CHAPTER 4: TOO CLOSE. TOO FAR.

~~~ANYA~~~

I cried, letting my tears mix with the warm water from the shower as the two liquids intertwined, rolling over my body. I had locked myself unsure of how I could make myself stop and look for a solution inside the bathroom in my new bedroom cage, as he said—not far away from the Alpha’s bedroom. I felt like I was destined to be like this, carrying a damn curse I'm accused of. Crying for all eternity would not solve the issue, but I just had to.

The Alpha had decided to keep me at his use until the goddess knew when. He had used me the very next day he had rejected me. He's used to having many girls to himself, and here I am, starting to be in line with those kinds of girls he always uses and dumps. This was not the type of life I had envisioned for myself while growing up under this pack.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door of my room. I quickly turned the shower knob, reducing the water flow so that I could listen clearly. It went quiet.

My heart began to beat faster than before. I knew it wasn't just my imagination, I had heard something. I relaxed as the silence gave me a deceitful sense of stillness.

Banngggg!!! Then it came again.

The sound shook the whole bathroom, making my hands tremble as my feet buckled. I hurriedly put on the towel and moved out of the bathroom in time to see Alpha Kane standing just beside the bed.

He moved closer, turning around my already stiffened body in a position.

“Mate, that was supposed to be mine, so weak and useless,” he said, as a smile tugged at his lips, but they vanished the moment they appeared. “What's going on in that silly head of yours? The last time I checked, you were supposed to be getting ready for office work. I never remembered mentioning that you'll stop working under me.” He mocked me with a tight grimace.

My heart skipped a bit. I hadn't acknowledged that beforehand. Do I really still need to go to work? Talk more about still working under him? No I can't. I can't stand him. I struggled to let my breathing go inside my lungs because it felt like it was about to explode within me.

Just as the heat between us intensified, a shrill ringtone cut through the room. In one fluid motion, he reached out to his phone from his pocket and answered it.

I stood there, suffocating under his gaze, as he answered with a soft, and calm voice I barely recognized—almost tender. “Hello?”

A female voice drifted from the speaker, “Kane, I'm at your office now. When are you coming in, I need to keep you company.”

That voice belongs to Meena. Of course, she has gotten what she always wanted.

“I'll be right there,” he replied, his voice filled with warmth.

“Drive carefully Kane,” she added. “I’ll be waiting for you. The full moon is today and I’d like to spend time with you.”

The full moon. The most intimate time for every mated wolf, and I won’t be spending it with him.

Immediately he hung up, he moved away from me as he walked through the door. The heat that had been boiling in my body turned ice cold. I curled my fingers into my fists, feeling the weight of betrayal wash over me. It was as if my essence was being torn apart cell by cell while I remained conscious for the next few seconds.

He left through the door without another word. I sat lonely in the room, face pale, then the thought of Talia came to me.

I felt moisture gathering inside my eyes but I refused to allow the tears take over control.

My phone kept buzzing with notifications before I heard it ring out. It was Talia. I know they wouldn’t allow her into the chambers. I took it with trembling fingers and answered the call.

“Hey, babes, tell me you’re okay, are you?” She asked all at once, her voice on top of her.

“I’m broken Talia, I really am. I donno what to do right now.” I said in a scared and teary voice. “I have to be at work now, I have to be in the office. Maybe we’ll meet up and talk there.”

“Okay Anya, you have to take it easy. Be calm.”

*****

I went to work as usual, I mean, I’ve been working since before the Alpha came back. Being the daughter of a beta, I had thought life inside the pack was everything a wolf wished for, but now, mine is a roller coaster.

Walking inside the office, I felt the stare, the office chatter about me being rejected. As I walked through the Sterling Corporation lobby, I noticed the whispers immediately.

“They said there is a new woman in Alpha’s office.”

“Is that the Alpha’s mate?”

“She isn't his mate again.”

The whispers from the lobby still echoed in my head as I walked past it, each word chipping away at my composure. It was a searing agony that felt like molten metal being poured directly into my soul. Each pulse of betrayal through our connection was a fresh knife twist.

His office was close to mine. That is what made it more irritating, I have to endure every sight of them being together. My heels clicked slowly on the polished floor, the sound echoing louder in my chest than in the hallway. My heart thudded a cruel rhythm in sync with every step I took towards his office. Just past the glass that separated our spaces, I could see vague outlines— two figures, one standing, the other perched on the edge of the desk.

My hands tightened around the folder I held that I was supposed to submit this very moment to his desk.

Meena.

The name was enough to ignite a thousand emotions—none of them kind.

I tried not to look, but my gaze flickered through the glass anyway. There she was, draped in her usual skin-tight dress, laughing at something Kane said. He was smiling. That crooked smile he wore when he bumped into me in the forest run. Now, it was directed to Meena.

I swallowed hard and knocked.

“Come in,” Kane’s voice rang out.

Then I stepped inside. The alluring scent of Meena’s perfume hit me hard. She didn't even bother getting up from the desk, she just cast me a smug glance, as if she had won something I was foolish enough to fight for. And yeah, that's true.

“Sir, the signed contracts,” I said, placing the folder on his desk. My voice was steady but my hands weren't.

Kane barely glanced at me, his gaze was just fixed on Meena. “Leave them.”

That was it. Not even a slight flicker of acknowledgment that he'd once shown. Not a nod. Not a thank you. Or that, I still felt the weight of that bond that refused to die—even after rejection.

“Anything else sir?” I asked, forcing myself to meet his gaze. For a brief moment, something flickered there—conflict? Guilt?

Then Meena laughed softly, brushing invisible lint from his shoulder as she owned him. “Looks like someone’s still trying to play Luna,” she purred.

My stomach turned. My jaw clenched, but I didn't respond.

“No,” Kane said flatly. “Get out of here and stop ruining my interesting moment.”

I nodded once, then turned on my heels.

But as I reached the door, Meena called sweetly. “Oh, and Anya? Could you ask the secretary to bring me coffee? The Alpha likes it black and bitter. Just like his taste in company.”

I froze, but didn't turn. Breathed in slowly, my feet stopped, shoved down the sting. “Of course. Though some people prefer their coffee sweet—and loyal. I pity that it's rare these days.”

I pushed the glass door open.

Then I walked out. I didn't see Kane's frown or the way he'd react. But I felt it. And I knew working next to him wouldn't be the hard part. Enduring what could have been would be the real war.