Chapter 9

Rather than working on the reports Kian forced on me, I spent the time in his office trying to get as much information on the pack as possible. It would be great if I knew some secrets, found some documents that did not tally or anything to blackmail him with.

Since he was being stubborn about the divorce, I knew I had to scale back. I had to retreat and come up with a better plan. If there was one thing I knew about Kian, it was that he was stubborn beyond what I could put into words. He’d refused to divorce me so he wouldn’t magically change his mind now.

I had to force his hand.

That, or I could just run away. We were not destined mates so if we stayed apart for long enough, the mate bond would naturally wear away. It was just unfortunate that there was no set time for things like that. A mate bond could wear away in a matter of months or after several years or it may never even phase out. That was why I needed Kian to divorce me and sever our mate bond.

“Are you hungry?” A voice from right above me interrupted my plotting. ”You haven’t eaten anything today.”

“Whose fault is that?” I snorted as I slammed the computer shut. “I’m sick of this place.”

I felt stuffy just being in here with him. Even though I pretended not to notice, his eyes were fixated on me all day. It made me uncomfortable to have his attention on me like this.

“I’m almost done so we can leave early.”

“Why are you treating me like a child?” I snapped. “Is it bring your kid to work day here? You force me to come and I don’t get to leave until you are done with work?”

“That’s how it has to be. You’ve proven yourself to be untrustworthy so I have to keep my eyes on you.”

“I’m untrustworthy so divorce me then! Let this untrustworthy idiot go.”

“You’re not an idiot. Don’t disparage yourself just to get a rise out of me.”

“You’re the one constantly calling me stupid.”

“You’re stupid but you’re not an idiot. There’s a difference.”

There was no man as frustrating as this one in the entire world. How I had managed to fall in love with someone with such a difficult, frustrating personality made me ponder if I had been under a spell for the most part of my life.

I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists by my side and took several deep breaths. Since I had made up my mind, there was no reason to curse myself for my past stupidity. I knew better now so I would make better choices. My actions right now would determine Aaron’s fate in the dungeons so I had to tread with caution.

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door and I heard the last voice I ever wanted to hear.

“Delivery for Alpha Kian,” the girlish voice from the other end of the door made my palms sweaty and my legs freeze.

‘Goddess, not this bitch,’ my wolf groaned. ‘Who did we offend to be faced with such bad luck this period?’

“Come in,” Kian’s gruff voice inviting her into the office almost had me hiding underneath my desk but I was a grown adult.

I would not cower at the sight of a bully.

“Alpha – oh.” The sweet smile on Verity’s lips dropped when she laid eyes on me.

A scowl immediately replaced the amiable expression on her face. Her nostrils flared and she looked like a wild bull ready to charge.

“Why are you standing at the door like an idiot?” Kian’s harsh voice made her regain her senses. “Complete your delivery and get out. This is not a recreational centre for dimwits.”

“Alpha, you’re still so funny.” Her laughter was light and airy as she walked into the office with several bags of takeout. “I didn’t expect the Luna to be here so I was stunned to see her.”

Verity Caine, Matthew’s younger sister and the bane of my existence. As the daughter of the past Beta of the pack, the seat at Kian’s side was thought of as her birthright. She came from a wealthy family, only second in comparison to Kian’s. With wide connections, an affluent background and a pretty face, she was the ideal Luna of Dark Howl.

It was the reason she hated me.

I, a nobody from nowhere, dared to hang around Kian and snatch up the position meant for her. She made my life hell from the minute I stepped foot in this pack and years later, a part of me still froze up upon encountering her. There were vile and disgusting people everywhere but none of them came close to Verity Caine’s level.

She was the worst person one could have as an enemy because she never backed down, never relented and she had all the resources in the world to back her up. As the heiress to a large fortune, she could trample on whoever and whatever with no repercussions and she chose me as her target.

“You keep staring at me, Luna,” she turned to me with a sweetly poisonous smile. “Do you like my outfit?” Even the way she said the word ‘Luna’ sounded like an insult.

“I’m wondering why a rich heiress would suddenly take on the role of a food delivery agent.”

“Oh, you flatter me.” She flipped voluminous curls behind her. “These days, I’ve been volunteering,” she said, looking at Kian who paid her no attention. “I want to connect with the pack members on a deeper level and doing jobs like these helps me understand what’s happening at the grass levels of the pack. It’s called showing empathy. You should try it.”

“Do I need to?” I cocked my head to the side. “As a poor church rat that made it to the seat of Luna, I’m more than aware of the challenges in this pack.”

“What are you saying?” Kian butted in.