His Discarded Luna, the Rival's Obsession

e city looked

almost i

ht coffee. A woman in a red coat laughed into her pho

lack folder on her knees and watched sunl

acked. Alpha Sebastian Hale had not been str

did not disturb pu

he subject line was simple: Formal Mate

hone and read the first

bloodless, and almost

of spousal

ecords. Separation of assets. Severance of

, translated into clau

Eira t

her weak. Paper wo

en went back to the apartment she had sh

me suddenly f

ntered, the kind of quiet expe

living room floor. A pair of Alpha Sebastian 's

for one second too l

ess time than

ts arranged by color, shirts folded with military precision, watches in velvet boxes, ties he

few sweaters she had bought with her own salary. She folded

. Alpha Sebastian 's expensive grooming bottles took up most of the coun

life fit into two bo

on the other side of the city, the one she had bought with her first year's pay from the Research I

d felt

e

t could not wash away the memory of cedar mixed with flowers. When she stepped out, she put on a thin slip dress

nt door

still on the doorframe. He wore a dark suit, his tie loosened, his expression unreadable. His gaze mo

ir

ame low, almo

n. Warm air roared between them. The sound

cold. Still, he came closer. The scent of cedar followed him, and beneath it she thought she caught t

ached aroun

d. He had pulled the

nt very

She turned her head at the last second, and his

ped heavily

oiding me?

eyes in the

never said that word to him in that tone. She had adjusted. Smoothe

ning her face toward him. "You were the

against the counter.

arpened. "Now I touch y

aid n

ion entered his eyes, ugly and

tared

He had called her harmless, useful, a tool. He had promised his he

so complete it al

she said, "is not

It filled the room like an invisible net, pushing against her lungs, demanding obedience from instincts she did not have.

nly looke

oke him more than s

that tone

he grabbed her wrist and dra

asti

and came down over her. This was not love. It was not regret. It was

g to prove it still own

ed upward with all the strength in her body. Alpha Sebastian grunted, his grip loosening

ac

was bright

ned with the

nd, neither

hand sw

ide, and iron filled her mouth. The room tilted. She did

of her tears had finally reached a par

ra,

ot let hi

phone and ID, and walked out barefoot. His voice followed her once, then stopped. Maybe pri

oors closed be

e a convenience store stared at the blanket around her shoulders and the red mark on her face. She kept wal

rner, silver-gray and brig

ing H

resorts, and half the luxury properties powerful Packs used

ped into

her wet hair, blanket, bare feet, and swollen chee

d. Her voice sounded

e elevator is on your right. If you need

nk y

o the elevator. The doors were alm

pened

stood

eyes the color of a frozen lake. His gaze touched her face, her wrists, her

beside her, leaving more spa

ce carried a trace of it to her anyway. Min

ve. Eira realized she h

loor?" h

htee

hen pressed the button. T

not offer pity. He did not crowd her with his body or his scent. He simply stood there, still as st

i

r opened. Eira step

re we

not lo

ing slowed. The room was clean and anonymous: white bed, gray curtains, desk, lamp, b

bed and pressed her palm

e doorb

went

ad found her, she wo

e on the desk. Slowly, she picked it up