“Celina, where are you? Has Alpha Xavien found you?” Harlow’s voice was urgent.
“I’m in Singapore. And yes, he did find me,” Celina answered.
“Singapore? I thought you were in Iceland.”
“It’s complicated,” Celina said, choosing not to mention her new role as Sebastian’s secretary or the injury. “What’s going on with Cira?”
Harlow’s voice grew indignant. “The Shadow Pack submitted documents claiming Cira has a psychological condition. She was released yesterday afternoon. Today, their lawyers approached me about a settlement, but I shut them down immediately. We don’t want their dirty money. We’re not settling-“
“I agree to the settlement,” Celina interrupted firmly.
“What?” Harlow sounded as if she’d been slapped. “You want to settle?”
“Xavien is playing the devoted, repentant husband right now. He won’t leave, no matter how much I push him away. Even if I presented all my evidence, he might not back down. I’m not confident we’d win in court,” Celina explained, pausing meaningfully. “So… I need an accomplice.”
Harlow immediately understood and mentally cursed a hundred times. Using Cira against Xavien? The audacity was staggering.
“Are you sure about this?” Harlow asked cautiously.
“With the Shadow Pack’s resources, clearing Cira’s name completely is just a matter of time,” Celina reasoned. “If they’re offering a settlement now, we should take it.”
“Also, I need you to feed some information to Cira. Tell her Xavien wants to reconcile with me and absolutely refuses to divorce. Given her obsessive fixation on him, that will drive her insane. The Shadow Pack spoils Cira endlessly-when she loses it, they’ll pressure Xavien into marrying her. At that point, he’ll have no choice but to divorce me, whether he wants to or not.”
Harlow was momentarily speechless.
[You’re all a bit unhinged, honestly.]
Before hanging up, she asked, “What if Xavien truly regrets everything? What if he really loves you? Is there no part of you that’s wavering?”
Celina laughed softly. “If he truly regrets it, then this outcome is still fitting punishment for his betrayal. Whether he suffers or regrets, it’s exactly what he deserves.”
–
At seven that evening, Alpha Sebastian and Beta Sawyer arrived at the hospital.
Alpha Xavien was nowhere to be seen-he’d received a troubling phone call and rushed out, his face clouded with worry.
[Seems like Harper delivered my message quite effectively…]
Celina couldn’t help but feel a small, guilty pleasure. Enjoying this rare moment of calm, wondering if the factory crisis had been resolved, Alpha Sebastian and Sawyer walked in.
Alpha Sebastian looked worn out. Understandably so-with appointments piling up alongside the factory emergency, the constant back-and-forth must have drained him.
“Secretary Celina, we’re returning to Denver tomorrow,” Beta Sawyer informed her.
Noticing the relief on Beta Sawyer’s face, Celina realized the factory issue must have been successfully dealt with.
She had wanted to ask about it during their visit two days ago, but Alpha Sebastian’s stern demeanor had stopped her. Now seemed like the right time.
“Has Thomas Dunn finally confessed?” she asked.
Beta Sawyer’s eyes brightened with surprise. “How did you know?”
Even Alpha Sebastian leaned forward, intrigued by her insight.
“Just an educated guess,” Celina replied.
“They interrogated Dunn long enough to find out where I was being held, and I provided the two ghost employees,” she continued, her thoughts linking together like a puzzle.
“Logically, with such strong evidence, the investigation should’ve wrapped up quickly.”
She leaned in slightly, eyes sharp and focused.
“But I knew it couldn’t be that simple. Zoe was acting strange. If they were just partners in crime, why would one protect the other?”
“When Zoe found out Dunn confessed, he should’ve panicked. That would’ve made sense. But he didn’t. He stayed calm-too calm.”
She paused, then answered her own question.
“Maybe they had a deal. One takes the fall to protect the other. More likely, they planned everything before I even showed up at the factory.”
“If something happened to me, the investigation would zero in on Dunn first. He’d be the obvious suspect. He’d go down for it, and Zoe-the real mastermind-would walk away clean.”
–
Alpha Sebastian’s expression remained unreadable as she finished, though his brow furrowed at her final point.
“Celina,” he said quietly, his deep voice carrying unexpected intensity, “never consider yourself unimportant. If you had disappeared… I would have never stopped searching.”
I froze, completely caught off guard by the weight of his words and the emotion behind them.
At precisely 1:53 PM, the plane touched down smoothly on the tarmac of Denver International Airport. The hum of the engines faded as the aircraft came to a halt, and the passengers began to gather their belongings, ready to disembark.
As the group filed out of the plane, Celina’s eyes immediately caught sight of a sleek, black Bentley parked just a short distance away from the terminal entrance. There was no doubt-it was Sebastian’s car, unmistakable in its elegance and presence.
