Before going to bed, Aveline made sure to lock the door from the inside. Not only that, she even took the spare key from the storeroom with her.
So when someone tried to open the door in the middle of the night, it didn’t budge. After a few moments of struggle, the person outside finally gave up. The noise had woken her, and lying in the quiet darkness, she stared at the ceiling, unable to fall back asleep.
Curiosity got the better of her, so she checked the surveillance footage, and as expected–it was Jaxson.
But by then, he was gone.
Knowing she had a full day ahead, Aveline made herself close her eyes and tried to fall back asleep.
The next morning, she got ready and headed straight to the research institute, brushing off everything Jaxson had said the night before.
She wasn’t the same mate he used to manipulate so easily. That version of her was long gone.
From the moment she made up her mind, their bond was over in her heart.
Once at the institute, she threw herself into work and pushed everything about last night far from her mind.
It wasn’t until her phone rang that she paused her work and looked at the screen.
The name flashing on the screen was Elara from Thorne Group’s legal department.
Elara was one of the few people in Thornpeak Pack who had been genuinely kind to Aveline. She had helped her back when Aveline was still working for Thorne Group, and Aveline had always been grateful for that friendship and support.
Seeing her name pop up now caught Aveline off guard.
They only talked when dealing with pack business, never about personal matters–unless something unusual had happened…
With a few uneasy guesses forming, Aveline picked up the call.
“Hey Elara, what’s going on?”
Elara’s voice cracked when she heard Aveline. After a pause, she steadied herself and said, “Luna, Alpha asked me to inform
come to the office today.”
that you
you
need to
Her voice wavered. She already knew Aveline didn’t want to come, and there had been talk around the office about the Luna turning down the
renewal offer.
But it was a direct order from Alpha Jaxson, and Elara had no choice but to follow it.
“I’m sorry, Elara. But I’ve already decided not to cooperate with Thornpeak Pack anymore, so I won’t be coming in.”
Elara had guessed this might happen, but hearing it directly still left her feeling defeated.
“Luna, I know you’ve made up your mind, but Alpha said if you don’t come, would be considered my mistake, and I could lose my job–even be
expelled from Thornpeak Pack.”
Aveline frowned, stunned.
“Wait–you’re saying Jaxson will fire you, and even expel you from Thornpeak Pack, just because I refuse to go to Thorne Group?”
“Luna, I know you don’t want to come, and I understand. But I really have no choice. He’s the pack’s alpha–I can’t disobey his orders. And he said he’d make sure no other pack takes me in. I know this is emotional blackmail… but it’s fine. I’ll find a way somehow.”
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Betrayed by Her Ex, Marked By the Alpha King
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Chapter 21
Elara choked on her sobs. She didn’t want to make things worse for Aveline, but she was stuck between loyalty and survival.
Aveline’s hands trembled with fury.
Jaxson must’ve figured out that she and Elara got along and used that connection to trap her.
He really would stoop to anything just to get his way. It was so shameless that it almost made her laugh.
Hearing Elara’s shaky sobs, Aveline squeezed her eyes shut and said firmly, “I’ll come. Don’t worry, Elara. This isn’t your fault–he’s targeting me, not you. I won’t let you be expelled from the pack because of this.”
Elara’s heart clenched at Aveline’s words. Her panic faded, replaced by gratitude, guilt, and a deep sense of unfairness on Aveline’s behalf.
“Thank you… thank you so much, Luna!”
Aveline almost said there was no need for thanks–after all, Elara had once helped her too.
Besides, she wasn’t someone who forgot a kindness, no matter how small. If Jaxson wanted her there so badly, then fine. She’d go. She wanted to see for herself exactly what kind of game he was playing now.
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