16

16

Mason's POV

Bethany stood there, shaking, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. The engagement ring glinted on my desk where she had dropped it moments ago. I stared at it. Then at her. And I almost laughed.

She really thought this was over. I needed to get it straight into her head that she belonged to me and she'll always belong to me. That she needed me more than I needed her. I leaned back in my chair, folding my hands behind my head.

"You're being dramatic," I told her at last with a scoff and her eyes widened.

"Dramatic?" She hissed, her eyes narrowing at me as she crossed her arms.

I didn't flinch. I narrowed my eyes at her too and replied her. "Yes, dramatic. Throwing a tantrum over something that doesn't even matter," I replied, eyeing her.

Her face turned red, fury flashing in her eyes. "Sleeping with another woman doesn't matter?"

I shrugged. "Not in the grand scheme of things."

Bethany gaped at me like I had just slapped her. She didn't get it. She never did.

We're werewolves. Packs survive because of strength, power, alliances. Not just because of love or loyalty. The engagement was purely strategic, love just managed to get in the way of it which was supposed to be a plus, and she knew it. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk.

"Look, Bethany. You and I both know this engagement isn't really built on love. It was about convenience. Our families, the pack, appearances," I pointed out, crossing my arms and staring at her.

Her fists clenched at her sides. "So that gives you the right to humiliate me?" I rolled my eyes.

"Stop acting like a victim. This isn't the human world. You think alphas stay loyal to one woman? Grow up," I snapped, already getting tired of her yapping.

Her nostrils flared, and for a second, I thought she might hit me. But she didn't. Instead, she took a shaky breath.

"I'm not some accessory you can drag around to look good. I'm done, Mason. For real this time."

I smirked. "No, you're not."

Her body tensed. "Yes. I am."

I chuckled lowly, shaking my head. "You'll come crawling back. You always do."

Her jaw tightened. "You're disgusting," she spat. I rose slowly from my chair, towering over her.

"No, Bethany. I'm being real. You knew what you were getting into. Don't act surprised now," I replied her flatly. I watched her closely, curious. Her scent very was different today. Something wild. Stronger. Almost… tainted. I frowned.

There was another scent clinging to her. Male. Dominant. And not human. My eyes narrowed and I even refused to think of why there was a male's scent clinging to her strongly. And the fact that her mother had called me last night, asking if she was here with me. Which only meant one thing. She had gone out with another man.

My jaw clenched. "Where were you last night?" I demanded and her eyes darted away for a spit second. Guilt. She was feeling guilty. Interesting.

"Out," she muttered, shifting on her feet and still refusing to look at me. I circled the desk slowly.

"That's not an answer." Slowly, a cruel smile appeared on my lips and I crossed my arms, watching her reactions closely.

She squared her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. We're done."

But it did matter. My wolf stirred inside of me, restless. This scent wasn't random. It was familiar. I inhaled deeply, subtly, trying my best to find out whose scent exactly it was and why it was familiar but I still couldn't come up with any name or put a face to it.

My gaze locked onto Bethany's as I took another step closer, the distance between us narrowing with each step I took closer to her. My wolf stirred, pacing just beneath the surface, sensing something that didn't sit right. The male scent on her was too strong to ignore, too dominant to belong to just anyone. My jaw ticked as I inhaled again, trying to piece together the faint familiarity of it.

"Who was it, Bethany?" I asked, my voice low but laced with the authority that came naturally to me.

She stiffened, her arms crossing tighter over her chest. "It doesn't matter, Mason," she said, her tone firm but her eyes betraying her unease. She really did sleep with someone, didn't she? And now she was breaking off this engagement with me, to what, be with him?

"It does matter," I snapped, my voice rising. "You think you can waltz in here, throw that ring on my desk, and reek of some other man without an explanation? You've got another thing coming."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "I don't owe you an explanation. We're done, Mason."

I laughed, the sound sharp and humorless. "You think it's that simple? That you can just walk away? Who was it, Bethany? Tell me." My wolf growled inside me, and I had to fight to keep it in check.

She took a step back, but her chin lifted defiantly. "I said," she began, meeting my eyes with stubbornness I've never ever seen in her. "It doesn't matter."

I slammed my hand down on the desk, the sharp crack of impact making her flinch. "Everything about you matters to me, Bethany. Especially this."

Her face twisted in disbelief. "Matters to you? Don't make me laugh, Mason." She snapped.

"You think you can walk around the pack like this, with another male's scent all over you, and humiliate me?" I demanded, glaring at her. "Is that your intention?"

"You've been sleeping around, humiliating me for months, and now you have the audacity to act like you care?" She shot back.

I narrowed my eyes, my chest heaving. "Don't deflect. Tell me who it was."

"You're unbelievable," she spat, her voice shaking with fury. "You think you can cheat, lie, and treat me like dirt, but the moment I step out of line in your eyes, you act like I'm the problem? You're a fuciking hypocrite."

I took another step forward, and she matched it with a step back, her back hitting the wall. "You're avoiding the question," I growled. "Answer the fucking question. Who was it, Bethany?"

She glared at me, her fists clenched at her sides. "It doesn't matter," she repeated, her voice colder this time. "It's none of your damn business."

My blood was boiling very hot and my wolf clawing at me to force the truth out of her. To know who the fuck she had slept with and find the bastard and tear him apart before J deal with her to make her know that she's mine and mine alone. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, the door burst open, and Lily stormed in.

Of course she had been listening in on us. What else had I expected. "Get out," I snapped but she ignored me, watching her friend closely as if to make sure she wasn't hurt in any was before turning back to me.

"What the hell is going on in here?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the air like a whip.

Bethany's best friend was like a thunderstorm in human form—fierce, loud, and impossible to ignore. She stormed up to me, her finger jabbing into my chest before I could react.

"You don't get to corner her like this," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Back off, Mason."

I stared down at her, my eyes narrowing. "This doesn't concern you, Lily."

"Oh, it absolutely does," she shot back, stepping in front of Bethany as if to shield her. "You think you can intimidate her into staying with you? Newsflash: she doesn't want you anymore. You screwed that up all on your own."

Bethany let out a shaky breath, her hands resting on Lily's shoulders. "Lily, don't—"

"No, Beth," Lily interrupted, her voice firm. "He needs to hear this. You're done with him. He doesn't get to treat you like property."

I growled low in my throat, my wolf bristling at her words. "Watch your tone, Lily," I warned. "This is between me and Bethany."

She laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "No, Mason. This is about you thinking you own her. You don't. She's free to walk away, and you can't stand it."

My fists clenched at my sides, my wolf snarling inside me. "Stay out of this, Lily. I'm warning you."

"Or what?" she challenged, her eyes blazing with defiance. "You'll threaten me like you threaten her? Go ahead. See how far that gets you."

Bethany's hand tightened on Lily's arm, her voice breaking through. "Lily, stop. Please."

Lily turned to her, her expression softening. "You don't have to take this from him, Beth. You're stronger than this."

Bethany nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I know. Let's just go."

I opened my mouth to stop them, but Lily shot me one last glare. "Stay out of her life, Mason. She's done with you. Get over it."

They turned around to leave but I moved swiftly, shutting the door and locking it. "I don't think you understand me when I say we're not done here."