A small, knowing smile curved Celina’s lips as she turned to Alpha Sebastian. “You don’t have to wait for me, Alpha Sebastian. You can go ahead,” she said softly, her tone calm but firm.
Alpha Sebastian met her gaze, his eyes deep and unreadable, betraying no hint of emotion. Without uttering a single word, he simply nodded and began walking toward the waiting vehicle, his movements deliberate and steady.
Inside the Bentley, Lian’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, watching the scene unfold behind him. His brow furrowed as he noticed Celina sitting alone in her wheelchair, a sight that immediately sparked concern within him.
“Why is Miss Celina in a wheelchair?” Lian asked, his voice tinged with worry. “Did her ex-husband hurt her? Is it really safe to leave her there with him?”
Beta Sawyer chuckled softly as he adjusted his tie, a hint of amusement in his voice. “You’re reading too much into this, Lian. Her injury has nothing to do with Alpha Xavien,” he explained. Then, with a small, knowing smile, he added, “Besides, they’re technically still married. No divorce has been finalized yet. Judging by how they looked together, I’d say there’s a chance they’re patching things up.”
“Getting back together?” Lian’s eyes widened in surprise. “Again?”
Sawyer nodded confidently, as if this kind of drama was nothing new to him. “Looks like it. She wants to go home with Alpha Xavien. Classic make-up-and-ride-off-together moment.”
“But her Instagram post made it sound serious,” Lian said, frowning as he pulled out his phone. “Like she was in real trouble.”
“What post?” Sawyer asked, leaning closer as the two men huddled over the screen.
Before they could continue, a cold, commanding voice cut through the air from the back seat.
“Drive.”
The atmosphere inside the car shifted instantly. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees as both men straightened up, their conversation abruptly ending.
As the Bentley pulled away from the curb, Alpha Sebastian’s voice came again, sharp and icy like a mountain stream in winter. “Put up the partition.”
Lian pressed the button, and the privacy screen slid up silently, enclosing Alpha Sebastian in his own private, isolated space. Beta Sawyer and Lian exchanged glances, their expressions serious. Their Alpha Sebastian was clearly in a dangerous mood.
Meanwhile, at the VIP exit, I wheeled Celina through the crowd, unable to suppress the smile that tugged at my lips. Everything was unfolding perfectly. Celina was responsive, even pleasant, and each time I bent down to speak to her or brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, she didn’t pull away.
My wolf, Kael, was practically preening with pride. *She’s softening. The bond between us is too strong to break.*
*Of course,* I thought, *she’s my mate-chosen by fate. No one can change that.* For the first time in weeks, a fragile hope blossomed within me. The part of me that had been howling in anguish since she’d asked for a divorce was finally beginning to quiet.
Then, my heart sank.
There she was-Cira-standing at the edge of the bustling pickup area. She looked exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept in days. Her face was pale, her eyes rimmed with red, and most disturbingly, a bloodstained bandage was wrapped tightly around her wrist.
My joy shattered instantly.
Beta Henric stood beside my car, phone in hand, clearly trying to get my attention. But it was too late.
“Xavien…” Cira’s voice broke as she rushed forward, desperation evident in her tone.
I stepped in front of Celina’s wheelchair, planting my arm firmly to block Cira’s path. The warmth in my voice vanished, replaced by a cold, icy edge. “I sent a message through your brother. If you didn’t understand it then, let me make it clear now: there will be no more contact between us. Stop pursuing me.”
Tears welled up in Cira’s eyes, but she didn’t break down as I had expected. Instead, she took a shaky breath.
“I’m not here to cause trouble,” she whispered, her eyes flickering between me and Celina. “I won’t interfere in your marriage anymore. I’ll do whatever you want-I’ll go back to being like a sister to you. Will that be okay?”
Her sincerity softened my expression just slightly. Maybe, just maybe, she had finally grown up.
“I’m glad you understand. Now please step aside. We need to leave.”
I didn’t care what her true motives were-I only wanted her gone.
But Cira had other ideas. She slipped past me and dropped to her knees in front of Celina’s wheelchair. Gasps rippled through the crowd that had gathered.
My hands clenched into fists. “Cira! What the hell are you doing?”
To my surprise, Celina waved a dismissive hand. “Let her speak.”
Cira clasped her hands together, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. “Please don’t blame Xavien anymore. It was all my fault-my one-sided obsession. I’ll end things with him, I promise. I won’t pursue him anymore. Please don’t divorce him. I’m begging you.”
She looked genuinely remorseful.
And honestly, I was starting to feel a flicker of resentment toward Celina for being so petty.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply