The Alpha Who Chose Wrong Chapter 03
For three months, Evander lived two lives.
By day, he trained with Odette, attended board
meetings with her, and let photographers call her
Ironwood’s future Luna.
At night, he came to me.
Sometimes he used the hidden stairs behind the clinic.
Sometimes he sent a car to take me to his apartment in Denver.
He swore he never slept as well beside Odette.
He never touched her, he promised.
I believed every promise except the one he refused to make.
Choose me.
Some nights, he almost made the lie feel like a life,
He cooked breakfast in the Denver apartment while I
studied at the counter. He tested me with
emergency–care questions and looked proud every time I answered before he finished asking.
Once, I woke to find his wolf’s gold eyes watching me
through his.
“He wants to mark you,” Evander said.
I touched the unbroken skin between my neck and
shoulder.
“What do you
want?”
He looked away.
“More time.”
Time always meant the same thing with him.
Wait until the board meeting.
Wait until the border contract.
Wait until after the Luna ceremony.
I had spent my whole life waiting for someone to
decide I was worth choosing.
The Luna ceremony grew closer.
My wolf grew louder too.
She still could not shift, but I heard her in my dreams.
She paced behind a locked door and hated the white pills my mother forced me to take.
I began hiding them beneath my mattress.
My senses sharpened. I could hear conversations
across the clinic. I could smell fear, lies, and Evander on my skin.
Odette noticed.
At the Ironwood Medical Foundation dinner, I wore a
simple green dress and worked at the clinic’s donation table.
Evander entered with Odette on his arm.
His gaze came to me first.
Odette saw.
She guided him directly toward my table.
“You missed a spot,” she said.
She tipped her wine over the white cloth.
Red spread across the donation forms.
“Clean it.”
People nearby turned to watch.
I looked at Evander.
He could stop her.
He could tell them I was his mate.
Instead, he said, “Nerys is working tonight. Let her do her job.”
Working.
Not celebrating.
Not family.
Not his.
Odette smiled and handed me a napkin.
I cleaned the table while my mate led my sister into dinner.
He came to my room after midnight.
I did not open the door.
“Nerys.”
“Go away.”
“You know why I couldn’t cause a scene.”
“You never can. Not when protecting me costs something.”
His palm pressed against the other side of the door.
“The ceremony is next week. After that, I can arrange a
place for you in the city.”
“A better cage is still a cage.”
“Open the door.”
The Alpha command pressed down on me.
My knees weakened, but something inside me pushed back.
No.
My wolf.
“Don’t command me,” I said.
Silence.
Then his voice softened.
“Please.”
I almost opened it.
Almost.
“I won’t be your secret after you mark her.”
“We can talk tomorrow.”
“There is nothing left to discuss.”
He stayed outside for an hour.
When he finally left, I opened the door.
Odette stood at the end of the hall.
She looked from me to the staircase Evander had used.
Then she breathed in.
Her blue eyes turned gold.
“You smell like him.”
I said nothing.
She walked closer.
“How long?”
“Ask your future mate.”
Odette slapped me.
My wolf struck the inside of my skin so hard that my vision flashed silver.
Odette stepped back.
For the first time in our lives, she looked afraid of me.
Then she smiled.
“Meet me at the east training center tomorrow,” she
said. “Or I tell the board you seduced the Alpha.”
“He is my mate.”
“Not after tomorrow.”
She touched the Ironwood crest at her throat.
“By sunset, Evander will reject you himself.”