Chapter 3
Aveline drove her modest black Volkswagen straight through the gates of the Bloodmoon Research Facility.
The moment she stepped inside the main office building, Maren Hale, her senior colleague, rushed up and grabbed her by the wrist.
“You’re seriously here to submit the application? What’s going on, Aveline? You didn’t reply to my messages. You can’t just make a decision like this on a whim. This project isn’t some experiment, and you should’ve at least discussed it with Alpha Jaxson.”
A sharp ache rose in Aveline’s chest, but she remained silent.
Then she unlocked her phone, opened a chat thread, and handed it over.
Dozens of provocative messages and suggestive images stared back–sent more than once. One photo in particular left nothing to the imagination.
Maren glanced at the screen, then immediately shoved the phone back into Aveline’s hands, her eyes blazing.
“That bastard Alpha! If it weren’t for your patents back then, his pack’s business wouldn’t have even gotten off the ground. And now he betrays you? Come on, we’re going back. I swear I’ll make him crawl on his knees begging for mercy.”
Aveline quickly caught her arm. “No. That won’t be necessary.”
“What do you mean, not necessary? After what he’s done? You’re just going to stand there and let him get away with it?”
Her voice was shaking, but Aveline’s was cool and even.
“Let him off? Never.” She slid her phone back into her coat pocket. “Facing him head–on would be far too easy. I want him to suffer… to truly regret everything.”
Maren said nothing more. She knew exactly the kind of person Aveline was. Brilliant in the lab. Honest to a fault. But if someone pushed her beyond her limits, she’d never let it go quietly. She’d bounce back when they least expected it–with precision and force.
They walked together toward the administrative office, and the form submission went smoothly. A few steps, a couple of stamps, and everything was nearly finalized–just awaiting the final review.
Before she left, Aveline volunteered to attend an academic seminar on behalf of the institute and gather the necessary materials.
By 3:30 p.m., the event at the Grace Hotel had wrapped up. Holding a folder against her chest, Aveline stepped out of the lobby, making her way toward the parking lot when a familiar, lazy chuckle reached her ears.
“Come on now, be good.”
She froze for a moment, then slowly turned around.
Rage at her mate’s betrayal surged through her. Aveline bit down hard on her teeth.
Jaxson had his arm wrapped around a long–haired woman with a slim waist, guiding her through the entrance of the hotel. The woman chirped, “I miss you… miss you so much,” her voice syrupy and intimate.
As she said it, she leaned into Jaxson, her lips trailing from his earlobe down his neck, her red lipstick smudging along his skin.
Jaxson laughed, low and fond, drawing her even closer, his palm firmly resting at the curve of her waist.
Aveline’s vision blurred for a second, her chest tightening.
So this was where the woman had followed him–to this very hotel–and they couldn’t even wait until nightfall.
10.10
Betrayed by Her Ex, Marked By the Alpha King
6.7%
Chapter 3
Then, through the slowly spinning glass of the revolving door, their eyes met. Jaxson’s gaze was dark and full of desire, while Aveline’s eyes were calm and distant, with a hint of mockery.
The air between them suddenly felt heavy.
The woman noticed Aveline too. But instead of looking startled, she simply smiled smugly, then turned and kissed Jaxson again–this time deeper, more deliberate, as if marking her territory.
Aveline pressed a hand to her neck. The bite mark where Jaxson had forcibly marked her throbbed with pain.
The ache didn’t fade. Her stomach churned, nausea rising.
Aveline turned away, unwilling to watch any longer.
She reached for her car door, but before she could get inside, a hand stopped her from behind. Jaxson had chased after her, a little breathless, and the smell of that woman’s bold perfume still clung to him–strong enough to make her sick.
“Let go!” Aveline tried to shake him off, but the door wouldn’t budge.
Jaxson didn’t say a word–he just grabbed her waist and pushed her into the back seat, sliding in right after. His sharp features looked tense, and his eyes flickered with a strange mix of anxiety and impatience.
“Aveline, please, let me explain.”
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