Five years had passed, and Cassia was as smug as ever.
I just raised an eyebrow, my hands protectively cradling my slightly swollen belly. I said nothing. I wanted to see just how deep their delusion ran.
However, Alaric misinterpreted my silence. He thought I was heartbroken, jealous.
His low, mocking laugh confirmed it.
“Oh, come on. She obviously couldn't make it on her own and came crawling back. She should be grateful I'm even offering her a job.”
“Take care of the kid and stay out of trouble. Know your place.”
“Don't worry, I'll let you stay by my side, just like you wanted. The nanny's room is empty, you can stay there.”
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in malicious laughter.
“Isadora, see how good Alaric is to you. He was worried you were suffering out there, he even arranged a place for you to live.”
“So what if he's asking you to help Cassia with her pup? Compared to the miserable life you must have been living, isn't this a godsend? You should be on your knees thanking him.”
Cassia touched her diamond earring, adding in a sickly sweet, hypocritical tone, "Don't worry, Isadora. If my son misbehaves, I'll discipline him for you. I won't see you mistreated."
Alaric glanced at me sideways, sneering, "What's she got to complain about? She ran off over a little thing, and now that she's crawled back, she deserves to suffer a bit."
My brows furrowed. He called forging a mate bond with Cassia ‘a little thing’?
So, the Alaric who once loved me... was truly dead.
The Lycan who had once carried me, covered in blood, across half the territory was dead. The Lycan who had nothing but swore to give me the world was dead.
Now, all I saw was an empty shell of a man.
But that was fine. After all, I was about to have my second pup.
I shook off the thoughts. Arguing with these idiots was just a waste of breath.
I turned to Alaric and deliberately played along. "Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's go, then."
The air froze for a second, then the entire hall erupted in shrill, wild laughter.
Cassia let out a sharp scoff and said coldly, "Pick you up? In your dreams."
She pointed to the sign. "Look closely. We're here to pick up a VIP. Do you have any idea who that is?"
My mate was the Alpha Supreme. Did I have any idea who they were waiting for? Please.
“We’re waiting for the Alpha Supreme’s mate, Mrs. Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez is known for being ruthless and decisive, but in front of his Luna, he’s a complete madman. They say he was celibate for years for his Luna before he finally won her over.”
“Everyone knows the fastest way to get on Kieran Rodriguez’s good side is through his Luna. She’s his only weakness, the center of his world.”
Listening to their chatter, a soft, satisfied smile touched my lips.
In the five years since we bonded, Kieran had led the Crescent Moon Pack to unprecedented strength, and all the while, his obsessive devotion to me had never wavered for a moment.
