Chapter 2 No.2

Alvera POV

The interior of the Alpha's Range Rover was a cage, and I was trapped inside with the two people who were actively destroying me.

I sat in the front passenger seat, my body rigid, staring blindly at the passing city lights. The air conditioning was blasting, but it did nothing to clear the cloying, suffocating mixture of scents. Kassie's artificial sakura perfume was everywhere-thick, sweet, and nauseating-polluting the crisp, clean scent of blizzard and cedar that naturally radiated from Brennan.

"Brennan, baby," Kassie purred from the back seat, her voice dripping with a sugary need that made my inner wolf gag. I could hear the rustle of fabric as she leaned into him. "Why are we driving to the Warren estate? I thought we were going to your place. I've waited six years to be in your bed properly."

My hands clenched in my lap, knuckles turning white. The silence that followed was heavy, charged with the static of an Alpha's irritation.

"You have been gone for a long time, Kassie," Brennan's voice was low, devoid of the heat she was clearly fishing for. "Your parents are expecting you. It is proper protocol for you to reunite with your Pack first."

"Screw protocol," she whined, and I heard the distinct sound of a hand sliding over a thigh. "I'm your future Luna. My place is with you."

"Not tonight."

The command was sharp, laced with Alpha authority. It wasn't a suggestion; it was a wall.

I risked a glance at the rearview mirror and immediately regretted it. Brennan wasn't looking at the woman clinging to his arm. His golden eyes were fixed on the reflection of mine, burning with an intensity that made my breath hitch. There was no love in that gaze, only a dark, confused hunger-a storm raging behind the gold. His wolf was agitated, pacing beneath his skin, likely repulsed by the wrong mate touching him while his true mate sat just inches away, unrecognized.

He tore his gaze away as the car pulled up to the imposing iron gates of the Warren estate.

"Go," Brennan said, the single word dismissing her.

Kassie huffed, clearly stung, but no wolf defied an Alpha's direct order. She gathered her things, shooting a glare at the back of my head before exiting. As soon as the door clicked shut, the artificial sweetness began to fade, leaving only the scent of the coming storm.

*

The drive back to the Apex Packhouse was silent, but the tension in the air was loud enough to scream. By the time we reached the Alpha's Den, Brennan was vibrating with pent-up energy.

He didn't even wait for the door to close before he turned on me.

"Alvera."

His voice was a rough growl. Before I could react, he had me pinned against the cool wall of the entryway. His body was a furnace, hard and demanding, pressing into mine with a familiarity that made my heart ache. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply, seeking the calm that only I could give him.

"You smell like rain," he murmured against my skin, his lips grazing my pulse point. His hand slid up my waist, his thumb digging into my hip. "Make the noise stop, Alvera. My wolf is... restless."

For three years, this had been my role. The soothing balm. The secret keeper. I would have melted into him, grateful for the scraps of affection he threw my way.

But not tonight.

With trembling hands, I reached into the leather folder I had been clutching like a shield. I didn't push him away physically-I couldn't overpower an Alpha-but I slid the crisp, cold paper between our bodies.

The rustle of the document was deafening in the quiet room.

Brennan froze. He pulled back slowly, his eyes dropping to the paper pressed against his chest.

SEVERANCE DECLARATION: REJECTION OF FATED MATE.

The bold header seemed to mock us both.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. The lust in his eyes evaporated, replaced by the cold, hard stare of the Alpha.

"You asked for it, Alpha," I said, my voice steady despite the shattering of my heart. "The draft you ordered. For the mate you rejected six years ago. It requires your review."

He stared at me, his jaw ticking. I had used his own command to stop him, turning his authority against his desire. It was a line I had never crossed before.

He snatched the paper from my hand, stepping back. The loss of his warmth was instant and brutal. "You chose *now* to give me paperwork?"

"You said you wanted the past cleaned up completely," I replied, smoothing my skirt, putting on the armor of the efficient assistant. "I assumed you wanted it done before Miss Warren takes her place."

He scanned the document, his eyes narrowing. He had no idea he was reading the terms of my execution. He had no idea he was authorizing a payoff for the woman standing right in front of him.

"Fine," he growled, tossing the paper onto his desk. "It looks adequate. Prepare the final copy."

He ran a hand through his hair, the agitation returning. He looked at me, expecting the usual routine to resume. "Go get changed. You're staying here tonight."

It was an order, one I had obeyed a thousand times. But the image of Kassie's hand on his thigh, the smell of her cheap perfume still clinging to his jacket, made bile rise in my throat.

I looked him in the eye. "No."

The silence that followed was absolute. Brennan blinked, as if I had spoken in a foreign tongue. "Excuse me?"

"I said no, Alpha," I said, my voice gaining strength. "I cannot stay tonight."

His eyes flashed gold. The air pressure in the room dropped as his aura flared, pressing down on me, demanding submission. "I did not ask, Alvera. I told you to stay."

"My mother," I lied, the words tasting like ash. "She is unwell. I need to check on her and bring her medication. I cannot leave her alone tonight."

It was a flimsy shield, but it was one he couldn't ethically smash through. Pack Law dictated that family care took precedence, even for staff.

Brennan stared at me for a long moment, searching for the lie, searching for the submissive girl he was used to. He didn't find her.

"Fine," he snapped, turning his back on me to pour a drink. The dismissal was sharp, stinging. "Go. But have that Declaration on my desk, signed and ready for the Elders, by eight tomorrow morning. Do not be late."

"Goodnight, Alpha," I whispered.

I walked out of the Alpha's Den, my legs shaking with every step. I had drawn a line in the sand, but as the heavy door clicked shut behind me, I knew the hardest part was yet to come. Tomorrow, I would sign my name on that paper, and Alvera, the Alpha's secret lover, would cease to exist.