《Chasing His Kickass Luna Back》 #Chapter 1 - Brand New Life #Chapter 1 - Brand New Life Abby ¡°If you want to meet with the Alpha, you¡¯ll have to book ahead of time. And he¡¯s booked out for three months.¡± The cool words of Karl¡¯s secretary run through my mind for the millionth time. I tried reminding her he¡¯s also my husband, but it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s been so busy with work that I haven¡¯t spoken to him in a month. But it¡¯s finally Christmas and all the Alphas are expected to be home celebrating with their families. I stop in front of the mirror onest time, just to make sure everything¡¯s perfect. I run my fingers through my silky ck hair, marveling at the new color. He loves ck hair, so I decided to surprise him. I¡¯m wearing a red lingerie set I bought especially for tonight and red lipstick to match. I feel Karl''s presence, and turn to look at him, a wide smile already on my face. I have to resist the urge to run across the room and jump into his arms. His expression is unreadable. His brown eyes meet mine, but there¡¯s none of the usual warmth when he looks at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I ask, taking a step forward. His eyes sweep over me, but he doesn¡¯tment on what I¡¯m wearing, or my hair. ¡°Abby.¡± His voice is harsh, and I shrink back a little. ¡°Let¡¯s get a divorce.¡± Three Years Later ¡°Hey, Abby.¡± I smile at my restaurant manager, Olivia. ¡°Hey, how are things going out here?¡± I walk around the front desk to stand beside her. ¡°Another busy night, it seems.¡± I look around at the packed restaurant. ¡°Sure, is.¡± A sudden feeling of pride flows through me. When I started here, hardly anyone knew about this ce. Now it¡¯s one of the most popr eateries in the capital, all thanks to me and my team. My best friend Chloe walks in with her friend, Jennine, her smile widening at the sight of me behind the counter. She walks up and nods hello to Olivia. ¡°Look at you.¡± Chloe practically beams with excitement, and I can¡¯t help but grin. ¡°If he could see you now.¡± I don¡¯t have to ask to know she¡¯s talking about Karl. It¡¯s been three years since the divorce. At first, I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do. I felt lost without my role as Luna, but now I own a restaurant and I¡¯m a chef. It might not be what I expected, but I¡¯m happy. ¡°He¡¯d go crazy if he saw you like this,¡± Chloe continues. He certainly would. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to handle knowing that his ex-wife is doing what I¡¯m doing. But he gave up his right to dictate my life when he ended our marriage without warning. The door opens, and Emily enters. The minute she sees me behind the desk, a sympathetic look crosses her face. I know she enjoys seeing me like this, but I ster on my best customer-service smile. ¡°Hi Emily, how are you?¡± Her husband enters behind her, his gaze locked on his phone. ¡°Good dear,¡± she says. She lifts her hand to adjust her bangs, a diamond tennis bracelet glinting on her wrist. Emily is outrageously wealthy. We knew each other back when we were both Luna, and I know she justes in here to see me is all my ¡®misery.¡¯ ¡°Oh, just the regr for us, dear,¡± she says. She¡¯s taken to calling me dear now that I¡¯m a restaurant owner and not a Luna like her. It¡¯s always said with pity, but I don¡¯t let it get to me. I return with their drinks momentster, cing them carefully on the table. Emily takes a sip and smiles up at me. ¡°Who would have thought we¡¯d end up here?¡± I know she really means me and not ¡®we,¡¯ but I just nod my head. ¡°Abby, the envy of the town, now a waitress.¡± I don¡¯t bother pointing out that I¡¯m the owner and chef. ¡°Who ever thought that after divorcing Karl, you¡¯d end up a staff member?¡± She¡¯s got that fake sympathetic smile back on her face. I know what she¡¯s thinking. Poor Abby, abandoned by Karl. ¡°I certainly am a little envious,¡± I say, ncing at her husband. A smug look crosses her face. I know that one reason, if not the main reason, shees in here is that she enjoys seeing me like this. I¡¯ve used that to my advantage. My former role as Karl¡¯s wife has allowed me to turn this restaurant into a ce where the elite gather. ¡°Your waiter will be right with you,¡± I say with a diplomatic smile. ¡°I¡¯m here if you need anything.¡± I retreat to the counter when she waves me off. This restaurant is the first thing I¡¯ve owned. The first thing that¡¯s truly mine, and a few meanments can¡¯t take that away from me. I know she¡¯ll be back, eager to watch my downfall. From Luna to a mere chef¨Cbut I don¡¯t mind. The room is packed with all the wealthy people I used to run in the same circles with. I know where This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. they like to sit, their tastes, what they usually order to eat and drink. All the qualities that made me a good Luna have made me great at my job. A man in a tailored suit walks in, his dress shoes shining in the restaurant lights. He approaches the counter and I give him a weing smile. ¡°Hi, how can I help you today?¡± I ask. I¡¯ve never seen him before, but he certainly looks important. ¡°I want to book this restaurant,¡± he says. I nce at the books and frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir, but we¡¯re fully booked for the week. You¡¯ll have to wait until next week.¡± He frowns and takes a somewhat menacing step forward. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± he seethes. My eyebrows go up. ¡°My boss is Karl from the Moon River pack, one of the most powerful Alphas. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider?¡± I step around the counter and smile at him, my hands sped in front of me. ¡°Tell Karl that I¡¯m the boss. If he needs anything, he can make an appointment with my restaurant manager.¡± I nod at Olivia, who smiles. The man shakes his head. ¡°Are you sure about this? Do you know his background?¡± I know only too well, but I just raise an eyebrow. ¡°If it¡¯s Karl, his appointment will be scheduled in three months.¡± I turn and walk back through the restaurant, leaving Olivia to deal with him. I push into the kitchen and breathe in the scent of cooking food, a satisfied smile overtaking my face. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the most mature thing to do, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. It¡¯s time Karl gets a taste of his own medicine. #Chapter 2 - He Is Trash #Chapter 2 - He Is Trash Abby ¡°Abby, these are so good,¡± Leah says, humming slightly as she chews her lemon poppyseed muffin. They¡¯re a specialty of mine. Leah, Chloe, and I have a standing afternoon tea date in the capital. Once a week, we get together to catch up on everything we¡¯ve missed. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, blushing slightly. I have a contract to provide desserts for this restaurant and a few others. ¡°Your desserts are getting better and better,¡± Chloe adds. She¡¯s already finished her blueberry scone and has several others in a box to take home to her mother. ¡°All thanks to you guys,¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯re my first tasters after all.¡± Leah wipes some stray sugar off the edge of her lip. ¡°A role I treasure.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never guess who came into the restaurant the other night,¡± I say, doing my best to sound nonchnt. ¡°Who?¡± Chloe asks, pushing her hair behind her ears. ¡°A member of Karl¡¯s staff. He wanted to make a reservation.¡± Leah looks up, closing thepact mirror with a loud snap. ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t say yes to him!¡± Iugh. ¡°I told him we¡¯re reserved three months out. He doesn¡¯t stand a chance.¡± Chloe grins and high fives me. Across the table, Leah gives me an approving look. ¡°Good, I¡¯m proud of you, girlie.¡± ¡°I know you guys never really liked him¡­¡± Chloe shakes her head. ¡°I liked him at first, but he dragged you along way longer than he needed to. He never treated you right.¡± I sit back in my chair, trying to quell the rise of indignation. Far be it from me to suddenly stand up for Karl, but I do believe he truly loved me at one point. He couldn¡¯t have faked everything without me picking up on it. There was a time when I meant the world to him. ¡°You sacrificed too much for him,¡± Leah adds, probably noticing my skeptical look. ¡°You think?¡± I ask. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. She nods. ¡°Everything changed the minute you married him. You had to dress the way he wanted you to dress.¡± I concede that point. Karl never liked me to dress too shy. He preferred me to dress more conservatively, so that¡¯s what I did. At the time, I didn''t really mind. I was willing to do just about anything if I knew it would make him happy. ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started on the ck hair,¡± Chloe jumps in. I push my long, golden curls off my shoulder. It took me forever to get it back to my natural color. ¡°He loved the ck hair,¡± I say. Leah frowns. ¡°He was too controlling.