Inside the private booth at the upscale café, I sat with a detached expression, sipping my coffee, cup after cup. Nova Harper, my publicly acknowledged mate, was talking excitedly beside me, her voice blending with the soft hum of the pack’s elite around us. I neither responded nor interrupted her, my focus distant. Eventually, she sensed my mood and quieted down, though her hand remained possessively on my arm, the matching mate bracelets glinting under the dim light.
Keegan Hernandez, my Delta and closest confidant, rubbed his neck awkwardly as he drank. His tone was cautious, but the words carried weight. “Alpha,” he began, using the title out of respect even though we were alone, “I’ve often thought Milana had feelings for you all these years. But stringing her along like this isn’t right, don’t you think?”
I glanced up slightly, my Alpha aura making his posture stiffen even as he held my gaze. “She made her choice,” I said, my voice calm but laced with authority. “She’s obsessed with me, and no matter who you introduce her to, she’s not interested.”
Keegan, caught up in the moment, retorted instinctively, though his voice softened immediately after. “My friend Colten, a Gamma from the Crimsonclaw Pack, really likes Milana. They could actually make a good match. Same field, under the same mentor—it’s practically written in the stars. If you don’t want her, just let her go. Why keep her hanging?”
I leaned back, my expression unchanging. “I already told you,” I said, my Alpha tone cutting through the air. “She only wants me; she’s not interested in anyone else. No matter how I treat her, she won’t leave. You could introduce her to anyone—even a Lycan Prince—and she’d still turn them down.”
Keegan turned his head slightly, a flicker of defiance in his eyes. “Well, maybe she might just fall for Colten,” he said, his voice low but firm.
I stayed calm, scoffing dismissively. “Go ahead. But it’s pointless.”
Nova, catching bits of our conversation, hesitated before speaking. Her voice was sweet but tinged with something sharper. “Alpha, have you known Milana for a long time? I always thought she was just a Beta in the pack. Had I known...” She let her words trail off, the implication clear to everyone.
“Just a Beta,” I replied casually, deleting her contact on my phone. “She’ll be dying to add me back within an hour.”
I lazily pulled out my phone and checked my messages. The expected notification didn’t appear, causing a slight furrow of my brow that soon smoothed out. My wolf stirred faintly in the back of my mind, a low growl of irritation, but I silenced it.
“She’s holding out longer than usual this time; I guess she’s making progress,” I remarked, setting the phone down. I looked across at Nova, her golden hair catching the light, and suddenly said, “You mentioned you want to study under Selena Stephens, the pack’s renowned healer and scientist, right? I’ve already arranged that for you.”
Nova’s face lit up with excitement, and she clung to my arm with renewed enthusiasm. “Thank you, Alpha! I knew you were always looking out for me.”
I drank another cup of coffee, my face obscured by the flickering lights, my thoughts unreadable. The scent of vanilla and rosemary—Nova’s mate scent—filled the air, but for a moment, my mind wandered to the faint, almost forgotten scent of Milana’s floral fragrance. I pushed the thought aside, my Alpha instincts reasserting control.
