Chapter 9
Her mind went blank, and she instinctively took a few steps back, rattled.
Why was he being so blunt? So shamelessly direct? He didn’t even try to ease into it–just hit her with the truth, leaving her nowhere to hide.
Caught between irritation and embarrassment. Aveline shot him a look, her flushed face only making her more striking. “Alpha, I already apologized for it last night.”
Alistair’s throat moved as he swallowed, almost involuntarily.
The memory of her on his lap–moving the way she did–flashed vividly through his mind. His fingers twitched slightly by his side, rubbing together as if recalling the sensation.
“Still out clubbing at a time like this, Ms. Russell? You really ought to start taking better care of yourself.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and walked off.
Aveline stood frozen, mortified and seething. Watching him walk away so casually made her want to lash out, but all she could do was tighten her grip on the coat and storm back to her office.
Thankfully, Maren had been pulled into a meeting with Mr. Gibson and wasn’t around. Without wasting another second, Aveline grabbed her phone and bag and hurried out of the institute.
She found a mall nearby, bought a set of casual clothes, and finally got out of her ruined pants.
It wasn’t until she’d changed and calmed down a bit that she noticed–Alistair’s coat had blood on it too.
Even if it hadn’t been stained, she knew she couldn’t clean–and return it properly. There was no question–she’d just replace it with a new one. She checked the label for the brand and drove straight to the flagship store in the city.
But the moment she parked, her phone lit up–it was Jaxson calling.
She rejected the call, but he kept calling again and again. It was clear he wasn’t planning to stop until she picked up.
Not wanting to be dragged into another pointless argument, Aveline blocked his number without hesitation.
At that moment, she was especially grateful that Jaxson wasn’t her fated mate–he couldn’t use a mind–link to track her location.
Though speaking of fated mates–Aveline suddenly realized that in just two short days, the term had been surfacing in her mind constantly.
She bit her lip. The odds of meeting your fated mate in a lifetime were astronomically low. After being betrayed by her chosen mate, Aveline had thought herself abandoned by fate entirely. She’d never dared hope the Moon Goddess would grant her a second chance–let alone deliver her fated mate right to her doorstep.
Alistair’s appearance felt like it had lifted the shadow Jaxson had cast over her wolf. Still, Aveline kept her head clear. She knew that for packs as powerful as Silverclaw, alliance marriages mattered far more than fated bonds.
She took a deep breath and pulled herself out of the swirling thoughts.
Then she walked into the store and asked a sales associate about the jacket, only to be told it was custom–made–there were no ready–made versions available.
She had no idea what his exact measurements were, and a custom piece would take at least two weeks–time she didn’t have. “Please find me something close in style and price,” she said.
Once she got the replacement, she headed home, thinking Jaxson was probably still off with Lirael.
But the moment she stepped into the living room, she froze. There he was–sitting on the couch, looking stormy and tense.
10:11
Betrayed by Her Ex, Marked By the Alpha King
26.7%
Chapter 9
His black shirt was half undone, exposing the sharp line of his collarbone, and the moment his eyes landed on her, that cold, piercing stare weighed down on her like a storm ready to break.
“Why weren’t you answering my calls?”
His blaming tone actually made her laugh.
“Weren’t
you off charming the heiress for investment deals? I wouldn’t dare interrupt such an important moment.”
“When did you start talking like this?” Jaxson snapped, clearly annoyed, as he got up and moved toward her–maybe to calm her down. But then his eyes landed on the coat she was carrying. It was obviously a man’s–oversized and not hers. The fury in Jaxson’s eyes flared up without warning. “Who does that coat belong to?”
When she got back earlier, Aveline had noticed that the shopping bag was far too big and flashy–bringing it to the institute would only raise unnecessary questions. So she’d tossed it.
But now, she stood there holding the coat plainly in her arms.
She didn’t feel like explaining.
“Why does it matter to you whose coat this is? You’ve got your woman–so I can have my man, Everything you did with Lirael, I’m allowed to do too, right? Isn’t that fair?”
“Aveline!” Just imagining her in another male’s arms sent Jaxson’s rage spiraling out of control.
His hand shot out, gripping her wrist tightly, his knuckles pale, and veins straining across his forehead. “I don’t care how you dare say that to provoke me.”
Having known him for nearly a decade, Aveline had come to believe she knew him better than anyone.
And in this moment, through his fury and jealousy, she could clearly feel it–his love for her.
But that so–called love felt twisted and filthy–something that made her sick to her stomach.
“I’m not joking,” she said coldly. “Whatever you did with Lirael, I’ve done with someone else too.”
Her wrist throbbed in pain as Jaxson’s grip tightened, like he meant to crush the bones.
She winced from the pain but didn’t pull away.
angry or
hurt you are! Don’t
Her heart had already been crushed–there was nothing left to protect. So why should Jaxson and Lirael get to move on as if nothing happened?
Just a few sharp words, and he was already losing control?
Had he ever once stopped to think what it felt like for her to find out about him and Lirael?
Jaxson locked eyes with her, desperate to find a crack in her words, something to prove she was lying.
But he found nothing.
Her gaze was so steady it made his chest tighten with unease.
“You can’t do this to me, Aveline,” he muttered, before completely losing control and yanking her onto the sofa, pressing her down beneath him,
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