Chapter 2

I hung up the phone and took a deep breath. The deer heart was still steaming on the table.

In the Blackstone pack, only pups with weaker teeth would eat cooked deer heart. No one else did.

Xavier used to hate that texture more than anyone. But now, he seemed to enjoy it.

I wondered who made him care enough to change habits that had been carved into his bones.

I got up and drove to the pack's trading company. The building was quiet. Only one light was still turned on high above.

It was Xavier's office.

I swiped my card and went upstairs. Step by step, I walked toward the lit office.

"What do you think Luna Zoey would do if she saw us like this? Do you think she'd lose her mind?"

"Don't talk about her. You're killing the mood."

I suppressed the stab of pain in my chest and pushed the door open without hesitation.

Two familiar faces came into view.

One was my mate, Xavier. The other was my personal assistant, Lynetter Quinton.

Neither of them expected to see me. After a brief moment of shock, Xavier quickly shoved Lynette aside and hurried toward me. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the pack's Luna. Handling emergencies is my responsibility," I said, looking straight into his eyes. "Is this the urgent matter you were dealing with?"

He froze at my question.

My gaze dropped to the crimson hickey at his collar.

Before he could say anything, Lynette stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, Luna Zoey. I didn't mean for this to happen. I twisted my ankle while carrying some documents earlier. If Alpha Xavier hadn't caught me, I might've gotten hurt at work."

I raised an eyebrow as I struggled to imagine what kind of help could leave a mark like that on someone's neck.

"But this shirt was my anniversary gift to Alpha Xavier."

After a brief pause, I continued, "Since you said you're sorry, we'll count this slap as your apology."

I swung my hand.

The slap's force instantly turned Lynette's pale cheek bright red. A thin strip of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Xavier's expression changed drastically. He stepped forward and pulled Lynette behind him. "Lynette knows the most about the issue we're dealing with, so I called her over.

"She lost her balance just now. I just helped her steady herself. You're the Luna. You can't just hit someone like that."

"First, she's my assistant. If something came up at work, it shouldn't have been reported over my head," I said, pursing my lips. "Second, she admitted to damaging a gift I gave you.

"Lastly, this shirt was custom-made by the elves. With her current salary, she can't afford to replace it."

Xavier's expression shifted several times before he finally let out a sigh. "It's my fault. I'll be more careful in the future. I won't… let another she-wolf touch me again."

He rubbed the tip of his nose. That was the tell whenever he felt guilty.

"Stop crying," he said, turning to Lynette. "Apologize to Luna Zoey."

Lynette clearly hadn't expected Xavier to stop defending her. Even her sobbing paused for a moment.

She shot him a look of resentment.

Xavier still needed to maintain his relationship with me, so he didn't respond to her gaze at all.

Annoyed, Lynetted bit her lip and offered me a pitiful apology. "I-I'm sorry."

I took a long look at the she-wolf I had personally promoted, then turned and walked toward the door.

Just as I reached the door, I paused and asked, "Xavier, are you coming home?"

He hadn't heard me, as my question went unanswered.

I glanced back and caught his eyes on Lynette. His gaze was overflowing with tenderness.

I knew that look too well. He used to look at me like that before lowering his head to kiss the tears at the corners of my eyes away.

Now, that look belongs to another she-wolf.

Numbness spread from my chest to my limbs. The dizziness made my vision darken.

I gave Xavier a chance, but he let it slip away.