Aiden POV

The beast inside me was pacing, clawing at the back of my skull, demanding blood. It took every ounce of my restraint not to chase Marcus Thorne down the hallway and rip his throat out. He had touched her. He had dared to put his filthy hands on what the Moon Goddess had decided was mine.

Mine. The word echoed in my head, a taunt rather than a comfort.

I turned my back on Emery. I couldn't look at her. If I looked at her—at those wide, terrified eyes and that trembling mouth—I would lose the fragile grip I had on my control. I would claim her right here on the conference table, consequences be damned.

Instead, I focused my rage on the incompetence that had allowed this to happen.

Janice Spears stood near the door, her face a mask of crumbling plaster. She reeked of fear—sour and acrid.

"You," I growled, my voice low but carrying the weight of a thunderclap.

Janice flinched. "Alpha Madden, I... I didn't know he would—"

"Silence."

The command slammed into her, snapping her jaw shut. I stalked toward her, the employees in the open-plan office parting like the Red Sea. They kept their heads down, submitting to the aura of violence rolling off me.

"You sent a junior liaison into a room with a known predator," I said, stopping inches from her. "You failed to vet the client. You failed to secure the perimeter. You failed to protect a member of this Pack's staff."

"It was a test," she whimpered, sweat beading on her forehead.

"A test?" I laughed, a dark, humorless sound. "You gambled with my assets. In my Pack, stupidity is a crime."

I looked around the room, meeting the gaze of every terrified onlooker. "Janice Spears is hereby stripped of her title. You are demoted to Junior Assistant in Archives. If I see you on this floor again, you will be terminated. Permanently."

I didn't wait for her response. I turned on my heel and stormed toward the elevators, forcing myself not to glance back at the conference room where Emery still stood.

Hours later, my office felt like a cage.

The scent of her—wild lavender and rain-soaked pine—was haunting me. It clung to my clothes, my skin, my very soul. I tried to focus on the acquisition reports on my desk, but the letters blurred.

Suddenly, a sharp spike of irritation pierced my mind. It wasn't mine.

My head snapped up. The bond—that thin, unwanted thread connecting me to her—vibrated with a foreign presence. It was faint, muffled by the distance and the fact that we hadn't completed the mating process, but I could feel it.

A male presence.

It was sliding into her mind, familiar and possessive.

Who is he? My wolf snarled, pacing aggressively in my mind's eye. Kill him.

I couldn't hear their words, but I could feel the texture of the connection. It was intimate. Comfortable. She was opening her mind to another male while I sat here, fighting a war against my own instincts.

The intercom buzzed. "Sir," Ferdinand's voice came through, hesitant. "You asked for an update on... the new Liaison Officer."

"Speak," I gritted out.

"She has left the building. She has a reservation at The Gilded Antler for three."

"Three?"

"Yes, sir. She met a man and a woman in the lobby. The man... he seemed very close to her."

My pen snapped in half, ink exploding over my hand like black blood.

So, she had a lover. And she was parading him around my city, eating at my restaurants, mocking the bond that was currently tearing me apart.

"Get the car," I ordered, standing up. The chair flew back and hit the wall. "Now."

The Gilded Antler was dim, smelling of roasted venison and old money. The maître d' froze when he saw me, his face draining of color, but I ignored him. My eyes scanned the room, hunting.

I found them in a secluded booth near the back.

Emery was sitting there, her back to the wall. She looked beautiful, which only fueled my rage. But it was the man next to her that made my vision swim with red.

He was the one from the airport. The one who had touched her arm. The one whose scent was all over her.

As I watched, the man leaned over and wrapped his arm around the woman sitting next to him—a woman with long dark hair, similar to Emery's. He pulled her in and kissed her deeply, a display of affection that was nauseatingly public.

And Emery? She was smiling.

She was watching her lover kiss another woman, smiling as if this depravity was normal. Was this what she was? A woman with no morals? A woman who shared her bed and her heart with whoever was available?

The betrayal tasted like ash in my mouth. I had almost killed an Alpha today to protect her honor, and here she was, spitting on mine.

I didn't just walk toward their table; I marched toward it like an executioner approaching the scaffold. The air in the restaurant grew heavy, the chatter dying out as my Alpha aura suffocated the room.

I stopped at the edge of their table. My shadow fell over them, cold and absolute.

Emery looked up, her glass of water halfway to her lips. Her eyes widened in shock, and for a second, I saw fear. Good. She should be afraid.

"Mr. Madden?" she squeaked, her voice trembling.

She didn't know. She had no idea that the man standing above her wasn't just her boss, but the husband she had betrayed before the ink on the marriage certificate was even dry.

And I was going to make sure she regretted every single second of it.

Emery POV

The air in the restaurant didn't just grow heavy; it solidified, pressing against my lungs like wet concrete. The chatter of the other patrons vanished, replaced by a ringing silence that screamed of danger.

"Mr. Madden?" I whispered again, my voice trembling.