¡± ¡°Way too controlling,¡± Chloe agrees. I know they¡¯re right, but I hate admitting it, even to them. It¡¯s hard to think about all the things I changed about myself just for him. I changed so much that when I look back at pictures from that time, I don¡¯t even recognize myself. That¡¯s why I hide all evidence of my past life at the back of my closet, where I can pretend it doesn¡¯t exist. ¡°He also hated when I cooked,¡± I say in a small voice, kicking myself a little for how feeble I sound. I¡¯ve always loved to cook, but Karl never understood why I wanted to spend my time in the kitchen when I could have been reading or studying instead. And, like everything else, I resisted the urge to do what I really wanted so I could do what he said. ¡°And you¡¯re so talented at it,¡± Chloe says, gesturing to the crumbs on her te. I was a good housewife, and I did whatever I could to please him, but even that wasn¡¯t good enough. He still left me, for no reason that I can think of. And without a good education, and my father¡¯s businesses in jeopardy, I had no way to make a living. Nobody would hire me. To top it off, no matter how many times I asked, he never told me why he decided to leave me. To this day, I still don¡¯t know. Just thinking about the darkness I plunged into during those months after the divorce makes something heavy sit on my chest. My wolf took it just as hard, if not harder, and she¡¯s been in aa ever since. ¡°He¡¯s trash,¡± Leah says, conclusively. ¡°Total garbage,¡± Chloe agrees. ¡°You gave him way too much of yourself, and he never deserved it.¡± ¡°But hey, at least you got a good settlement in the divorce.¡± Leah twirls a strand of chocte brown hair around her finger. ¡°Now you have this great life you created all for yourself.¡± ¡°I am happy,¡± I say. Chloe reaches over and squeezes my hand. ¡°And you deserve to be.¡± ¡°I wonder what he¡¯s up to now,¡± Leah says, pulling out her phone. She quickly searches Karl up and then shows us a photo of him in the capital. It¡¯s of him, looking handsome in a well-cut suit. Apparently, he¡¯s staying in the capital for an uing Alpha party. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know,¡± I say, waving the phone away. ¡°This interview is something you have to see!¡± Leah practically screams. ¡°God, he¡¯s ridiculous!¡± The three of us lean forward to look at the screen. It¡¯s Karl¡¯s business story. The interview is with Karl¡¯s secretary and she¡¯s going on and on about how wonderful Karl is and how cool he is. She¡¯s practically beaming with pride as she talks about the pack¡¯s growth and how many new investments he¡¯s gotten. It¡¯s clear she admires him. ¡°No one who meets Karl could ever forget him,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ve even seen lots of women cry.¡± The reporter asks her if she thinks Karl attracts a lot of women, and the secretary nods. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of his charms.¡± She grins. ¡°Women pester him constantly, and it¡¯s my job to help him handle that.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± the reporter jokes. She shes a confidential smile in response. Beside me, Chloe rolls her eyes, leaning away from the screen. Leah looks revolted, and I imagine I have a simr expression on my face. What a narcissist. ¡°Geez,¡± Leah says, putting her phone away. ¡°We¡¯re going to find you someone a thousand times better than Karl.¡± I nod. I¡¯ve been meaning to go on a date, but I just haven¡¯t made the time. If I keep this up for too long, though, my estrogen levels are going to plummet. ¡°Here,¡± she says, ¡°I¡¯m going to send you some contact information. We¡¯re going to find you a hot guy who isn¡¯t a controlling narcissist.¡± Chloe ps her hands together. ¡°Now, won¡¯t this be fun,¡± she says. There¡¯s nothing they love more than trying to set me up with someone. They¡¯re determined to find me someone new, so I can officially leave Karl in the past. I pull out my phone, and my eyebrows go up. Leah sent me the information of¡­ 17 hot guys ?! Well, at least I¡¯ll have options. #Chapter 3 - Unexpected Encounter #Chapter 3 - Unexpected Encounter Abby ¡°I know there¡¯s a lot to choose from,¡± Leah says innocently. ¡°So, just pick the ones you want to sleep with the most.¡± I give her a look, but she just sters on that innocent smile and waits for me to look at my phone. Beside me, Chloe leans in slightly, trying to get a look at the screen. ¡°Fine, this guy,¡± I say, showing them the one I picked. ¡°There, I have a date,¡± ¡°Why not meet someone else too, while you¡¯re at it?¡± Leah says. ¡°Just to save time.¡± I¡¯m a bit resistant to the idea, but I eventually give in to Leah¡¯s pestering. I message another guy to meet meter in the evening. ¡°You guys need to help me find something to wear,¡± I say when everything¡¯s been nned. They both agree, and we pay our bill. We walk around the shops until we find one that might have the kind of thing I¡¯m looking for. Chloe and Leah help me pick out a few dresses, and I go in the back to try them on. I decide on a form-fitting ck dress. It hugs my curves and cuts down in the front to show a bit of cleavage. It¡¯s ttering on my fuller figure, and I can¡¯t help but admire myself a bit in the mirror. It¡¯s the kind of dress Karl never would have wanted me to wear. Leah grins when I walk out to show them. I do a little twirl, and Chloe ps. ¡°Now that¡¯s a dress!