CHAPTER 5

Amelia’s POV

My heart was beating so fast against my ribs that I was genuinely scared it was going to burst right out of my chest.  My eyes stayed glued to the man standing in front of me. Alpha Zephyr. The powerful, terrifying Alpha King that every pack in the continent feared.

"Alpha Zephyr, please allow me to introduce her," Drystan said, waving his hand toward me in a casual, careless way. "This is my wife, Luna Amelia. Amelia, stop standing there like a statue and greet the Alpha King properly!"

I forced my mouth to open, but my throat was so dry it felt like I was swallowing hot sand. I took a quick, shaky breath, keeping my eyes lowered toward the shiny floorboards. I was so terrified that if I looked directly into Zephyr's deep eyes, my husband and the whole pack would instantly figure out my dirty secret.

"It is... it is a great honor to meet you, your Highness," I managed to whisper, my voice barely louder than a tiny breath of wind.

I waited for Zephyr to smirk, to laugh out loud, or to tell my arrogant husband that his innocent Luna was actually a cheater who had spent the night in a hotel room with another man.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Luna Amelia," Zephyr replied smoothly. His voice was deep, cool, and completely calm.

I blinked in utter shock, slowly raising my head. Zephyr looked at me with a perfectly polite, blank face, as if he had truly never seen me before in his entire life.

There was no secret smile on his dark lips, no nod of recognition, and no hint of the wild passion we had shared in the dark. He acted like I was just a complete stranger he was meeting for the very first time.

Relief washed over me like a wave of cool water, but my heart was still hammering against my ribs.

The tension in my chest was so thick that I couldn't get a proper breath of air.

I couldn't stay in this crowded ballroom for another second. I felt like the walls were closing in on me, threatening to crush me to death under all these watchful eyes.

"If you will excuse me, your Highness," I stammered out, backing away slowly from the two men. "I... I need to go to the bathroom."

Without waiting for Drystan or Zephyr to say a word, I turned on my high heels and practically ran toward the hallway.

I pushed past groups of dressed-up guests, ignoring the curious looks they threw my way. I hurried down the long, quiet corridor, turned the corner, and pushed open the heavy wooden door of the luxury restroom.

The bathroom was completely empty, silent, and brightly lit. I rushed over to the sink, gripped the cold edges with both hands, and looked at myself in the massive mirror.

My face was pale, and my red lipstick stood out like a bright stain against my skin. I turned on the gold faucet, splashed cool water over my burning face, and closed my eyes, trying so hard to pull myself together.

Suddenly, the heavy door behind me clicked open and shut.

I froze, thinking it was just another female guest coming in to fix her makeup. But when I opened my eyes and looked up at the mirror, my breath was trapped in my throat.

Standing right behind me, blocking the locked door with his massive frame, was Alpha Zephyr.

He had followed me inside. He looked even taller and more intimidating in the quiet room, his dark suit filling out his broad shoulders.

He walked forward slowly, his heavy boots making no sound against the soft rug, until he stopped just an inch behind me. I could feel the intense, hot aura radiating off his body, wrapping around me like an inescapable cage.

"What... what are you doing here?" I gasped, turning around quickly to face him, my back slamming against the cold edge of the marble sink. "This is the ladies' restroom! Someone will see you! If my husband finds you in here with me—"

"You should leave Drystan," Zephyr interrupted smoothly, his deep voice cutting through my panicked ramblings.

He reached out a long hand, his fingers resting lightly against the cold mirror behind my head, trapping me completely in his space.

His dark eyes searched my pale face with intense gravity. "He is not a good man, Amelia. He does not treat you well, and he does not deserve to have you."

My heart did a terrifying leap inside my chest. I swallowed hard, pressing myself as far back against the sink as I possibly could. "Drystan is my husband," I said, trying to sound firm, though my trembling voice betrayed my fear.

Zephyr let out a low and dark chuckle that vibrated right through my bones. He leaned down slightly, bringing his handsome face so close to mine that I could feel his warm breath brushing against my cheek.

"Really?" Zephyr murmured softly, his dark eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "If he is truly your beloved husband, then why did you walk into my room last night?"

The sharp truth of his words hit me like a physical punch straight to the stomach.

Blood rushed to my face, burning my skin with pure humiliation and panic. My hands clutched the fabric of my dress as I stared up at the most powerful man in the world, completely at his mercy.

"I'm sorry!" I pleaded, my voice breaking into a desperate, tearful whisper. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know who you were! I was hurting, I was angry, and I made a terrible, reckless mistake! Please... I am begging you, please pretend that none of it ever happened. Please keep it a secret! If Drystan finds out, he will ruin me, and my family will lose everything!"

Zephyr stared down at me in absolute silence for what felt like an eternity. He looked at my tear-filled eyes, my trembling lips, and the desperate way I was begging him for mercy.

The cold mask on his face softened just a tiny bit, but the dangerous power surrounding him never faded.

Slowly, he reached up with one big, warm hand and gently brushed a wet tear away from my pale cheek with his thumb. His touch was so soft, so surprisingly gentle, that a shiver ran all the way down my spine.

"I can keep your secret, Amelia," Zephyr said softly, his deep voice carrying a dark, binding promise that made my heart stop dead in my chest. "I won't say a word to your husband or to your pack."

I let out a huge breath of relief, but before I could even thank him, Zephyr leaned in closer until his lips were almost touching my ear.

"But keeping quiet comes with a price," he whispered, his warm breath sending a fresh wave of electricity straight through my body. "You need to give me what I want.”