Chapter 3

I frowned and turned my head away. "Why should I?"

Madron reined in the desire that had momentarily spun out of control, his stern expression returning.

"Still sulking?" He paused, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Is it because of Celeste?"

He turned and sat down on the leather sofa, taking off his gold-rimmed glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I told you, she's just a distant relative of the family. Her parents were in an accident overseas, so she was sent back home."

He spoke as he pulled me down to sit beside him. "What are you so worried about? In your heart, do you really think I'm the kind of man who can't even control his own instincts as an Alpha?"

I lowered my head, just about to speak.

When a knock at the door interrupted me.

"Alpha, there's a package here. The recipient is listed as your Luna, so the front desk sent it up to your office."

The assistant pushed the door open, placed the package on the desk, and discreetly withdrew.

Madron chuckled softly, squeezing my shoulder. "What did you buy that needed to be delivered?" he said, walking over.

He completely failed to notice my utterly grim expression.

When the set of lingerie, complete with a fluffy wolf tail, was revealed from inside the package.

A rare blush crept up the tips of the usually composed man's ears.

"Amara, you... like this sort of thing?"He quickly snapped the lid shut and turned, walking toward me.

I was so furious I laughed, a dull ache throbbing in my chest.

I flung the package to the floor, the corners of my eyes stinging with red. "This isn't the one I bought, is it? Isn't that hilarious? How many Lunas do you have?"

Madron froze, a wave of panic washing over him as something seemed to click.

"I don't know who sent it!" he rushed forward, trying to explain.

I crouched down and picked up a greeting card, my fingertips trembling.

“Madron, please accept my gift. Celeste.”

"Madron, are you just pretending I don't exist?! Is my face, Amara's face, something a cheap tramp like her can just slap?!" I spat, flinging the card at his chest in a fury.

"What's next? Are you going to get into bed with her and try to explain it away as just innocent chatting under the covers?!"

Madron stared at the handwriting on the card, his brows knitting together tightly.

"Amara!" he snapped, his anger a thin veil for his panic. "Watch your mouth! What cheap tramp? She's my cousin!"

I let out a cold laugh, feeling my strength drain as I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Madron, you've never even let me touch your supercar. Why did you let Celeste drive it?"

"When we bonded, I told you I wanted to go bungee jumping, and you told me an Alpha's partner is forbidden from participating in such extreme sports. So why did you make an exception and take her skydiving?"

And the night before the skydiving trip, you stayed out all night. Where were you?

I gazed down at the streams of traffic below. Even though I was already prepared to leave him, tears still fell uncontrollably.

The old me would never have secretly cried like a coward.

I instantly wiped them away, as if the tears were just my imagination.

Madron froze behind me, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

"I..." he began, but he didn't know how to explain himself.

He moved to my side, his voice low.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. That day, she said she was heartbroken over the loss of her parents, and that's why she suggested skydiving."

"The night before, she had just gotten back into the country and wasn't feeling well. I couldn't just leave a woman alone in a hotel."

I held up a hand to cut him off. "Madron, you're not some emotionally dense fool. Don't tell me nothing happened between you two that entire night. I saw the bite mark on her neck perfectly clear."

Madron panicked. "But we didn't do anything!"

Then, as if to cover up his guilt, he leaned down forcefully, enveloping me in his hot breath.

I frowned, about to push him away, when a figure rudely burst through the office door.

"Madron, you..."