¡± she exims. ¡°You look like a goddess,¡± Leah adds. I can feel my face warm. ¡°Come on, stop,¡± I say with augh. ¡°Very sexy,¡± Chloe continues, making me blush even harder. I wave them off and go into the back to change into my regr clothes. I buy the dress and a pair of strappy ck heels to match, leaving Chloe and Leah with the promise that I¡¯ll fill them in the minute the dates end. I meet the first guy, Luke, a few hourster. It¡¯s already crowded when I arrive, and it takes me a minute to spot him at the bar. He¡¯s handsome. Even better than his pictures. Usually, the men Leah sets me up with are total duds, but maybe tonight will be different. ¡°You look gorgeous,¡± he says, leaning down to kiss me on the cheek. I smile. ¡°You look pretty good yourself.¡± We edge slightly away from the crowd, and he leans in to talk to me. He starts telling me about his career, all the while ncing not so discreetly at my breasts. I can¡¯t help but feel a little bored. I always had so much fun when I went out with Karl. He dragged me out onto the dance floor and was constantly making jokes. I never knew what to expect with Karl, but it was always exciting. Luke¡¯s like every guy I¡¯ve been out with recently¨Cmore interested in how impressive he is than in what I might have to say. Partway through the conversation, I have to cut him off. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I say, stopping him mid-sentence as he drones on about his recent ount at work. ¡°I just need to run to thedies.¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t take too long,¡± he says with a wink. I have to resist the urge to cringe as I cross the bar. I adjust my hair in the bathroom mirror, then slip into one of the open stalls. A minuteter, the door opens, and Luke pushes his way into my stall. He slips his hand around me and slides it down my back, grabbing my butt. My instincts kick in and I knee him hard. He goes down with a groan. Too bad for him, the only ss I aced in school was Warrior Training. I leave him like that, crumbled over in the stall with a pained look on his face. I¡¯ve been out with a number of handsome guys in thest three years, and I haven¡¯t gone home with any of them. They¡¯re all the same, desperate to get into bed with me rather than get to know me. And even though I try not to, I always find myselfparing them to Karl, and they always fall short. I go back to the bar. For a moment, I have the intense feeling that I¡¯m being watched. I look around, expecting it to be Luke, but I catch sight of him retreating out the front door. The feeling persists, and I look around at the crowd again. No one stands out to me. Not anyone I can see from this vantage point, anyway. The next guy arrives, and he walks over with a wide smile. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Adam,¡± he says, his voice deep and gritty in a way that makes me perk up a little. I force myself to forget the presence I feel. He¡¯s handsome too, and more my type. He has curly brown hair and deep blue eyes. He¡¯s not as tall as thest guy, but still a few inches taller than me. I wait while he buys us both drinks, then we edge over to a table in the corner to talk. ¡°So, what are your hobbies?¡± he asks, inching closer. I can feel the heavy weight of someone¡¯s eyes on me, but I don¡¯t turn around. ¡°Please don¡¯tugh,¡± I say, ¡°but it¡¯s actually cooking.¡± I wait for his response, biting my lip. ¡°I like to cook and share it with my friends,¡± I add. I can¡¯t help but think about Karl and how he liked smart women, not women who can cook. Maybe Adam¡¯s the same. The service industry is the lowest of the low in the eyes of many. He looks a little surprised and I squirm a bit. ¡°Can I try your cooking sometime?¡± he asks, catching me off guard. ¡°I¡¯m an investor in the food business.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I say. ¡°You shoulde by my restaurant sometime.¡± I tell him which one it is, and he makes a note of it on his phone. ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± He orders us both more drinks, and I smile. I can be quick to judge, but I¡¯m trying to be better. It¡¯s not fair topare everyone to my ex, and Adam seems different from the other guys. So far, he hasn¡¯t leered at my breasts, or tried to grope me in the bathroom. I open my mouth to ask him about his hobbies when I feel Adam¡¯s sudden burst of intimidation. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. A broad figure shoves between us, cutting Adam off from me. I look up at him and take a half-step back. Karl res down at me, his jaw tense. Clearly, his was the looming presence I felt. I should have known. Behind him, Adam edges away with a nervous look on his face. He doesn¡¯t leave, though, which I¡¯m grateful for. ¡°Excuse me¨C¡± I start. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for hours,¡± he says, cutting me off. ¡°You¡¯ve been dating several men in a row.