The Alpha's Ultimatum

ROMAN

The door slammed behind me as I stormed into my office. The taste of rage was metallic in my mouth, ruining what had started as a perfect evening with Vanessa and Fabian. That calculated interruption by Seraphina had accomplished exactly what she'd intended—turning our rare moment of peace into another point of tension.

Vanessa's goodbye had been cold. Distant. One step forward, two steps back.

I poured myself two fingers of whiskey and downed it in one burning gulp. The amber liquid did nothing to calm the storm building inside me. My wolf, Asher, paced restlessly beneath my skin, wanting to tear something apart.

A knock at the door interrupted my brooding.

"Enter," I barked.

Marcus appeared in the doorway, Annelise hovering behind him. My Beta and his mate—two of my oldest allies and friends. Tonight, they felt like strangers.

"Alpha," Marcus began carefully. "We wanted to—"