His focus isn’t on Lila.
It’s on Siena.
I can feel it, the way his attention tracks her through the crowd like a compass drawn to true north. It’s maddening, this incessant pull, this traitorous instinct that refuses to align with the choices I’ve made.
My eyes betray me, flicking toward her again even as I try to resist. She’s still speaking with the elderly Alpha, her posture relaxed, her smile warm. The man laughs at something she says, his shoulders shaking with mirth, and she reaches out to touch his arm lightly, her gesture sincere and unguarded.
There’s a quiet confidence in her now, something I never noticed before–or perhaps something I refused to see.
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08:39 Sun, 20 Apr 2
Chapter 31
Lila shifts in my arms, drawing my attention back to her. She’s smiling up at me, her expression expectant, but there’s a tightness to it now, a faint edge of impatience beneath the surface.
“You’re distracted again,” she says, this time with a hint of accusation in her tone.
“I’m not,” I lie, my voice flat and unconvincing.
Her lips press together, her frustration evident, but she doesn’t push the issue. Instead, she leans in even closer, her lips brushing against my car as she whispers, “You should stop looking at her.”
The words are a dagger, sharp and precise, cutting through the fragile threads of my composure.
“I’m not,” I bite out, my tone clipped.
But we both know the truth.
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Lila pulls back slightly, her gaze searching mine, but I refuse to meet her eyes. She doesn’t press the issue. Instead, she settles back into the rhythm of the dance, her movements smooth and practiced, though the tension between us hums like a live wire.
The music swells, the violins rising in a crescendo that fills the room, but it does nothing to drown out the thoughts swirling in my mind.
I’ve spent years convincing myself that I know exactly who Siena is. That she’s selfish, manipulative, incapable of leading a pack or standing on her own. I built that image of her brick by brick, using every argument, every slight, every perceived flaw to reinforce it.
And yet, tonight, that image feels like it’s crumbling.
Because the woman I see now isn’t the woman I thought I married.
She’s a leader. An Alpha in her own right.
And she’s walking away from me–dignified, composed, and stronger than I ever gave her credit for.
My wolf growls low, his voice laced with quiet accusation.
“You’re the one who walked away first. Don’t forget that.”
The words hit me harder than I expect, a brutal reminder of the choices I’ve made.
I glance toward Siena one last time, just as she turns to leave the ballroom. Her movements are deliberate, every step filled with purpose, and the faint smile on her lips is enough to stir something deep and uncomfortable in my chest.
Lila’s fingers tighten on my shoulder, pulling me back to the present.
“Focus on me,” she says softly, her tone light but firm.
I nod, forcing my gaze away from Siena’s retreating figure.
But even as I turn my attention back to Lila, even as I continue the dance, I can’t decide whether I’ve made a terrible mistake.
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