¡± His gaze rakes down my body and I grit my teeth. ¡°And wearing such revealing clothes? When exactly did you be like this?¡± ¡°What? ¡± I exim angrily. #Chapter 4 - A Stranger ？ #Chapter 4 - A Stranger £¿ Abby How did Karl even end up here? I look around at the bar and frown. This is the best bar in the capital. I just didn¡¯t count on running into him. I mean, I knew he was in the capital, but I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever cross paths. A part of me hoped I¡¯d never run into him anywhere ever again. Damn, he¡¯s as handsome as ever, though. I don¡¯t want to notice it, but I do. His soft brown hair falls across his forehead, and I have to resist the urge to reach up and push it back. His gaze narrows and there¡¯s some sort of emotion I can¡¯t ce churning in his deep brown eyes. Somewhere inside of me, I can feel my wolf perking up a bit and I have to resist the powerful urge to lean into him. Just being near him again makes my sleeping wolf stir. ¡°What the hell?¡± I say, forcing myself to remember how pissed I am. If he wants to y games, then so can I. ¡°Sir, who are you to talk to me like that? What could ever give you the courage to be so rude to a The line of his jaw hardens. Over his shoulder, I can see Adam looking back and forth between us. ¡°A stranger, is it? Well, let me formally introduce myself then. I¡¯m Karl, your ex-husband.¡± ¡°Ex-husband? Well then, you should know we¡¯re divorced now, and this has nothing to do with you, so if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I move to step around him, but he shifts with me, blocking my escape. ¡°We used to be very close,¡± he says. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to care for you.¡± ¡°Well, in the legal sense, we¡¯re no more than strangers.¡± I move to step around him again, and he grabs my arm. I tense immediately. ¡°Have you been dating a different man every day since the divorce?¡± I pull my arm free and take a step back. ¡°What, have you been spying on me? Are you that ridiculously jealous and prideful?¡± ¡°What do I have to spy on you for?¡± he snarls. ¡°I came here for the Alpha party, not you. It¡¯s not my fault I found myself cornered. I just don¡¯t understand why you keep dating different guys. What, Justin wasn¡¯t good enough for you?¡± I shake my head. I can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m hearing. ¡°Justin, our gardener? I haven¡¯t seen him since I left your house!¡± Justin was a good man and a talented gardener. We were friendly, and I always thought he was handsome, but that was it. He snorts. ¡°Because he¡¯s just a gardener, right? Figured you¡¯d need a young talent to provide for you instead?¡± His conspiratorial tone makes my temper re. Who is he to question me after everything? He¡¯s the one who ended things, not me. He waits, his shoulders tense. I know he thinks I¡¯m going to tangle with him, but there¡¯s no point. I¡¯ve moved to the capital and created a life for myself here. A good life. There¡¯s no point in letting him drag me back into the past. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve moved to the capital to redevelop, we might as well leave everything in the past. There¡¯s no point in dragging this out, is there? We don¡¯t have a rtionship now, anyway, so no need to pretend you care about me.¡± I shove past him, and this time he doesn¡¯t stop me. He turns and his scowl deepens when he sees me take Adam''s hand. Adam, to his credit, stands up straighter, doing his best not to be intimidated by the Alpha standing before him. ¡°I like the Ritz, don¡¯t you?¡± I say to Adam, turning my back to Karl. I can¡¯t help but antagonize him a little. Adam smiles down at me. ¡°I have a $30,000 mattress at home. Why don¡¯t we put it to good use?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Behind me, I hear a loud crash. I turn, and my mouth falls open. There¡¯s a pile of shattered ss around Karl, and the broken neck of the bottle is still in his hand. Wine pools across the countertop and drips down onto the floor. He puts the ss down on the shelf and turns to the waiter. A hush moves across the room as people turn to look at him. He doesn¡¯t seem bothered by the attention, or at least he¡¯s pretending not to be. ¡°Just put it on my bill,¡± he says to him. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ll have a ss of the strongest wine you can find.¡± My eyebrows go up. Karl never drinks, at least he never used to. If he does, he gets stomach bleeds. A part of me wants to go over there and stop him, but I hold myself back. He¡¯s not my problem anymore. He¡¯s the one who abandoned me. I will not give him my sympathy, even if it seems like he¡¯s trying to force it out of me. Slowly, conversation resumes, and people go back to dancing. Karl takes a swig of wine and I force myself to look away. ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, turning to Adam. ¡°He¡¯s my ex-husband. We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time.¡± He smiles and squeezes my hand. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be in a very good mood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided to move on. Let bygones be bygones.¡± I figure that the more I say it, the more it¡¯ll feel true. ¡°Now, how about that hotel?¡± He shes a smile. My restaurant manager, Olivia, steps around me, leading the group of men over to their table. I watch them go and smile to myself. Adam leads the group, turning to talk to the men behind him. We¡¯ve been seeing each other for the past ten days, and it¡¯s been going great. He¡¯s a true gentleman. Not only that, but after eating here the other night, he¡¯s told me he¡¯s interested in investing in the restaurant. Tonight, he¡¯s here with some people from his work. Apparently, he¡¯s been raving non-stop about the food here, and the thought makes something warm pool in my stomach. Just yesterday, we got drinks at a nearby hotel, and he danced with me, spinning me around in his arms in the middle of the dance floor. The door opens and I hear someone approach the table. ¡°Hello.¡± I look up. A girl stands before me, wearing a modest beige dress and a string of diamonds around her neck. Her dark brown hair is curled up in a chignon at the back of her head. My gaze drifts up to the man standing behind her, and I freeze. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Karl steps forward, the shock on his face mirroring mine. He¡¯s wearing a three-piece suit and has a 5 o¡¯clock shadow that only makes his chiseled face more handsome. I swallow hard. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind,¡± the girl says. ¡°I¡¯d like to make sure I have a reservation.¡± #Chapter 5 - The Trouble #Chapter 5 - The Trouble Karl Tiffany smiles, gazing across at Abby, who seems frozen in her chair behind the counter. I look between them for a moment, and it¡¯s easy to imagine that Abby is drawing all kinds of conclusions about what Tiffany, and I are to each other. I only came to the capital for the Alpha party, and without a Luna, I decided I should invite my cousin Tiffany toe along. She recently returned from eight years of studying abroad, and I figured it would be a good way for us to catch up. I don¡¯t get a lot of free time, and I couldn¡¯t exactly show up at the party without a suitable female Although, I¡¯m beginning to regret letting her ckmail me into this particr outing. After eight years apart, I forgot how strong-willed my cousin can be. When Tiffany wants something, she tends to get it. I tried exining that I¡¯m way too busy to go traipsing around to different food joints, but she wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°We need to book at a restaurant, like now,¡± she said, leaning against my desk with her arms crossed. ¡°And clearly sending someone else to do it for you didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m too busy.¡± She frowned. ¡°If you want me toe to this party with you, then you¡¯d better get up ande to this restaurant with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even want to go to this party,¡± I grumbled. It wasn¡¯t like I had ample time to attend social engagements. The time would have been better spent working for the pack. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Karl, you need to make an appearance, and you need me on your arm since you insist on not finding another Luna. Now get up. I don¡¯t want to get there toote.¡± So here we are, using my status to get us a decent spot for the party. I¡¯m just hoping we get this over with soon, so I can get back to work. I¡¯m in no mood to drag this night out any longer than it needs to be. Since my divorce, I haven''t eaten gourmet food of any kind. That was more Abby¡¯s thing than mine. If it were up to me, I¡¯d be perfectly fine just having my supplements. Other than a few business banquets, where I eat small bites of food out of politeness, I haven¡¯t really made the effort to eat a fancy meal. I don¡¯t have the time, and I don¡¯t care much for the rituals of it. When Tiffany decided I should make the appointment in person, I didn¡¯t have the will to argue with her about it. She¡¯s dead set on booking the best restaurant in town for the Alpha party, and this ce C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. seems to be her top choice. I don¡¯t really know anything about food, so I¡¯m mostly just here to tag along and ¡®be my Alpha self,¡¯ as she put it. I just wasn¡¯t expecting to walk in and see Abby. Tiffany and Abby never met, and it¡¯s clear that neither one of them knows who the other is. We¡¯ve been broken up for three years, and she lookspletely different from thest time I saw her. Her hair is blonde again for one, and she¡¯s filled out a little. I can¡¯t help but think about how good her curves looked in that ck dress the other night. As her wide blue eyes meet mine, my wolf mentally curses me. He wants Abby, and he¡¯s pissed at me for leaving her. This isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s argued with me about it but seeing her again has definitely brought it to the forefront of both our minds. Tiffany steps forward to talk to Abby, and I take the moment to respond to my wolf. