29

29

Mason's POV

The walls of the mansion felt too quiet.

Too still.

Bethany's scent lingered in the air, sweet and infuriating. It clung to the halls, to the furniture, to me. No matter how far she tried to run, no matter how cold she acted, she was still mine.

But something was off.

I noticed it the second Adrian stepped back into this house.

Bethany's scent was on him. Subtle, but there. Clinging to the collar of his shirt, woven into his skin.

And it burned me alive.

I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping against the armrest in a steady rhythm. The office door creaked open, and Marcus stepped inside. Loyal. Obedient. One of the few pack members I actually trusted.

"Alpha." He dipped his head in respect.

I didn't look at him. I stared ahead, eyes fixed on nothing.

"I need you to keep an eye on Bethany."

There was a slight hesitation. "Bethany?"

My eyes snapped to him.

"Did I stutter?"

Marcus straightened. "No, Alpha. Of course not."

I stood slowly, rolling my shoulders to loosen the tension there.

"And Adrian."

Marcus blinked, caught off guard.

"Adrian?"

"I want to know where they go. What they say. Every glance. Every word. You see something, you report it to me. Immediately."

He nodded. "Understood."

I moved closer, dropping my voice. "And Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"If you catch him touching her, don't wait for my order. Break his fucking hand."

Marcus's mouth tightened, but he didn't question me. He bowed his head again.

"It will be done."

I dismissed him with a flick of my hand, watching as he slipped out of the room.

Adrian thought he could play games with me. Thought he could take what was mine right under my nose.

He was wrong.

Bethany was here because of me. She owed me. Every breath she took, every step she made in this house, was because I allowed it. And she would learn to remember that.

But for now, I needed a distraction.

I pushed away from the desk, my body tight with anger, with something else simmering just beneath the surface.

Power. Control.

I stalked down the hallway, my footsteps echoing against the marble floors until I reached one of the guest rooms.

The door was ajar, and I didn't bother knocking.

Inside, Sabrina lounged on the bed, legs crossed, flipping through a magazine like she didn't have a care in the world.

She looked up, and a slow smile curled on her lips.

"Alpha."

Her voice was smooth, practiced. She knew why I was here.

I didn't say a word.

Didn't need to.

Her smile widened, and the magazine slipped from her fingers.

Moments later, her body was under mine, her nails dragging down my back.

But it wasn't her I was thinking about.

It was Bethany.

Her soft sounds. Her skin under my hands.

And that thought alone made me rougher. Harder. Like I could fuck the ghost of her out of my mind.

But it didn't work.

Not even when Sabrina moaned my name, nails digging into my shoulders.

Not even when she gasped and arched against me.

It was still Bethany.

Her face. Her mouth. Her scent.

Mine.

A soft creak of the door made me freeze.

I didn't have to look to know who it was.

Bethany.

Her scent hit me before my eyes did.

I turned my head slightly, and there she was, standing in the doorway.

Her expression was unreadable. Cold. Indifferent.

Like she didn't give a damn about what she was seeing.

That cut deeper than it should've.

She didn't move. Didn't flinch.

Her eyes met mine, and something sharp twisted in my chest.

Then, slowly, so calmly it made my blood boil, she turned and walked away.

No reaction.

Nothing.

I shoved Sabrina off me without a second thought, ignoring her shocked gasp as I pulled on my pants.

I stormed out of the room, rage pounding through me like a second heartbeat.

Bethany was halfway down the hall when I caught up to her.

"Bethany."

She didn't stop.

I grabbed her arm, yanking her back hard enough to make her stumble.

Her eyes snapped to mine, calm. Cold.

"What?"

That single word was enough to push me over the edge.

"What?" I repeated, voice low and dangerous. "That's all you have to say?"

She yanked her arm from my grip.

"What do you mean?" She asked in the same cold voice, raising a brow as she eyed me.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Beth," I shot back.

"You can fuck whoever you want, Mason. Why should I care?" Her tone was flat. Uninterested.

Like I wasn't worth her time.

"You think I did this to get a reaction out of you?" I snarled.

She arched a brow. "Did you?"

My hands curled into fists.

"You think you're so above it all, don't you? Walking around here like you're untouchable."

Her eyes narrowed. "No, Mason. I know exactly where I stand. Right where you put me."

I took a step closer, towering over her.

"You don't get to act like this doesn't matter."

She tilted her head, mocking me. "Why? Because it matters to you?"

That hit harder than it should have.

My jaw tightened.

"You should watch how you speak to me."

"Or what?" She didn't flinch. "You'll punish me? Hurt me? Remind me that I'm nothing but your little puppet?"

I leaned in, close enough that she could feel the heat of my breath.

"You think Adrian will save you?"

There it was. The flicker in her eyes.

But it was gone just as fast.

"Go to hell, Mason."

She turned on her heel, leaving me standing there, seething.

Her indifference was worse than hate.

I wanted her to scream. To fight. To care.

But she didn't.

And that tore me apart more than I'd ever admit.

Because Bethany may have hated me, but she would never belong to anyone else.

Not Adrian.

Not anyone.

Mine.