I stood before the tall mirror in my room, smoothing the soft silk of my emerald green gown. The dress had an open back and a graceful cut. It was elegant and costly.
Tonight was my armor.
Jareth had reserved a private dinner cruise across the harbor.
This was his way of strengthening the illusion. He wanted to prove to himself and to everyone watching that we were still the perfect bonded pair. The devoted Alpha and his Luna. Exactly what his grandfather expected to see.
I walked downstairs.
Jareth was already waiting in the entrance hall, glancing down at his watch. He looked handsome in his black suit, every inch the loyal mate.
“You look stunning,” he said as he lifted his head.
That admiration in his eyes was genuine.
But that only made it sad. He loved the beautiful Luna at his side, not the woman inside.
“Thank you,” I said as I stepped down the last stair. “Shall we leave?”
“The carriage is ready.”
He offered his arm and I placed my hand on it.
Just as we reached the door, the sharp sound of heels echoed through the hallway. We both turned.
Luvena stood there.
Her dress was barely worthy of the name. It was a shining silver slip that barely reached her thighs. The neckline fell dangerously low. Her makeup was dark and smoky, and her lips were painted a deep crimson.
Jareth stiffened beside me. His grip on my arm tightened.
“Where are you going?” he asked sharply.
Luvena smiled lazily as she adjusted the strap of her purse.
“Out. It is Friday night. I am heading to a club.”
“Dressed like that?” Jareth said harshly as he stepped away from me. “You are practically naked. Go upstairs and change.”
Luvena rolled her eyes.
“Why should I? You are not my boyfriend.”
Her words hung in the air with a hidden meaning.
“I am still your boss,” Jareth replied firmly. “And I am your brother’s closest friend. He asked me to look after you while you stayed here. What if something happens to you dressed like that? What message are you sending?”
“I can take care of myself,” Luvena shot back. “Nothing will happen. I am just going to have fun. Maybe I will meet a man. Someone who actually has time for me.”
She shot Jareth a pointed look filled with poison.
I watched them quietly.
This was not protective concern, but jealousy. Pure jealousy.
He could not bear the thought of another man touching what he believed belonged to him.
“You are not leaving dressed like that,” Jareth growled.
“Watch me.”
Luvena turned toward the door.
“Stop.”
Jareth rushed forward and grabbed her arm. His expression looked desperate.
He glanced at me, then back at her, his mind racing for a solution that would keep both of us satisfied.
“Come with us,” he suddenly said.
I blinked.
“Excuse me?”
Jareth turned to me, forcing a strained smile.
“Let her join us on the cruise, Shara.”
“No,” I answered calmly. “Why would she come? This is our evening. A romantic dinner.”
“Come on, honey,” Jareth said anxiously. “You know how she is. She’s still young. If she goes alone to a club she might get into trouble. Her brother would blame me if something happened. It is safer if she stays with us.”
“She’s an adult,” I replied, folding my arms. “She can make her own choices. I do not want a third person on our date.”
“It’s fine,” Luvena said as she pulled her arm away. Her voice sounded full of false hurt. “She clearly does not want me there. I understand. I will just go find entertainment somewhere else.”
She turned again toward the door.
“Enough, Shara,” Jareth snapped suddenly. His calm mask completely vanished. His eyes burned with frustration. “Why are you being so difficult? It’s only dinner. Why can you not be more understanding?”
I looked at him quietly. The nerve of it was unbelievable.
“Why are you angry?” I asked calmly. “You are shouting at your mate simply because she wants to have dinner alone with you. Is that unreasonable?”
I stepped closer to him.
“Choose, Jareth,” I said softly. “Between me and her. Do you want an evening with your mate or do you want to take care of your assistant?”
Jareth looked from one of us to the other.
Luvena waited with a smug smile.
I stood firm.
He knew choosing her would destroy his carefully built image.
His jaw tightened.
“Fine,” he said stiffly. “I choose you. I always choose you, Shara.”
Then he looked at Luvena. “Stay home.”
“Whatever,” Luvena said with a cold laugh.
She turned and stormed up the stairs.
***
The cruise should have been beautiful.
The lights of the city sparkled across the dark water. The food was perfect. A violinist played gentle music nearby.
But Jareth was not truly there.
His body sat across from me at the table, but his mind was somewhere else. He barely touched his drink. His leg bounced nervously under the table.
Every few minutes he checked his crystal communicator, hiding the screen beneath the table.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked while cutting my steak.
“What? No. Everything is fine,” he muttered. “Just work messages.”
I knew exactly who he was talking to.
He was messaging Luvena. Tracking where she went. Begging her to behave. Probably promising her anything she wanted.
Suddenly, his crystal communicator buzzed loudly on the table.
He grabbed it immediately. In seconds, all color vanished from his face.
He stood so quickly that his chair scraped loudly against the floor.
“I need to leave,” he said.
“What?” I set down my fork. “Jareth, we have not even had dessert. What happened?”
“Luvena,” he said quickly. Panic filled his voice. “She went out anyway. She is at a bar in the city. She says some men are bothering her. She’s scared.”
“Just call the pack guards,” I said calmly as I sipped my wine.
“No. I must go myself. She’s terrified.”
He was already moving, pulling on his jacket with shaking hands.
“I am sorry, Shara. I will make it up to you. I promise. Just finish dinner. The driver will take you home.”
He did not wait for my reply. He did not even kiss me goodbye.
He simply turned and rushed off the ship, desperate to rescue his mistress, leaving his Luna alone in the middle of the ocean.
I watched him disappear. But I did not cry at all.
I felt nothing.
Slowly I finished my wine, enjoying the deep flavor. Then I raised my hand to call the waiter.
“The bill please,” I said calmly. “And pack the dessert for me.”
***
When I returned home later, the estate was empty.
They were probably together somewhere. He would be comforting her while she celebrated her victory.
But it did not matter. In two days, I would be gone. And he would receive the greatest anniversary gift of all.