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s so adamant I get her back when he knows perfectly well what she did. It¡¯s not like I ended things with her for no reason. She cheated on me with Justin, my gardener. I was convinced by the evidence. I¡¯ve said it a million times, I say to my wolf. Cheating is my deal breaker, and the evidence is overwhelming. We¡¯ll never get back together. She said she hasn¡¯t had any contact with Justin, he argues. Maybe she¡¯s telling the truth, and you suspect the wrong person! While I was working my ass off for the pack, my wife was screwing my gardener! I growl. It may be all this time, he¡¯s still skeptical. The evidence was overwhelming. You didn¡¯t see it with your own eyes, my wolf snarls back. She never admitted it. You mean all that evidence, all the photos of intimate feedings, the sneak peek of the kiss, the pair of immediately after Abby left, all of that wasn¡¯t convincing enough? Just remembering all the evidence makes the hurt and anger rise to the surface. I had more than just suspicions, and he knows that. It won¡¯t be until she admits it. My wolf growls. I want her to admit it! I hesitate for a moment. I can barely contain myself as I look at Abby. Even though it¡¯s been three years, I haven¡¯t been with anyone else since. I just haven¡¯t been ready to rece her, not yet. The thought makes me feel a little sick, even without my wolf pushing for me to get her back. The internal struggle I¡¯d surely experience just hasn¡¯t been worth it. She¡¯s as beautiful as ever. So beautiful, it makes something in my heart clench. Seeing her the other night with those men nearly killed me. I wasn''t expecting to run into her like that, and I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting to have to watch her go on dates with multiple guys. Abby smiles at one of the waiters as he walks by, and I can¡¯t help but frown. The waiter smiles back, and my eyes track him as he moves through the room, stopping at a nearby table to speak to the men seated there. Why do he and Abby look so familiar with each other? Is she so short on money that she has to work in a ce like this? Is this what she¡¯s been doing these past three years? The thought makes something in my heart soften. Even after the betrayal, I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to her. I want her to be alright. Despite the cheating, I don¡¯t want her to have a bad time. Abby looks up, and her eyes meet mine. I suck in a breath. I¡¯m shocked that even after all this time, she still manages to create this sort of reaction in me. I always thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world, but it¡¯s like in the past three years she''s gotten even more beautiful. I can hear my wolf agreeing with me as I gaze at her. Perhaps it isn¡¯t just my wolf who wants her back after all. #Chapter 6 - Fire Her #Chapter 6 - Fire Her Abby So, this must be Karl¡¯sdy friend. She¡¯s certainly his type¨Cintelligent looking and refined. She¡¯s wearing neutral clothes, and she seems to look down her nose at just about everyone in the room. She¡¯s the kind of girl Karl always wanted me to be. My wolf perks up at the sight of Karl, who¡¯s hovering behind the girl with a tense look on his face. I can¡¯t really tell what kind of mood I¡¯m in. It¡¯s certainly a shock to see him here, and with another girl, but I can¡¯t decide how I feel about it. Our eyes meet, and I can¡¯t help but gaze at him for a moment. I used to love looking into his eyes. I always thought they were the most beautiful brown color, even more beautiful when he smiled, and warmth filled them. He¡¯s not smiling now though, and I force myself to look away. On one hand, my kinder side wants Karl to get what he wants, but my wolf protests in my mind. You can¡¯t give him what he wants, my wolf says, and I cringe. You just can¡¯t. I can¡¯t help but wonder what Karl¡¯s wolf is saying to him¡­ if anything. He has his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s paying close attention to Tiffany and me. Maybe they¡¯re having some sort of argument. I want to talk to Karl¡¯s wolf too much, but I haven¡¯t recovered enough to establish a mind-link, my wolf continues. Shut up, I say to her. He¡¯s clearly forgotten how he ended up in this situation. She growls in response but goes quiet. As charming and handsome as he is, I can¡¯t forget everything he put me through. The period after our divorce was one of the darkest moments of my life, if not the darkest moment. Not just for me, but forMaterial ? of N?velDrama.Org. my wolf, too. I force a smile. ¡°Hey guys,¡± I say. His femalepanion stares down her nose at me, but I manage to keep my smile in ce. I¡¯ve had plenty of practice dealing with condescending customers. The fact that she¡¯s here with Karl makes no difference. I have absolutely zero intention of caving to their demands. ¡°We¡¯re preparing for the Alpha party, and we heard that your seats are fully booked.