Erin’s POV
1 swallowed hard, my hands trembling at my sides. The suit jacket had slipped from the hanger when Derek had jerked it from my hands, the matching pants and carefully pressed shirt following in a
heap at my feet. 1 bit my lip to keep from crying out.
“This is Stone Group,” he continued, his voice growing colder with each word. “You’re not here to
showcase an Omega’s incompetence.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn’t give him the
satisfaction of seeing me break. “1… I’m sorry, Alpha,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.
Derek’s jaw tightened, the muscles working beneath his skin. For a moment, he just stared at me, his gaze intense enough to make my skin prickle. Then he dragged a hand through his dark hair, a
gesture that somehow made him seem momentarily human rather than the terrifying Alpha who had
just thrown a suit to the floor.
“Go prepare the charcoal gray suit,” he ordered, turning away from me to look out the window. “This time, I want you to prepare it like Claire does.”
I nodded quickly, though he couldn’t see me with his back turned. “Yes, Alpha,” I responded
automatically, bending down to gather the fallen suit, desperate to escape the tension crackling in
the air.
Outside in the hallway, I leaned against the wall, drawing in a shaky breath. My wolf whimpered
inside me, confused by the conflicting signals–the violence of his anger and the lingering pull of the
mate bond that made her want to return to him despite everything.
As I made my way back to the wardrobe area, hot tears finally spilled down my cheeks. I wiped them
away furiously with the back of my hand, grateful the corridor was empty. Why was he so cruel to
me? What had I done to deserve this treatment, beyond the unforgivable sin of being his Soul Bond?
More troubling was the realization that my job might be at risk. After struggling through a month of demanding work, balancing my college responsibilities with Claire’s increasingly unreasonable demands, I couldn’t afford to lose this position. The salary was supporting my mother and me,
allowing her to work fewer hours as her health declined. The thought of being fired sent a cold wave
of panic through me.
In the empty wardrobe area, I pulled out my phone with trembling fingers and dialed Claire’s
number.
“Yes?” her crisp voice answered on the second ring.
1/2
Chapter 57
“Claire, I’m sorry to bother you again,” I began hesitantly, “but there seems to be something wrong with the suit I prepared for the Alpha. He… he threw it to the floor.”
A brief silence followed, then Claire’s voice turned accusatory. “Why did you prepare the navy suit for a meeting with Silverpine Pack?”
I blinked in confusion. “But you told me to use the navy suit with pinstripes.”
“I clearly said the charcoal gray suit,” she cut me off sharply. “The Alpha always wears charcoal gray when meeting with Silverpine representatives. It symbolizes diplomacy and respect for tradition.”
I frowned, certain she had told me to prepare the navy suit. “He said he wants me to prepare the suit like you do.”
A scoff came through the line, Claire’s voice dripping with condescension. “That’s impossible. How could an Omega possibly understand the nuances like I do? It’s about bloodline and rank, don’t you understand?”
She paused, then added with false sweetness, “But you can try again. Don’t make any mistakes this time. I wouldn’t want you to lose your job… though I doubt how long you’ll last anyway.” 1
The call ended abruptly, leaving me staring at my phone. Something about Claire’s tone struck me as odd. She seemed to take peculiar pride in her ability to prepare Derek’s clothes, as if it were some intimate privilege. Her possessiveness was unexpected, especially over something as mundane as selecting a suit.
I pushed the thought aside and carefully located the charcoal gray suit, making sure to check every detail. I noticed a silver cufflink set in a small box nearby that seemed to match perfectly with the suit’s subtle pattern. I added these to my preparation, determined not to make another mistake.
Chapter Comments
Visitor
exact repeat of before
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