Because she was right – I had blamed her for this before.
The ringing kept going, sharp and unrelenting, echoing through the quiet hallway.
My grip tightened on the phone until my knuckles turned white. Veins bulged along my arm.
After the ringtone played several times, I finally picked up.
Peggie’s soft, tearful voice came through the line.
“Jake, I don’t feel well tonight. Can you come see me?”
I looked at Deanna. Her face was calm, like she had expected this all along.
Grinding my teeth, I answered, “Peggie, if you’re not feeling well, call Jorge. I’m busy.”
Her voice broke. “Jake, my chest hurts. I can’t breathe. I don’t want Jorge; I want you.”
Her words faded. Following that, I heard Jorge shouting in panic. “Peggie! Peggie, what’s wrong? Jake, she passed out! Her breathing’s weak – get over here now!”
My jaw locked so hard it hurt. My mind spun into chaos.
No matter what Deanna thought, I couldn’t ignore this.
Peggie’s bloodline is fragile. If something happened, I’d never be able to face her parents.
I didn’t even get a chance to say one last word to Deanna. I spun around and rushed for the elevator.
The numbers above the elevator crawled down far too slowly. I grew more and more worried.
The wolf spirit inside me roared for release. I gave in, shifting in an instant. On four powerful legs, I exploded down the stairwell, muscles burning with raw strength as I ran down.
Deanna’s POV:
I watched Jake walk away without even looking back.
Strangely, I didn’t feel the emotional turmoil I expected. No rage. No heartbreak. Just numbness. It was like being burned so badly by wolfsbane, you stop feeling pain at all.
It made sense.
My heart had been cut open too many times. If I still hurt over him, I’d already be dead inside.
I picked up my keys from the floor, unlocked the door, and went inside. In the bathroom, I filled the tub until the water was high.
I slipped out of my clothes and lowered myself in. The moment the warm water touched my shoulders, my tight muscles finally loosened.
When I was done, I grabbed a pink silk nightgown with thin straps. The neckline dipped low, and the hem barely brushed my thighs, leaving my legs bare.
I was drying my hair when the doorbell suddenly rang.
The sound startled me so much I almost dropped the towel.
Could it be Jake?
It couldn’t be.
Given my experience, whenever Peggie was sick, he’d be gone all night.
I quickly pulled on a gray jacket, wrapping it tightly around me, and walked to the door.
I peeked through the peephole and froze. It wasn’t Jake standing outside. It was Luis.
Why is he here? What did he want?
Luis’s POV:
I had a few drinks at the business dinner tonight.
By the time I slid into the car, the burn of whiskey lingered in my throat.
The driver asked, “Where to, sir?” Without thinking, I said, “Zedowood.”
It wasn’t until we pulled up that I realized – I had come to Deanna’s neighborhood.
That faint trace of my fated mate’s scent had pulled me here, like invisible threads dragging me closer.
The night breeze cooled my face, shaking off some of the alcohol.
I didn’t intend to go upstairs. It was late.
All I wanted was to stay downstairs by her place for a little while.
Just being near her, sitting outside her building, looking up at the stars – strangely, that was enough for me.
A Rolls-Royce suddenly rolled past while I was staring at the sky.
In a regular neighborhood like this, a rare limited-edition car looked completely out of place, sticking out like it didn’t belong at all.
My eyes followed it without thinking. The moment I saw the license plate, my stomach dropped.
It’s Jake’s car.
Why is he here?
What’s going on between him and Deanna?
A wave of irritation slammed into my chest, so heavy it nearly stole my breath. Inside me, my wolf stirred restlessly.
He warned me – another Alpha had stepped onto my territory, moving in on my mate.
I couldn’t think; my body acted on its own.
I shoved open the car door, strode to the security booth, and flashed my Mooncrown badge. The guard straightened immediately and rattled off Deanna’s building and apartment number.
The elevator crawled downward, numbers changing far too slowly. My fists clenched until my knuckles went white. The scenes of Jake with Deanna kept slamming through my head. I grew more and more restless.
Finally, the doors slid open. I marched down the hallway, stopped at her door, and jabbed the bell.
The door cracked open. Deanna’s surprised voice spilled out. “Luis? Why are you here?”
With my hands in my pockets, I looked down at her. My height made it easy to take in every detail of her face and figure.
She’d just stepped out of the shower. Her cheeks glowed soft pink, damp curls stuck to her neck, and a few strands clung lazily to her skin.
A gray jacket draped over her frame, showing off pale legs down to dark blue slippers. Even her toes were flushed pink.
My gaze burned into her, searching her face for answers, forcing myself to hold back. “What’s wrong? Not happy to see me?”
Deanna pulled her sweater tighter. “It’s late. This isn’t … really a good time.”
A mocking smile tugged at my lips.
“So me showing up is inconvenient, but Jake isn’t? Deanna, do you remember what you promised me? To break it off with him. To stay far away. Tell me – did you keep your word?”
Deanna’s POV:
How did Luis know Jake had been here?
Luis’s cold, mocking voice cut through me, still shaken from Jake’s endless begging.
My frustration boiled over, and before I could stop myself, the words burst out.
“Luis, are you following me?”
The moment I said it, regret hit me.
Who the heck is Luis? He’s the pure-blood Alpha of the Mooncrown Pack. Someone like him would never waste his time following an ordinary Omega like me.
Sure enough, he smirked. “Following you? Do I need to?”
I pressed my lips tight and clutched the hem of my jacket, forcing myself to look away and shifting the topic.
“Dinner can wait for another day. I’m not in the mood tonight. Please, Mr. Eaton, just go home.”
“Haha!” He gave a short, sharp laugh. “No mood for me, but plenty of mood for Jake.”
His tone dropped lower. “Don’t forget the money I invested today. Is this how you thank me?”
My chest sank. All my confidence is gone.
This was the trap of taking favors – you owed something back.
“I … “
I started, but before I could finish, I felt warmth brush my lips.
Luis pulled his hand from his pocket. His long fingers brushed lightly across the corner of my mouth.
The warmth of his touch was strange, like it carried some electric current that numbed my skin; it made my breath catch.
Then his voice dropped low, darker than before, laced with a deadly edge. “Did he touch you?”
My heart skipped hard.
Jake had tried to kiss me earlier, but I’d pulled away just in time.
From Luis’s point of view, though, I had already accepted his investment and promised to cut ties with Jake.
And now, caught in another scene with him, it must have looked like I had tricked him.
No Alpha – especially one with Luis’s power and money – liked being made a fool.
I opened my mouth, desperate to explain, but the words never came. Luis lifted his long leg and strode into the house. The door slammed shut with a heavy thud.
The weight of his pure-blood Alpha presence filled the room in an instant. It was heavier, sharper, and more dangerous than Jake’s had ever been. My chest tightened, and before I knew it, I stepped back.
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