The Fractured Contract

Griffon Knight’s private jet landed at the airport at 7:00 p.m., just as the sun was starting to set, vivid orange and red giving way to the bright light of the moon. Within a half hour of his arrival, he requested that I be brought to his downtown penthouse. 

Per our contract, I must be thoroughly cleansed “inside and out” without any traces of perfume or makeup. As an Alpha, his senses were more perceptive than most wolves. I strictly followed his preferences and requirements, changed into freshly washed silk pajamas, and then went to the bedroom on the second floor.

Griffon was sitting in front of the fire in his leather wing chair, one ankle resting on his knee in a relaxed manner, flipping through a stack of documents. When I entered the room, he gave me a glance before placing the papers on the side table next to him.

“Come here,” he demanded, his wolf flashing amber in his dark eyes as a secondary narrowed his gaze at me. A chill ran over my spine.

His voice was gruff and emotionless, weighing heavily on my heart as it always did. I longed, just once, to hear something in his tone when he spoke to me. But he always maintained his powerful and mysterious aura, never indicating what he was thinking or feeling. I didn’t dare to hesitate for a moment, worried that any delay might anger him.

Keeping my head tilted down in deference to his formidable presence, my bare feet were silent on the plush carpet as I rushed over to him.

As soon as I was at his side, he pulled me into his arms and onto his lap, lifting my chin with his large hand.

He lowered his head and kissed my waiting lips aggressively, without any traces of the warmth I longed for. His tongue delved into my mouth, twisting around mine, and desire flowed through my body, pooling in my nether regions.

Griffon might seem noble and restrained to his pack and other pack elites, but he showed no such thing when it came to sex. He was never restrained, never tender with me. No sweet talk, no soft kisses. Just hunger, desire, sex.

With me, he was always the animal. Always the coarse Alpha, never the cool, calm, and collected leader that others saw.

He had been away on packing business for three months; he probably wouldn’t let me go easily tonight.

As I had expected, he was rougher than usual. It was as if he were all feral wolf instead of just mostly wolf like he typically was.

Griffon didn’t stop his thrusts until I was too exhausted for more, his wolf shining in his eyes and his face twisted in a snarl the entire time.

When I woke up, I found myself alone in bed. Instead of the usual silence I typically wake up to, I heard running water coming from the bathroom.

I frowned in confusion and looked in the direction of the sound surprised to see Griffon’s tall and muscled form reflected in the glass door of the shower. He usually left immediately after our encounters. No goodbye, no waiting for me to wake up.

I struggled to sit up, my body spent from hours of lovemaking, and I quietly waited for the man to come out.

A few minutes later, the water stopped, and Griffon came into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist.

Water droplets from the tips of his dark hair fell onto his bronze skin, slowly sliding down his well-defined abs. His face was finely chiseled, exquisitely handsome, with sharp, distinct features.

His eyes, almond-shaped and hazel, were aloof and distant, deep and unreadable.

Even in his human form, his dark wolf side showed through, creating even more of an enigma surrounding the Alpha.

To everyone else, he was charming yet distant, friendly yet aloof and unattainable. With one glance, people could tell he was not an easy man to get along with, but not completely impossible.

To me, he was simply cold, harsh, and unreachable even when he was inside me.

Seeing that I was awake, he gave me a stony look and said, “You don’t need to come anymore.” I blinked, clutching the covers tightly around my body, my knuckles white as a sliver of panic raced through my heart. What did he mean?

Griffon turned around, went to the side table, to the papers he’d been looking through last night. He shuffled through them, then tossed one onto the bed in front of me.

I’m canceling our contract. You’re laid off.

I felt the blood drain from my face, and my heart stopped for minute. Fired not we’re breaking up?

Regardless of how our relationship had started, regardless of how I’d come to feel about him, I knew this day would come.

Because in reality, we had no “relationship”. We were employer and employee, and I served only one purpose for Griffon. Nonetheless, his words stung.

I’d never expected that he would end things so abruptly. I’d thought I’d have more time. Sure, I’d expected his typical unemotional coldness, but this was beyond that.

After being with him for five years, he gave me no reason or explanation.

He didn’t think I deserved that, and it was painful to think about. Suppressing the sharp pain in my heart, I slowly raised my head from staring at the document on the bed and gazed at Griffon.

Enough time had passed with my being frozen by his words that he was now fully dressed in his typical dark suit.

“But…the contract will expire in six months. Can’t we wait for a little longer?” My voice was partially pleading, and I struggled to keep it from cracking.

The doctor said I only had three months left, and the only thing I wanted to stay with the doctor until the end of my life.

Griffon remained silent, staring at me with his stoicism and vacant expression, as if he were kicking away a toy he had grown tired of playing with.

His silence was all I needed. His decision was final.

After five long years of trying, I had failed to thaw Griffon’s frozen heart. It was time to wake up from my illusion.

I took the contract and plastered on a fake smile, attempting to feign indifference. “Don’t be so serious. I was just joking.” Then, I added, “I’m glad this is over. I get six months off. How perfect!”

Griffon paused as he adjusted his shirt sleeves, then lifted his gaze at me.

It took everything in me to make sure there was no sadness in my eyes, to make sure the only emotions he could see were excitement or relief. The absolute last thing I felt.

Griffon narrowed his eyes and frowned. “You’re glad it’s over?”

I nodded and shrugged one shoulder as if I hadn’t a care in the world.

“Yup. I’m not the little girl I was when I agreed to this. It’s time for me to get married and have children. I can’t always be your contract lover, can I?”

Inside, I laughed at myself. It was impossible for me to get married or have children, but I’d be damned if I ever let Griffon know that.

I would leave with dignity and grace.

I forced another smile and asked, “Does that mean I can finally have a normal boyfriend once I leave here?”

Griffon’s eyes were filled with deep and unidentifiable emotions.

After staring at me for a while, he looked at his watch and turned to leave. “Do whatever you want.”

Looking at his back as he turned and walked away, my smile faded.

Griffon hated it when other people touched his things, including his woman. His wolf would push through, his eyes flashing amber and his claws coming out. But this time, there were no reactions. He truly was done with me.