He didn't answer. He didn't even blink. His eyes, swirling with a storm of black and gold, were fixed on me with a hatred so palpable it felt like a physical blow. Then, his gaze flicked to Jonah. The look he gave my cousin was one of pure, unadulterated disgust—like Jonah was a disease he needed to scrape off his shoe.

"You dare," Mr. Madden snarled, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through the floorboards. "You dare parade your filth in my city."

"Excuse me?" Jonah stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Watch your tone, pal. I don't know who you think you are, but—"

"Sit."

The command wasn't shouted, but it hit the room like a shockwave. It was an Alpha's Command, laced with ancient, undeniable power. Jonah's knees buckled instantly. He slammed back into his chair, his face twisting in shock and fury as his body betrayed him, forced into submission by a rank far superior to his own.

Juliette gasped, clutching Jonah's arm, her eyes wide with terror.

I couldn't move. I was frozen, a rabbit caught in the headlights of a predator. Mr. Madden turned his attention back to me. He looked at me not as an employee, or even a person, but as a stain on his honor.

"I will not be tethered to a whore," he stated, his voice ice-cold and loud enough for the surrounding tables to hear.

My breath hitched. "W-what?"

He didn't explain. He simply delivered the execution.

"I, Aiden Madden, reject you, Emery Travis, as my mate."

The words hung in the air for a fraction of a second before the pain hit.

It wasn't a gradual ache. It was a violent, tearing sensation, as if an invisible hand had reached into my chest and ripped my soul in half. I screamed, but no sound came out—only a choked gasp as darkness swarmed the edges of my vision. My hands flew to my chest, clawing at my dress, trying to stop the agony that radiated from my very core.

"Emery!" Jonah roared, fighting the invisible weight pinning him down, veins bulging in his neck.

Through the haze of blinding pain, I saw Mr. Madden turn his back on me. He didn't look back. He walked away with the cold indifference of a king leaving a battlefield, leaving me shattered on the velvet seat, gasping for air that wouldn't come.

Aiden POV

The moment the elevator doors of the parking garage closed, my knees nearly gave out.

I staggered toward my car, my hand clutching my chest. The bond—that thin, irritating thread I had just severed—snapped back with the force of a whip. A jagged, burning pain seared through my ribs, stealing my breath.

You fool! My wolf howled, throwing himself against the bars of my mind. You hurt her! You hurt our mate!

"She betrayed us," I gritted out, forcing myself to unlock the car door. My hands were shaking. "She is not ours. She belongs to the streets."

I collapsed into the driver's seat, slamming the door shut to seal myself in the silence. But there was no silence. There was only the echo of her gasp, the look of utter devastation in those wide, terrified eyes.

Why did it hurt this much? I had won. I had cut out the cancer before it could spread. I should feel relief.

Instead, I felt like I was bleeding out.

I gripped the steering wheel so hard the leather creaked, gasping for air, waiting for the agony to subside. It didn't. It settled deep in my bones, a cold, hollow ache that whispered of a mistake too great to measure.

The drive back to the Madden estate was a blur. When I walked into the main living room, the fire was dying in the hearth, casting long, dancing shadows across the floor.

My grandmother, Lucia, was sitting in her high-backed armchair. She didn't look up from the book in her lap, but I knew she was aware of my presence. The air around her crackled with disapproval.

"You reek of misery, Aiden," she said, her voice sharp.

I poured myself a drink from the crystal decanter, my hand still trembling slightly. "I did what had to be done. I rejected her."

Lucia closed her book with a snap that echoed like a gunshot. She turned her steel-grey eyes on me. "You rejected the gift from the Goddess because of your pride."

"Pride?" I spun around, the whiskey sloshing in my glass. "I saw her, Grandmother! I saw her with him at the restaurant. He had his arm around another woman, kissing her right in front of Emery! And she smiled! She sat there and smiled like it was acceptable!"

"And that is why you condemned her?" Lucia stood up, her small frame radiating a power that rivaled my own. "Because you saw a warrior kiss a woman?"

"He is her lover!" I roared, the beast inside me pacing aggressively. "He touched her at the airport. He was with her tonight."

"An Alpha's eyes, when clouded by jealousy, see only what his rage wants him to see," Lucia said quietly, stepping closer to me. Her gaze was piercing, stripping away my defenses. "You saw him kiss a woman. But tell me, Aiden... did you truly see which woman he kissed?"

I froze.

The memory replayed in my mind, but it was jagged, red-tinted by my fury. I saw the man. I saw the dark hair of the woman he pulled close.

Emery has dark hair.

But so did the other woman.

"Are you willing to condemn your soul based on a shadow?" Lucia whispered, placing a hand on my arm. "Because once that door is closed, grandson, it does not open again easily."

I pulled away from her, turning to stare into the dying fire. "I know what I saw," I said, but my voice lacked its usual iron.

Later, in the oppressive silence of my bedroom, I lay staring at the ceiling.

The scent of her—wild lavender and rain—still clung to my senses, a phantom limb I couldn't shake. I closed my eyes, and all I could see was her face in that final moment. The shock. The pain.

There was no guilt in her eyes. Only confusion.

