progressed much further in life than now.

…

The next morning, Eric made an official announcement that Irina would be temporarily taking over all my duties, while I would only be in charge of reviewing the records.

Everyone was waiting for me to object, but I simply placed the access seal and all completed dossiers on Irina's desk.

Seeing that, Eric nodded in satisfaction.

He thought that he had finally broken me in, that he finally had a magnanimous, obedient Luna who obeyed his every wish.

While they were celebrating Irina's promotion, I was planning my departure.

While they spent time entertaining the Alliance's ambassador, I finished packing up my belongings.

While they gave a speech about their plans for the pack's future, I completed the final handover procedures.

Their celebration was only just beginning, but for me, my time there was finally ending.

Two days later, on my very last day at the Frostclaw pack, I was completing the final steps for the dissolution of our mate bond.

The administrative officer, Rachel Foster, stopped me before I could leave. "Before you go, you need to drop by the Alpha's office. He said that he wants to see you."

I was about to refuse, but then it occurred to me that this might be the last time I would ever see Eric again after tonight.

A proper goodbye was the least I could give after three years together.

The door to Eric's office was slightly ajar. Through the crack, I could see Irina, dressed in a champagne gown as she stood before a full-length mirror. Her hair had been swept over one shoulder, revealing the bare skin at the back of her neck.

Eric was behind her, attempting to help her put on a necklace.

For an Alpha and his Beta, they were much too close to each other, with hardly any distance between their bodies.

Instead of going in, I turned to leave.

However, Irina caught sight of me through the mirror. "Freya?"

Eric looked over his shoulder. The moment he spotted me, the smile on his face vanished. "Who gave you permission to enter?"

I stopped in my tracks.

This was a new rule he had set one month ago—no one was allowed to enter his office without a prior appointment.

I had assumed that this didn't apply to the Luna.

"Rachel said that you wanted to see me."

Eric used the intercom to summon Rachel into his office. "Did you tell her to come in here?"

Rachel was well aware that Irina held a special place in their Alpha's heart and had special privileges. She looked at Eric, then at Irina. "I… I don't remember."

By now, everyone in the pack had learned one important fact—speaking the truth on my behalf would lead to unfortunate consequences, while lying for Irina wouldn't.

Eric sneered, "So, now you're even keeping tabs on me and Irina using those closest to me?"

"I'm not."

"Still lying?" Eric stalked closer to me, his expression filled with disappointment. "Since you seem to lack any trust in me, should I just hand you all the surveillance footage of every single camera in the entire pack? Or maybe you should just order the guards to give a detailed report on every single person I've met and the words I've said?"

Once again, he had overstepped the boundaries, yet here he was, playing the morally superior character and turning me into the one at fault again.

Behind him, Irina ducked her head, but I still caught the smirk curving her lips.