Chapter 2

That choked demand kept me awake all night.

His care always came with teeth. It was full of blame and heavy pressure. Over time, I even felt guilty for getting hurt around him.

By dawn, the financial feeds and social channels were flooded with headlines. The Sterling and Silverthorne packs had finalized their cross-border merger. In the photos, Tessa Sterling stood beside the boardroom table with champagne in hand, the golden girl of the new generation.

The entire city celebrated the corporate win. No one remembered that today was Gavin's real ceremony. He was turning twenty-two, taking the full Alpha mantle.

For a pureblood, twenty-two was the turning point. The beast inside reached full power. Senses exploded, and the rut was deadly volatile.

I swallowed two painkillers, put on my sunglasses, and headed to his penthouse.

The scanner cleared my print. The door opened, and a wall of pure Alpha dominance slammed into me. Raw cedar, thick with unbridled aggression, choked the air.

Several high-ranking council members were nervously gathering the multinational agreements scattered across the long table.

Gavin stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass. His broad back was rigid, sharp as a drawn blade. He ripped open the top two buttons of his shirt. Gold still flickered in his dark eyes. He was barely holding his inner wolf down.

"Tell the board I won't budge on the Seattle port voting rights," he rasped, every word heavy with command.

I stood frozen in the foyer, holding the box tied with silver ribbon.

I spent an entire year of intern stipends on it. I sketched the design myself, hired a master tailor, and had it sewn from raw silk and cashmere. In the charcoal weave, I hand-stitched the Silverthorne wolf crest with fine silver thread, sealing my own scent into the fabric.

Between fated mates, a tie was a leash. Gifting one meant giving your mate full control.

I hoped he could spare me just sixty seconds today.

Gavin turned. The gold in his eyes vanished the second he saw me, returning to pitch black. His brow furrowed hard as he crossed the room. "The sun is blinding today. Who let you come out alone? Did you dress the scrape on your knee?"

He barked the questions while hitting the wall console. Heavy blackout curtains rolled shut, killing the harsh glare outside. My throbbing temples finally relaxed.

"I'm fine," I said quietly, holding out the box. "Happy birthday, Gavin."

"Thanks." A rare softness flickered in his eyes. He took the box, and his heavy palm dropped onto my head. His skin was burning hot, running high with unspent fever.

His fingers barely brushed my hair before the encrypted phone on the table buzzed violently.

His Beta stepped up, voice low. "Alpha, the Sterling transport is waiting downstairs. Tessa says the New York regulators arrived early. You have to chair the closed-door signing this afternoon."

Gavin pulled in a sharp breath. He dropped my gift onto the console by the door and grabbed his suit jacket from the chair.

"Get the car ready," he ordered.

An aide rushed past to grab a briefcase. He tossed a stack of folders onto the console, burying the silver box under heavy industry reports, shoving it deep into the corner.

I stood motionless. Looking at these ruthless predators running a financial empire, my heart sank into my stomach.

His world was capital, dominance, and endless expansion.

I could not even handle a stray drop of his raw aura.

I stepped back, ready to slip out.

"Nadia." Gavin's voice stopped me.

He stood in the hallway shadows, adjusting his cufflinks. His gaze pinned me down. "Did you sign the transfer for the headquarters risk team?"

It was our unwritten promise. He ruled the empire, and I guarded his flank, managing the risk.

I kept my back to him and nodded. "I signed it."

He stayed quiet for two beats. "Good. When the New York reps leave tonight, I'll take you back to the ancestral estate."

I pulled open the heavy steel door.

Right before the latch clicked shut, my ruined, hyper-sensitive ears caught the voices inside.

His Beta sounded worried. "Alpha, if Nadia moves to the executive floor next week, the air filtration system needs a full overhaul. Your fresh awakening makes your scent too violent. You'll scorch her nervous system."

"Shelve the transfer for now," Gavin cut in.

His voice carried a bone-deep exhaustion.

"If we share an office every day, I have to suppress my wolf around the clock. It's exhausting. Let it sit until I get through this rut."

It's exhausting.

The words slid through the door like ice down my spine.

All that restraint, all that keeping his distance, was never gentleness.

It was a cage.

I walked into the street. The noon heat hit me like a slap, stinging my dry eyes.

If my existence was his prison, I would break the lock myself.

The next morning, at the Seattle Corporate Risk Assessment Center.

My screen lit up with a text from Gavin:

[Car is downstairs. Scent profiles are chaotic at the testing floor. Wait for me. I'll take you through the private bypass.]

[Just show up and get your clearance. Don't stress about the corporate seat. I'll handle it.]

I stared at the words, at the routine shelter he offered. My thumb hovered, and for the first time, I hit delete.

I did not reply. I pulled my cap down and walked straight into the crowd alone.

The massive holographic board in the lobby cycled through testing assignments.

I stopped at the verification gate, swiped my credential through the scanner, and turned toward the hall.

A harsh sneer cut through the air, and a heavy shoulder slammed hard into mine.