Derek

Derek's POV

My Beta—Michael—walked in with the files I had requested earlier.

“Good morning, Alpha,” he greeted.

I responded curtly with a nod, eager to know what he had found. Ever since I saw Melissa with that man, I needed to know what was going on between them—whether Elijah truly meant it when he said they were going to get married.

Shutting down my laptop, I focused all my attention on Michael. “Did you do everything I asked?”

He nodded, handing me the files. “I did my research and found out that Elijah and Melissa have been together for years. He’s also the reason she has a good job. It’s true—they’re together,” he explained as I flipped through the pages.

The thought of Melissa being with that man made my chest tighten, and I had to take deep breaths to control myself. “Are you sure?” I asked again, needing confirmation.

Michael nodded. I exhaled sharply and returned the files to him. “Thank you, Michael.”

He responded with a small smile, bowed, and exited the room.

Left alone, I inhaled deeply, lost in thought. How had Melissa moved on so quickly? She had always been crazy in love with me, yet now it was as if I didn’t exist in her world anymore.

If only I hadn’t believed Laura.

My fists clenched as memories of that day flooded my mind. I had treated Melissa horribly. I could have listened to her—given her a chance to explain—but I didn’t. And now, she was gone.

But none of that mattered. I was ready to do whatever it took to have her back.

It was already late, so I tidied up and left for home.

---

For five years, I had searched everywhere for Melissa. Who would have thought she had been within reach all along? I was eager to talk to her again, but she was different now—colder. She had moved on with her life, and with another man.

Her eyes held nothing but resentment. I didn’t matter to her anymore. She loved someone else.

But I could swear I still felt the bond. Even after rejecting her, it remained.

That meant only one thing—I still had a chance. Elijah hadn’t marked her yet. All I needed was a way to show her I had been deceived.

But deep down, I knew that wasn’t the whole truth. If I had trusted her, even a little, I wouldn’t have pushed her away. I could have listened. I could have told her the reason I wanted to divorce her instead of rejecting her outright.

Was it too late?

She was different now—nothing like the mate I once knew. Only her face was the same.

The compassion in her eyes was gone. Not even a flicker of the Melissa I remembered remained. And she didn’t seem to care—maybe she never did.

I was lost in my thoughts until an all-too-familiar voice shattered them.

“Where the hell have you been, Derek? You keep forgetting you have marital duties to perform!”

I looked up to see Laura standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest.

Running a hand over my face, I sighed. “Go to bed, Laura. Leave me alone. I’m not in the mood for your tantrums.”

She stepped closer, ignoring my words. “Oh, you’re never in the mood. But I don’t care. It won’t change the fact that I’m your mate now, and I deserve to be sexually satisfied. My wolf is starving, Alpha Derek.”

The way she dragged out my title made my skin crawl.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I growled. “Or have you forgotten that I found out how you deceived me years ago? We were never supposed to be mated. If you hadn’t manipulated your way into my life, you conniving bitch—”

She scoffed. “Oh, spare me the sob story. If you had trusted Melissa, you wouldn’t have fallen for my lies. You have no one to blame but yourself. And now? You’re stuck with me forever.”

“Laura, get out of here. Now.” My voice was low, dangerous. My eyes burned red, my fangs threatening to emerge.

She smirked. “Or what? Face it, Derek. This all happened years ago. You should move on already. I love you, and in time, you’ll learn to love me too—if only you’d put in some effort.”

“Keep dreaming, Laura. I’m going to get Melissa back. And you? I’ll get rid of you.”

She burst into laughter. “She wants nothing to do with you, Derek. She made that clear when she accepted your rejection. Remember?”

Her words sliced through me like a blade, hitting wounds I had tried to suppress.

“No need to keep fuming,” she added with a mocking smirk.

“Enough already.” My voice was colder than I intended.

“Aww, such a pity,” she murmured, shaking her head. “You’re only deceiving yourself, Derek. And that? That’s just sad.”

Life with Laura had been hell. She never missed an opportunity to get on my nerves. But I wasn’t going to let her get to me—not now, when I was trying to figure out how to win Melissa back.

I grabbed my briefcase and headed to my room.

But, of course, she followed.

“Are you thinking about her right now?” she blurted, standing beside me.

I hadn’t even noticed her come in. I ignored her and got up to leave, but she blocked my path.

She smiled seductively. “If you dare to walk out, I’ll scream and call the attention of the Cabinet Minister. I’ll tell the Pack you’ve refused to touch me since making me your Luna.”

I swallowed hard, my hands clenching into fists.

She knew exactly how to manipulate me. The Pack had been expecting an heir from me. If they found out I was refusing to make it happen, they’d turn against me.

“Forget her, Derek. She’s gone. You searched for her for five years and found nothing. Why not give up and have a little fun with me?” She stepped closer, trying to kiss me.

I turned away.

Her robes fell to the floor, revealing her red lingerie.

My wolf stirred at the sight, but I forced him down. He had been starved for five years, and I planned to keep him that way—until Melissa returned to me.

“It won’t work, Laura,” I said flatly. “Put your robe back on.”

She sank to her knees, looking up at me with a smug smile.

Unbuckling my trousers, she massaged me gently, making it hard to pull away.

“Stop, Laura,” I warned, my voice strained.

But before I could push her off, she took me into her mouth.

I gritted my teeth, my wolf battling for control. Despite my resistance, pleasure surged through me. My fingers curled into her hair as I threw my head back.

“Fuck, Melissa,” I groaned.

Laura immediately froze.

She pulled away, eyes darkening with rage. “Melissa? You were thinking about that bitch while I was sucking you off?”

“Watch your mouth,” I snarled. “Don’t ever call her that again, or I swear I won’t show you any mercy.”

She scoffed. “Ever since you saw that bitch again—”

I grabbed her by the hair, slamming her against the wall. She yelped, her breath coming in quick, panicked gasps.

Taking a deep breath, I released her, though I still had her pinned. “Don’t ever speak ill of Melissa again,” I warned, my voice dangerously low.

“If anything, you are the bitch—for backstabbing her. And from this day forward? You are banned from entering my chambers.”