Chapter 8 8

Adelina POV

The tinted window rolled down, revealing the sharp, chiseled jawline and piercing eyes of Kain Blackwell. My husband on paper. A man I barely knew, yet here he was, a phantom materializing in my darkest hour.

He didn't say a word. He just pushed the passenger door open.

Driven by a mix of exhaustion and desperation, I slid into the leather seat. The heavy door clicked shut, instantly severing the chaotic noise and freezing rain of New York. The interior was a warm, dry sanctuary, thick with his intoxicating scent-ancient cedar and a raw, crackling power that made my lungs expand.

Without a word, Kain shrugged off his tailored suit jacket and draped it over my shivering shoulders. The moment his knuckles brushed my damp skin, a violent, electric spark shot through my veins. I gasped, my heart stuttering as a strange, phantom warmth settled deep in my chest.

His gaze dropped, locking onto my hand. The makeshift bandage was soaked through with blood from where Kira had intentionally crushed the shattered champagne flute into my palm.

"Who did this to you?" Kain's voice was a low, lethal rumble that vibrated against the windows.

Shame burned my throat. I couldn't bear to admit to this powerful, enigmatic man-a man I assumed was just a rogue businessman-how thoroughly I had been humiliated and abused by my ex and my stepsister.

"It was an accident," I lied, looking away. "I dropped a glass."

Kain's jaw tightened. His knuckles turned stark white as he gripped the steering wheel. He knew. I could see it in the dangerous, predatory darkening of his eyes. But instead of calling out my pathetic lie, he reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a sleek first-aid kit.

With a reverence that made my breath hitch, he took my injured hand. He cleaned the cuts and wrapped fresh gauze around my palm. The sheer, unexpected tenderness from a man who radiated such lethal danger cracked the last of my defenses. A single, silent tear slipped down my cheek.

"I'm taking you to my penthouse," he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Panic spiked through me. I had just escaped one Alpha's cage; I wasn't about to walk into another man's territory. "No. The Plaza. I made a reservation."

A low, guttural growl vibrated in Kain's chest. His eyes flashed with a possessive instinct, his Inner Wolf clearly furious at being denied the chance to bring me to his den. For a terrifying second, I thought he would force me.

Instead, his eyes glazed over briefly-the telltale sign of a Mind-Link. He was issuing orders to his Pack. Then, the tension in his broad shoulders eased slightly, and he gave a curt nod. "The Plaza."

*

Jase POV

The silence of my penthouse was deafening.

I loosened my tie, the metallic tang of my own enraged scent suffocating the massive space. Adelina's little stunt at the gala was nothing but a desperate plea for attention. A wolfless Omega defying an Alpha's Command? Impossible. She was just throwing a tantrum.

I walked down the hall, fully expecting to find her curled up on her bed, sobbing and ready to beg for my forgiveness. I was ready to break her pride completely, to remind her exactly who she belonged to.

I shoved the guest room door open. "Adelina, you're going to-"

The words died in my throat.

The room was stripped bare. The closet doors hung open, devoid of her cheap blazers. The dresser was empty. Even the damn Egyptian cotton sheets she had bought with her own meager salary were stripped from the mattress.

Nothing. She had left absolutely nothing behind.

A cold shock hit my system, rapidly twisting into a blinding, feral rage. My Inner Wolf clawed at my mind, roaring in absolute fury. *Stolen. Ours.*

She actually thought she could leave me. She thought she could just walk out of my Pack and my life without my permission.

I crushed the doorframe under my grip, the wood splintering into pieces. She had nowhere to go. No money, no wolf, no protection. She would have to come crawling back to Davenport Tech tomorrow morning to finalize her pathetic resignation. And when she did, I would make sure she never took another step out of line again.