What if...

My wolf whined, a low, mournful sound that vibrated in my chest.

I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow, but sleep was a distant memory. The victory I had claimed tasted like ash in my mouth, and for the first time in my life, I was terrified that I had been the villain in my own story.

Emery POV

The silence in my temporary apartment was louder than any scream. I lay curled on the stiff mattress, my knees pulled to my chest, shivering despite the heavy duvet. The pain of the rejection wasn't just emotional; it was physical, a relentless grinding in my bones, as if my body was trying to reject its own marrow.

I needed an anchor. I needed my father.

Closing my eyes, I reached out across the vast distance, pushing through the static of my pain to find the familiar mental signature of Clint Travis, the Elder of the Silvermoon Pack and the man who had raised me.

Dad? My mental voice was thin, trembling like a broken violin string.

The connection snapped into place instantly. Emery? Thank the Goddess. I've been trying to reach you.

A sob caught in my throat. It hurts, Dad. He... he rejected me.

I waited for the wave of comfort, for his righteous anger on my behalf. Instead, there was a heavy pause. When Clint's voice returned, it was laced with a hesitation that chilled me more than the fever.

I know, Em. Lucia Madden called me. She was frantic. His tone shifted, becoming guarded. She said Aiden reacted to something he saw. She mentioned a warrior... that you were intimate with another male in public. Emery, please tell me you didn't jeopardize the alliance by being reckless.

The air left my lungs.

Reckless? I sat up, ignoring the way my head spun. I was with Jonah! My cousin! We were having dinner!

Lucia said Aiden was convinced...

I don't care what that monster is convinced of! I screamed down the link, my inner wolf bristling with betrayal. I was humiliated in front of a restaurant full of people, my soul was ripped in half, and your first question is whether I behaved myself?

Emery, I have to consider the Pack—

Consider this, I snarled, slamming my mental walls up. I am alone.

I severed the link, gasping for air as the solitude crashed back down on me, heavier than before.

The next morning, I dragged myself to the Madden Enterprises tower. My body felt like it was made of lead, and my eyes were gritty from a sleepless night, but I refused to hide. If I stayed in bed, the pain would win.

When I walked into the top-floor office, the air was thick enough to choke on. It smelled of ozone, rain, and something else—burnt sugar and distress.

Mr. Madden was behind his desk. He didn't look up. He was staring at his computer screen with a rigidity that suggested he might shatter if he moved.

"Mr. Madden," I said, my voice raspy. "I have the updated files on the Alpha Marcus situation."

"That matter is closed," he cut in. His voice was a low rumble, devoid of any warmth. It scraped against my raw nerves. "Your involvement ends here. Leave the file."

He still hadn't looked at me. It was as if I were a ghost he was trying to exorcise by ignoring.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked toward his massive mahogany desk. My legs were shaking, the proximity to him making my wolf whine in confusion and agony. Mate, she whispered weakly, why does he hate us?

I reached out to place the folder on the corner of his desk. As I did, my gaze snagged on a document lying open near his hand.

It was printed on heavy, cream-colored paper, the font archaic and severe.

FORMAL PETITION OF REJECTION

My heart stopped. The world narrowed down to the two names printed in bold black ink at the bottom of the page.

Petitioner: Alpha Aiden Madden

Recipient: Emery Travis

The air left the room.

The man at the airport who stood me up. The man at the restaurant who called me a whore. My boss.

They were all the same person.

I stared at the paper, horror dawning on me like a cold sunrise. I had been working for my mate. I had been trying to impress the very man who had decided I wasn't worth knowing before he'd even met me.

Aiden's head snapped up. He saw where my eyes were fixed. For a second, the mask of the cold CEO slipped, revealing the wild, tormented eyes of a wolf who had been caught in a trap of his own making.

"Get. Out." The growl vibrated through the desk, through the floor, through me.

I stumbled back, clutching my chest, and fled the office before I could vomit.

By noon, I was sitting at my desk, staring blankly at my computer screen, my hands trembling. I should have quit. I should have run. But my contract... the clause about leaving without notice... I was trapped.

"Miss Travis."

I jumped. Ferdinand, Mr. Madden's Beta, stood over me. His face was a mask of professional indifference, but his eyes held a flicker of pity that I hated.

"The Alpha requires the seating chart for the Blackwood Annual Gala to be finalized by end of day," he said, placing a leather-bound guest list on my desk.

I opened it numbly, flipping to the last page—the Alpha's Table.

There, printed in gold lettering right next to Aiden's seat, was a name that made my stomach turn.

Gisele Donovan.

The actress. The woman the tabloids called "The Future Luna of Blackwood."

"The Alpha expects this to be handled with the utmost discretion," Ferdinand said, his voice flat. "Follow protocol."

He walked away, leaving me staring at the name of the woman who would take my place. He wanted me to arrange the seat for his chosen lover. He wanted me to pave the way for my own replacement.

I gripped the edge of the desk until my knuckles turned white. He wanted to break me? Fine. But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me crumble. Not today.