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Home / Werewolf / Inevitable Red Flag / Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

All Chapters of Inevitable Red Flag: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

66 Chapters

31

The way Blair, Matthew, and Roman spoke of Vincent Hale, one would think he was a paragon of pack wisdom and paternal kindness. To Willow, however, he felt like a predator lurking in high grass. Still chilled by the mockery in his smirk, she tore herself away from the garden window and retreated into the warmth of the gala.The performance had concluded. The air was thick with the scent of expensive cologne and the low, melodic thrum of shifter conversation. But Roman was missing. The man who had spent the last hour treating her like a prized piece of territory had simply vanished.Willow spotted Elder Hakimi near a gold-leafed pillar. Steeling herself, she approached. "Forgive the interruption, Elder. I seem to have lost track of Roman—Alpha Vale."Hakimi offered a knowing, paternal smile. "He stepped away for an urgent link-call. Do not fret, little wolf; your mate has not strayed far." He gave her a playful wink.Willow’s pulse spiked. Your mate? She didn't correct him, though her

32

Roman moved with the lethal, restless energy of a caged predator. Behind him, several pack enforcers in dark suits scurried to keep pace, their voices hushed and desperate as they went over territory reports. The sharp line of Roman’s jaw and the dark shadow of a day’s worth of stubble signaled a mood that was volatile at best. No wolf with a lick of survival instinct would dare cross his path today.Willow’s eyes widened. Before he could scent her, she spun on her heel and bolted toward the emergency staircase. It was a five-story climb to the executive wing, but she welcomed the burn in her lungs as a distraction. Her mind screamed for her to stay away, yet her feet seemed to have a will of their own, eventually leading her back toward the heart of the Vale Compound.Once she reached the fifth floor, she forced thoughts of the Alpha into a locked corner of her mind. She had a more pressing concern: Blair. Her sister’s exhausted, hollow expression from the night before haunted her, a

33

The physical reaction was instantaneous, a wildfire leaping through Willow’s nerves. She had no idea what depths he intended to plunge into next, and for a fleeting second, she tried to maintain her icy resolve. She tried not to respond. But when Roman sought her lips as if they were the only cure for a lifelong thirst, his earlier ultimatum became a blur.Surrendering, she locked her arms around his neck, pulling the Alpha closer and meeting his hunger with a desperate, silver-etched passion of her own. Roman let out a low, territorial groan. In one fluid motion, he pinned her against the stone wall, capturing both of her wrists above her head with a single hand. His other hand traced the line of her waist, his touch heavy and possessive.Willow’s body arched into him, a silent plea for more, but fate was a cruel mistress. He pulled back abruptly, leaving her breathless and whimpering. The words come back died on her tongue, but she knew her eyes were screaming them for her.A jagged

34

The curious stares radiating from the council table were suffocating. Irritating, impossible man, Willow thought, her skin still prickling from his proximity. She glanced at the clock, realizing the sands were running out on his ultimatum.Though her heart had already betrayed her, she knew facing him in the predatory silence of his office was a tactical error. He had a way of unraveling her logic with a single look. Reaching for her phone beneath the table, she drafted a quick link-message.Yes.Her device buzzed almost instantly against her palm.Yes, what? You finally admit you are my Luna?Willow’s eyes widened, and she nearly choked. No! I mean, yes, I will go on the date. She hurriedly typed a follow-up. But do not mistake this for a surrender. We are going out as friends. Nothing more.Across the table, she saw Roman’s jaw turn to granite. His gray eyes hardened into flint. When he looked up, she refused to flinch, holding his gaze with a defiant tilt of her chin.Another vibra

35

The Enforcer gave a submissive dip of her head before leaving the two of them in the silence of the bedroom. "I'll be right outside, Roman. My ears are open," Blair whispered, pulling the heavy oak door shut.Roman moved to the edge of the mattress, his frame casting a long shadow. His gaze drank in her sleeping form—the Willow who had haunted his dreams for seven years. Her eyes, the color of a mountain lake, were hidden behind thick lashes. As her eyelids fluttered, he reached out, his calloused fingers grazing her skin with the reverence of a prayer. From her flushed cheeks to her soft, parted lips, and down the pale column of her throat, he traced her.He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of her neck. The scent hit him like a physical blow—honey and bright citrus, the signature of his mate. It acted like ice on the fever of his soul. His heart, usually a drum of war, found its rhythm again. My Willow. A low growl vibrated in his chest. Her skin was like silk, and her soft

