SUBTLE HINT OF HIS POSSESSIVENESS

CHAPTER FOUR

~~THE STEALTH PACK~~

~~DIANE STANFIELD~~

I shuddered the moment the guard said the Alpha wanted to see me. My mind raced with possibilities. Maybe he was finally ready to acknowledge me as his mate. Maybe he had noticed the bruises when I bumped into him earlier and wanted to find out who hurt me. The thought alone made heat rise to my cheeks.

I followed the guard with my heart pounding against my ribs. In a few minutes, we reached the Alpha’s office. The guard stopped at the entrance and motioned toward the door.

“The Alpha is waiting.”

Suddenly, the excitement I felt earlier began to fade. I had been stupid to hope. He had already made it painfully clear that he wanted nothing to do with me.

Slowly, I turned the knob and stepped inside, eyes fixed on the floor. I clasped my hands in front of me and bowed.

Silence.

The silence was so thick I started to wonder if the room was empty. Just as I was about to look up, a small pouch landed at my feet with a heavy thud.

“Take it,” he ordered.

I didn’t dare lift my eyes. I didn’t want to see the hatred in his gaze. Hearing the coldness in his voice was already enough.

“Can I know what it is?”

“No questions,” he snarled. “Do as I say.”

I bent down, picked up the pouch, and opened it. My eyes widened.

“Money… What do you need me to do with this much money?”

“I need you to leave this pack.”

My stomach twisted. My heart ached. Did he hate me so much that he couldn’t stand being near me?

I shook my head, still staring at the floor. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Why not? Didn’t you say it wasn’t your idea to come here in the first place?”

“It really wasn’t,” I whispered.

“Then why not take this chance and leave?”

“I… I just… can’t.”

I heard his chair scrape across the floor. His scent hit me hard as he moved closer.

“Look at me.”

I lifted my eyes without thinking. A wave of desire crashed through me so strongly that my knees nearly gave out. I swallowed hard and tried to focus, silently reciting the alphabet in my head. It didn’t help. My wolf was fighting for control, desperate for him—his claim, his acceptance.

Before I could stop myself, the question slipped out.

“Why, Xavier? Why do you keep pushing me away?”

I regretted it instantly.

His hand shot out and wrapped around my throat, squeezing hard until I was gasping.

“It’s Alpha to you. Not Xavier. Don’t you ever make that mistake again.”

His grip tightened. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I nodded.

“I understand, Alpha.”

He released me. I collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. What had come over me to ask that?

“Take the money and leave this pack before tomorrow noon,” he said coldly. “Go back to Crescent Pack or disappear into the city. Mix with the humans. No one will find out what you are. I’ll cover for your absence if anyone notices… though I doubt they will. Nobody wants you here.”

I crawled to the pouch, grabbed it, and hurried out of the office with tears streaming down my face.

I really was cursed. Cursed to never find happiness.

As I walked through the hallway, my stepmother’s warning echoed in my mind. Try to run away again and you’ll suffer the consequences. Could I really escape both packs without being punished? Could I even survive in the human world when I still couldn’t fully control my wolf?

I reached my room. Thankfully, it was empty. The other maids were still out completing their chores.

I stripped off my clothes, turned on the shower, and stood under the water, trying to decide what to do next.

~~ALPHA XAVIER~~

“Alpha. Luna Melanie is here to see you,” one of the guards announced.

I finished the last of my whiskey and pushed the glass away, already irritated.

“Why is she here? What does she want?”

“I don’t know, Alpha. Should I let her in?”

I stood and walked toward the couch. “I’m too busy to see anyone right now.”

“How busy could you be that you won’t see your own mother?” Luna Melanie’s voice came from the doorway as she walked in without permission.

I sat up and glared at her. “What do you want?”

She scoffed. “Really, Xavier? That’s no way to address your stepmother. Did your mother never teach you respect?”

I knew exactly what she was trying to do. She always knew how to get under my skin by speaking about my mother.

She waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, right. She didn’t. She was too busy claiming what never belonged to her… my mate.”

I rubbed my face. “Not today. I’ve already had enough. What do you want?”

“You don’t deserve the Alpha title,” she said flatly. “Hand it over to my son, Ace.”

My brows rose. “And why would I do that?”

“Because it rightfully belongs to—”

A sudden commotion cut her off. A guard burst into the room, panting heavily.

“The rogue wolf—it’s here!”

I frowned. “What rogue? We’ve never had one in this pack.”

“I think it’s the same one Alpha Asher warned us about. The one that’s been attacking packs for two years now..”

“Has anyone been attacked?” I demanded, already on my feet and grabbing my shirt.

“It has someone in its reach right now… the new palace maid.”

I froze.

“Which maid?”

“Diane. Diane Stanfield.”

My hands clenched into fists. A muscle in my jaw ticked hard as Erin surged forward.

“Get my sword. Now,” I growled. “I’ll kill it myself.”