Chapter 23

Anita’s Pov

Damian, the Beta, stepped forward, his face lined with concern. “Alpha,” he began cautiously, “Kira was handling some important tasks, and with her demotion, we’re going to face challenges. It’s not easy to replace her, not immediately. I’ve seen you make impulsive decisions before, but this one—”

Alpha Hades cut him off with a sharp look, his voice as cold as the winter wind. “Damian, not firing her without delay was already an act of mercy. You know the laws of the pack. Betrayal is not tolerated.”

I dared to glance up at him, and our eyes met for a brief moment. His gaze softened, just slightly, before he turned back to Damian. “Anita will take over some of those tasks,” he declared. “She’s my assistant now, and I trust her to handle it.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words. Trust. It was such a small word, but coming from Alpha Hades, it carried immense weight. My chest tightened with fear.

Could I really live up to his expectations? Did he truly trust me, or was this just another test?

Damian’s brow furrowed in clear disagreement. “Alpha Hades, with all due respect, Anita is new here. She doesn’t know our ways, our dynamics—”

“She’ll learn,” Alpha Hades interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I wouldn’t have appointed her if I didn’t believe she could handle it.”

I took a deep breath, feeling a bit confused, but a surge of confidence and determination flush through me.

This was my chance to prove myself, to show that I wasn’t just a rogue, an outsider. I could be more.

 “I promise I won’t let you down, Alpha, Hades” I said, my voice steady then I bowed in curtsey.

Damian cast me a skeptical glance, his thoughts evident in the way his eyes flicked between me and Alpha Hades. “Since when does Alpha Hades trust people so easily?” he murmured under his breath, though it was loud enough for both of us to hear.

Alpha Hades didn’t respond, but I caught the slight clenching of his jaw, a sign that he was holding back words that might have only intensified the tension. Instead, he nodded toward Damian. “Show her around the packhouse. She needs to get familiar with her duties right away.”

With a curt nod, Damian gestured for me to follow him. We walked through the grand hallways of the packhouse, the walls lined with portraits of past Alphas, their eyes seeming to follow me as I passed by.

Damian led me to a small office tucked away in a quiet corner of the packhouse. A large stack of files awaited me on the desk, and I felt my determined spirit waver for just a moment.

The volume of work to do was overwhelming, but I shrugged my shoulders, reminding myself that I could handle this. I had to.

“This is where you’ll be working,” Damian explained, “These files contain the information you’ll need to manage the pack’s day-to-day affairs. Kira was responsible for organizing patrols, managing supplies, and coordinating with the other packs. It’s a lot to take in, but I’ll be here to help if you need it.”

I nodded, trying to absorb everything he was saying. “I’ll do my best,” I replied, trying to sound confident even though my nerves were wearing away at the edges.

Damian paused, studying me for a moment. His eyes narrowed slightly as if he was trying to decipher something. “Earlier,” he said, “you mentioned you were married. Was that true?”

His question caught me off guard, and for a split second, I didn’t know what he was talking about. But then I remembered the confrontation with Kira and the lie I had blurted out in desperation. My heart skipped a beat, and I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, Alpha Hades emerged from the room next door, holding another stack of files.

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes locking onto me, and I felt the air in the room grow with heavy tension.

My mind startes racing with different questions and thoughts.

God! What do I do now?

What kind of state did i bring myself into?

How can I escape this without lying again to them?

I swallowed hard, my mind racing as I tried to think of how to respond. The Alpha had heard Damian’s question, and now he was waiting for my answer.

What was I supposed to say? The lie had been a spurred out of my mouth because I felt like it was a way to protect myself from Kira’s venomous words.

But now it seemed that lie was coming back to haunt me.

“Yes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Alpha Hades, not after the lie I had just told.

 But I could feel his eyes on me, could sense the questions swirling in his mind.

Damian raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced by what I said. “Who is he?” he asked, with a more curious and skeptical tone.

I hesitated, searching for a way out of this mess. My mind raced through a dozen different scenarios, but none of them seemed convincing.

How could I explain my nonexistent husband?

Someone who had left a long time ago and doesn't feel like it's important that he comes back to his mate.

I'm even upset why I had to acknowledge that I have him as my husband to Kira. He isn't worth my time.

Finally, I forced myself to meet Damian’s gaze. “It’s complicated,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “He’s... not here. He couldn’t be. But that’s all in the past now. I’m focused on my duties here, with the pack.”