36

Seeing the rigid set of his shoulders and the way his pupils bled into the dark gray of his irises made Willow second-guess the daring cut of her silk dress. They were entirely isolated in the coastal silence of Redwood Bay, far from the prying eyes of the pack. He hadn't even caught sight of the nonexistent back of the garment yet.As Roman closed the distance, his predatory grace unwavering, her pulse spiked. She stood her ground, refusing to let him scent the sudden spike of adrenaline—or the longing—in her blood. But her resolve was a fragile thing. As he loomed over her, she stammered, "W-what are you doing?"He remained silent, his intensity speaking for him. He raised a hand, tracing the line of her throat with a touch so light it felt like a ghost of a brand. Willow shivered, her inner wolf stirring. Reaching for the nape of her neck, he deftly unpinned her hair, letting the chestnut waves spill over her bare shoulders."This is how you should always be," he murmured, his brea

37

Why was a ghost from her past haunting this frequency?The device buzzed again in her palm, but this time it was a text. Willow’s thumb hovered over the screen, trembling."Who is reaching out?"The deep roll of Roman’s voice made her jump. She spun around, sliding the phone back into her silk clutch with practiced speed. "It’s just Elaine. She’s checking to see if we reached the coastal territory safely."She couldn't utter Tyler Boone’s name. No matter how enchanting Roman was being tonight, his protective streak was a volatile thing. Jealousy was a jagged edge on an Alpha, and she refused to let a shadow ruin the first peace they’d found in years. She would deal with the obsessed Enforcer from her Manhattan days later.Roman nodded, though his eyes lingered on her face a second too long. He set the heavy silver trays on the table and pulled out her chair."Thank you," she whispered, sinking into the seat.As he sat across from her, she couldn't help but stare at his broad shoulders

38

Would you like more lavender tea?" Elaine asked, her voice soft with a mother's intuition.Willow shook her head, keeping her gaze fixed on the steam rising from her cup. She felt the heavy weight of the previous night’s revelations pressing against her chest like a physical stone."Are you truly alright, Willow?" Elaine hesitated, her own turquoise eyes—so much like her daughter's—searching for a crack in the armor.This time, Willow forced herself to look up, a fragile smile pinned to her face. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"Elaine’s brow furrowed. "You look... weary. As if you haven't slept since the last full moon."Willow knew what her mother saw: the shadows beneath her eyes, the puffiness she couldn't quite mask. Nothing ever escaped a mother’s gaze in the Grant House. A sharp pang in her heart forced Willow to take a shallow breath. She wished she could scream the truth, but the secrets were too jagged."It's nothing, Mom. I slept. I've just had a persistent headache since da

39

The moment I realized how effortlessly they had dismantled my dreams, my primal instincts, and years of devotion in a single heartbeat, the world fractured. Even with the truth laid bare, the sting was lethal."Don’t! Don’t you dare try to scent my guilt or explain a thing. You’ve spilled enough blood already! Leave me be!" I had snarled at his face when he tried to block my path from the coastal cliffs last night.Tugging at his hair in a frantic display of desperation, his gray eyes wide and wild with panic, he had begged for a chance to speak. "Willow, please! Just listen. I was backed into a corner. I couldn't let you tether your soul to a dying wolf. Trust me, I have never craved another life the way I crave yours. You were my moon. You still are.""And that is why you drove me into exile?" My vision was a blurred mess of salt and grief. "Now, I’ll grant your wish for real. I am going so far beyond the pack borders that you’ll never find my scent again!"He had flinched as if I’d

40

"Punish me as you see fit, I would endure any penance. Just do not sever the link. Please, Willow."Willow? My heart felt a painful tug at the raw agony in his voice, the desperation in his gray eyes, and the jagged edge of his stance. But I forced the memories of his betrayal to the surface, hardening my resolve. Even though my eyes burned with unshed tears, I kept my expression as cold as a mountain winter."The only thing I want from you is to vanish from my sight. I have no desire to discuss the past. So please, just leave the Grant House.""Do not say that. We can find a way through this. Willow, please..." He trailed off, his gaze snapping to something over my shoulder. The pleading look vanished, replaced by eyes as hard as flint. His shoulders squared, and his claws began to itch at his sides."So, this is why you're so restless," Tyler said.I looked back to find him standing directly behind me. His unreadable brown eyes were fixed on the man down on the road, whose lethal gl

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