VERENAMy body trembles as I slowly turn around to face him: Elijah.His dark eyes fixate on me, tracing every inch of my form as if he's mapping my body in his mind. His inky hair is sexily combed back, and the gray suit drapes elegantly over his muscular frame."Rena," he whispers my name gently, causing my heart to skip a beat. As he moves closer, the fabric molds to his body like a second skin, emphasizing the powerful lines of his broad shoulders and chiseled chest."No!" I say firmly as I back away from him, my back hitting the cold glass. This man rejected me, banished me, and yet my heart dances in excitement when I see him. I hate this mate bond.Elijah pulls out a green dress and holds it in front of me. "This will look good on you," he says, watching me with a gaze that sends goosebumps down my skin.I clench my fist and look straight at him. "Why are you here?" I ask. In the distance, I can hear Ruth engaged in a discussion with the manager, unaware of what's happening her
ELIJAH“Baby, which dress will look good on me?” Nixie asks for the tenth time, pointing at the dresses laid out on the hotel bed. I sigh in frustration and place a hand inside my pocket while scanning the different colored dresses. Somehow, I can’t picture which dress will look good on Nixie.My wolf, Rolf, howls inside my mind, reminding me that it took me only a few seconds to figure out what dress would look good on Rena when I was at the store. I knew her body like the back of my hand. Every inch of her body, every dip, every curve has been explored by me.“Elijah?” Nixie calls out to me, and I shift my attention towards her.“Where did you get lost?” she asks, pouting. But then she smirks as if thinking of something mischievous. “Or is it your way of saying that I’ll look good in any dress I wear?”I nod, letting her live in that delusion. She giggles. “Aw, then you could have just said so. It makes me feel good when you appreciate my beauty, you know?” She flutters her lashes a
ELIJAH Her betrayal leaves a bitter feeling in my chest, slowly morphing into anger. My jaw clenches. Who is that fucker who dared to touch Rena? Once I get my hands on him, he’ll wish that he were dead sooner. I need to ask her, and I need to know who it was. But all that anger died when I confronted her at the store. I don’t know what came over me, but I just stepped in to show her the dress I picked for her. What was she thinking while picking those ridiculous dresses? Not every dress can showcase the beauty she has. I hope she’d go with my choice. I remember the look in her eyes, the way her heart thumped in her chest when she saw me. A part of me likes to think it's because she still has feelings for me, but I can’t deny what I clearly saw in her eyes—hatred. My phone vibrates, bringing me back to the present, and I answer the call. Joshua speaks from the other side, “Everything has been going according to plan,” he reports in a serious voice, and asks, “Did Nixie suspect anyt
ELIJAHI sigh in annoyance and run a hand through my hair. I shouldn't have said that. Fuck!Irene directs her rage at me, “What plan of yours is only Joshua aware of? Alpha Elijah Donovan, what are you hiding?”I exhale audibly, and my shoulders slump. It's better if I tell them everything.I see Irene’s gaze as I say, “There is a reason I took Nixie back in. A reason that has nothing to do with her being my mate.”Dory takes a step forward, eyeing me curiously, her head slightly tilting. “What is that reason?” she asks. I can hear everyone’s hearts beating rapidly in anticipation. Even Derek is confused. After all, no one knew of my real plan except Joshua.I lean my back on the desk and cross my arms. “When Nixie returned to the pack and told me everything, I looked into the pack and found interesting details. Her story of being taken hostage by the SandStone pack is completely fake, but in order to make it real, she took help from someone to orchestrate the whole thing and injecte
ELIJAHThe punch causes Joshua to drop to the floor with a loud thud. His words pierce me like a dagger, making it hurt more than it should. I yell at him, “I would have never hurt my pup if I knew it! I am not a monster!” Joshua gets on his feet and wipes the blood off his nose. “Does not change the fact that you hurt Rena, and your pup.” he glares at me. Dory shrieks, and everyone present takes a step back as Joshua lunges back at me with a ferocious kick. I dodge it, and land a hit on his gut. He falls on the desk on his back, and the papers fly off the desk. “Goddammit Out of all the places, they had to choose the Alpha’s office to fight? The maids cleaned the place an hour ago!” Derek complains from behind. He slips between us, and blocks Joshua’s path, “Man, calm down or — Argh!” Derek grunts as Joshua kicks him back, causing him to fly across the room and hit his head hard against the glass showcase. Irene rushes to him, “Oh Goddess! Derek!!” She holds his arm while he squi
VERENAI rub my palm over my dress for the thirteenth time as I stare out of the moving car window. The tinted window reflects the nervousness on my face.“Verena?” Carlisle's voice makes me turn my head around.“Yes?”“Were you listening to what I just said?” He asks with a stoic face, and I blink in puzzlement.“Oh, I am sorry. I did not. What were you saying?” I ask, feeling a little guilty for not paying attention to him speaking.The corner of his lips slightly raises, “Relax, Blue Goddess. I was just teasing you. I didn’t say anything,” his blue eyes flash with mirth.I push a lock of hair behind my ear as my cheeks turn hot in embarrassment, “You are teasing me quite a lot these days,” I complain with a small pout.He tilts his head, “Can’t help it. You are so easy to tease, my Blue Goddess,” his expression changes to something more intense, “So what were you thinking about so deeply?”I look at my hands, “Well, I am attending the exhibition of Alpha Valentino for the first tim
VERENAMy heart thunders loudly in my chest as I meet his sharp gaze. Just watching him from afar brings back a wave of emotions that I've tried to keep buried in my heart for so long.His other arm is being held by none other than Nixie, the same woman who had banished me. This night can’t get any worse.I feel a light nudge on my hand and turn to Carlisle. His face is unreadable, but his voice is calm. "Remember what I told you," he says with a smile.I nod with a smile and raise my chin as we walk ahead. We enter the main hall, and despite my heart racing wildly, I plaster a look of absolute confidence on my face. I knew he’d be here, but I still attended the exhibition because I didn’t want to hide. I am not affected by him–at least that's what I want to show him. But I can feel his gaze on me like a hawk, pricking my back.The room is bathed in a warm, golden glow, and in one corner, a small orchestra plays beneath a canopy of twinkling lights. The classical music weaves through
VERENACarlisle threatens Elijah, but Elijah gazes back at him with a smirk. "It's funny, actually. To think that you believe you have the strength to break my bones."Carlisle scoffs. "Should I remind you of the last time we battled? I had your furry ass beaten."Elijah raises a brow. "The last I remember, my canines were digging into your hairy flesh.""You have a terrible memory.""Want me to remind you by breaking that jaw?"I narrow my eyes in annoyance. These two have started again. I am about to interrupt their verbal fight when a man steps in and diverts our attention from the tense moment.He has red hair tied in a small ponytail and sharp eyes like those of a fox. The man smiles. "Good evening, gentlemen. It seems that I’m quite lucky to meet the two powerhouse Alphas tonight," he addresses them, his height a little shorter than Carlisle and Elijah, but his aura equally powerful."Oh my!" Nixie gasps, pushing me away with a gleaming smile on her face as she walks to him. "It