Spoiled by my Ex’s Uncle 2

Before, he'd been too busy convincing the pack to accept my rogue status, but lately, it was all about his uncle.

Matt had mentioned him before, and I tried to understand, but recently, he spoke of him more and more, as though his Uncle Sebastian were a lofty figure suddenly within reach.

Alpha Sebastian, from what I knew, was Matt’s mother’s brother, and he controlled territories larger than those of our New Moon Pack. I’d heard of him even back then; the stories painted him as ruthless and fearsome. At the time, I hadn’t given him much thought. But with Matt’s recent obsession, it was becoming too much.

Matt kept mentioning how he wanted to prove himself to Sebastian—not just for himself, but for the Alpha of our pack as well. Alpha Sebastian’s power and territory grew alongside his company, and our—or rather, their—New Moon Pack wanted to form an alliance with him, hoping to climb higher up the ladder.

Since Alpha Ferris, New Moon’s Alpha, couldn’t secure the d-eal, Matt thought he might pull it off through some miracle.

“I need to do this,” he told me just that morning. “If I can handle this, it would mean so much at work. I could even get promoted. Imagine what it would mean for us. Not only would Alpha Ferris and my uncle regard me more highly, but I could advance at work. I need to get this right, Leila.”

Even as he said this, with his eyes silently pleading for my understanding, I couldn’t help but feel everything he said was about him, rather than us. It was about his reputation, his position at work. But where did I fit in? As the woman who had left everything she had—or, in his eyes, came with nothing?

My thoughts spiraled out of control, everything I’d known for two years pressing down on me.

I heard my wolf’s voice in my mind, her tone soft, almost forgotten. “Leila, you’re giving up too much for him, and he hasn’t given anything back in two years. Is it worth it?”

I sighed, my eyes closing as my mind raced. I replied to her in my mind, trying to convey my weariness. “You don’t understand,” I sighed again, my shoulders slumping as Matt slept peacefully beside me, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “I’m trying. I really am. It’s just so… complicated.”

“No, it’s not,” she insisted, her voice firm. She had always been stronger-willed than me, her Alpha lineage more dominant than my human side. “You know something’s wrong. Deep down, you know it, Leila.”

My wolf wasn’t wrong; deep down, I’d always felt there was something off. I knew it, felt it, but I had chosen to ignore it, brushing it off as paranoia. Now, though, it was becoming harder to dismiss.

The sudden sound of Matt’s phone buzzing on the nightstand pulled me from my internal conversation with my wolf. Matt gro-aned, then reached for the device, his li-ps tugging into a deep frown as he looked at the screen.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice low, already guessing his response. It would be about work. It was always about work—always.

A crease formed between his brows. “I have to take this,” he said. “There’s an urgent meeting I need to join.”

I glanced at the digital clock beside the bed. 1:20 a.m. A meeting at this hour?

I watched as he leapt out of bed, rushing to pull on his clothes. “Is everything okay?” I asked, my voice low and cautious. “What’s happened that’s so urgent?”

The only thing that could normally warrant such urgency would be a rogue attack, but his expression didn’t reflect that kind of danger.

Matt didn’t look at me as he buttoned his shirt and hastily pulled on his pants. “It’s just work,” he replied dismissively. “Don’t worry about it.” His phone rang again, and he tapped the answer button as he stormed out of the room, speaking in hushed tones and leaving me alone with a growing sense of unease.

My wolf felt it, too. “We need to follow him,” she urged with determination, her tone steady. “I’m sure something’s up, Leila, and you know it, too.”

This time, I didn’t argue. Caught in a swell of anxiety, I slipped out of bed, threw on my robe, and quietly followed him. I heard his voice coming from the study a few doors down.

As I approached, his voice became clearer. “Faye, darling, calm down, okay?” he said. “I’ll get the blood you need. It’s just that she’s becoming more stubborn, refusing to donate. But I’ll get it out of her.”

I leaned closer, straining to hear his words.

There was a pause, then his voice again. “Yes, I know you won’t get better without her blood. That’s why I’ll make sure she keeps going. I don’t care if it ki-lls her. I’ll get you her blood, Faye. I promise.”

The room spun, and I gripped the doorframe for support. My blood? He’d been using me all this time for my blood? All those months of donating, thinking it was a precaution because they believed I was a rogue. And now, I was finding out it was for her… for this woman.

For Faye.