Chapter 3

I looked at the 67% loyalty score above that coworker's head and said nothing.

Near the end of the party, I headed to the restroom. Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard someone on the phone inside. It was Lisa's voice.

"Relax, his mate is just a stay-at-home mom. She doesn't know anything except taking care of the pup. You really think a woman like that still has any appeal?"

My hand froze on the door handle.

"Besides, I haven't done anything out of line. Alexander and I are just doing overtime and grabbing meals together. The Alpha chooses to stay on his own. It's not like I'm forcing him."

She laughed and kept complaining. "The Alpha complains to me all the time, says Irene's petty and throws tantrums. An Omega who can't even make her mate feel secure? She deserves to be replaced, am I right?"

Three nights after the company party, Alexander finally came home. The number above his head had dropped to 67%, another five points gone.

I sat in the living room, a cup of coffee gone cold beside me.

"Why are you still up?" He steadied himself against the doorframe, frowning at me.

"Joyce has a fever."

He looked a little caught off guard. "Is it serious? Why didn't you call me?"

"I tried the mind link first. You'd blocked it off."

He blinked, then his expression flickered with something like guilt. "I was in the middle of handling pack business. I had to shut it down."

I'd reached for the bond we shared, the one thing that was supposed to connect us no matter what, and he'd sealed it off. I'd had to fall back on an ordinary phone call.

"A hundred and three. I already took her to the hospital."

Alexander opened his mouth, but went to Joyce's door first, pushed it open, and took a look inside. Joyce's fever had broken. She was curled up asleep under the blanket, her little cheeks still a bit flushed.

"Next time Joyce has a fever, make sure you call me." He turned back, a hint of guilt in his tone, but more of it was blame.

"I called three times. You didn't pick up."

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his call log, his expression stiffening.

"I was at a business dinner. My phone was on silent."

"A dinner where?"

"With a client. You know we've got a big project coming up. I'm busy."

"A client you also arranged to meet with Lisa?"

Alexander's eyes snapped up to mine. He was silent for several seconds before he asked, "How do you know Lisa was there? Are you investigating me?"

"Your car has GPS. It's still linked to my account."

Alexander's face changed. "Irene, now you're tracking me?"

"Your daughter's burning up with a fever, and you're drinking at another woman's house. You tell me who's the problem here."

He slammed his bag onto the couch. "Lisa and I are not what you think! The client meeting was Lisa's connection. I was at her place that day because she knows the client's tastes better. All of us coworkers were at Lisa's trying wine together. You know how much I've got riding on this project. Can you stop being paranoid day and night?"

"Then why did you say you were at the office?"

He went quiet. "I'm not explaining myself, because even if I did, you wouldn't believe me."

Alexander walked into the bedroom and shut the door.

67%.

In the living room, Joyce had woken up at some point. She stood at the end of the hallway, hugging her bunny.

I crouched down and pulled her into my arms. She smelled like milk-scented body wash, her little body warm and soft. This was the only reason I'd fought so hard to hold this family together.

That night, I got a text from an unknown number. "Irene, there was no wine tasting that day."

I stared at the message, then called the number back. The person picked up. It was Leo's voice. "Irene, it's me."

"Lisa isn't just any Beta. There's another Alpha behind her, or several, more powerful ones. If Alexander wants next year's project to go well, he has to tie himself to her. But whether he needs to be tied to her this closely, I can't say."

"So what you're telling me is Alexander's only getting close to Lisa for business?"

"What I'm telling you is, whatever Alexander's reasons are, Irene, you should have a plan of your own."

He was right. It was time for a new plan. One that didn't include Alex.

The number above his head was only a surface thing. What really broke me wasn't some simple number.

I stayed with Alex because I loved him. If he didn't love me anymore, there was no reason for me to stay.

I had to leave.