¡± I nod along. If they already know the answer, I¡¯m not too sure what they¡¯re doing here. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± she says in what I can only describe as a mildly threatening tone. I straighten my spine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯d like to amodate all our customers, but we have a limited capacity.¡± If she thinks she can bully me into giving her what she wants, then she¡¯s in for a big surprise. She looks me up and down with a snooty expression and takes a step closer, her voice low. ¡°I need to see your boss. Maybe you don¡¯t know who we are.¡± My eyes slide to Karl, but he just stands there with a neutral expression, watching us. Clearly, he has no intention of jumping in. ¡°Just ask for me,¡± I say. She narrows her eyes and grabs the cor of my shirt. She has enough height on me that she has no problem pulling me forward. ¡°Go get your boss,¡± she says, enunciating every word like I¡¯m an idiot. ¡°I hope you understand that you are lowering the service level of this restaurant.¡± Her grip on my cor is tight. I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes. The restaurant has gotten too quiet, and I know most of our patrons are probably watching this argument go down, more than happy for a show to go with their dinners. There are several maneuvers I could do that would get her to let go, but I don¡¯t want to add to what is already quickly bing a scene. Karl steps in between us, shielding me. ¡°Let her go Tiffany.¡± Hispanion, Tiffany, obeys, her fingers releasing my cor. I straighten my shirt and Karl turns to look at me. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± His gaze rakes over me, and I force my wolf to keep to herself. She¡¯s far too intrigued by his sudden closeness, and the warmth drifting off him doesn¡¯t make it any easier. It doesn''t take much to remember a time when I used to sink into his warmth. He¡¯d wrap his strong arms around me, and I¡¯d bury my face against the broad expanse of his chest. He gave the best hugs. I remember just how safe and rxed I felt being held by him. ¡°You sure?¡± he says, snapping me out of my thoughts. I lean away from him. I need to get it together. Things have changed between us, and rxed is probably thest thing I feel in his presence now. I nod. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really.¡± From the corner of my eye, I see Tiffany roll her eyes. He¡¯s better off with a girl like her, anyway. That¡¯s what he always wanted. ¡°I know it¡¯s been a while, but I didn''t realize you¡¯re in this business now.¡± He looks around, his voice softening slightly. ¡°If you¡¯d like toe back, I could offer you a few¡­ jobs.¡± He sighs and looks back at me. ¡°Either way, you¡¯re still my ex-wife. I know we can find something for you.¡± I raise an eyebrow. Seriously, he¡¯s talking about finding me a better job. He¡¯s been in here for two minutes and already he¡¯s being his normal condescending self. These two really are suited for each other. ¡°What are you trying to say? That you¡¯ll get me a more decent job?¡± He frowns at my tone. ¡°Look,¡± I say, turning so I can address them both. ¡°I know exactly who you are, but there¡¯s still no ce for you here. This is one of the most popr eateries in the capital. We have rich, powerful people ¡°Excuse me?¡± Tiffany says. She crosses her arms. I give her a cating smile. ¡°You¡¯re not familiar customers, so we have nothing for you. This is a busy spot, and, as I said, we¡¯repletely booked.¡± Sam, one of our waiters, walks up, a questioning look on his face. His shift ended ten minutes ago, and it looks like he¡¯s already changed to leave. Tiffany and I both turn to face him at the same time, and I open my mouth to ask him what he needs, but Tiffany beats me to it. ¡°Excuse me,¡± she says. ¡°Your front desk service is terrible. I suggest you fire her.¡± She gives me a pointed look and I have to force myself not to smile. ¡°We¡¯re VIPS going to the Alpha party, and we need to reserve seats.¡± I guess the fact that he¡¯s wearing a suit makes it seem like he¡¯s the one in charge. It shouldn¡¯t be as satisfying as it is to see the look of bewilderment on Sam¡¯s face. He¡¯s only been working here for a few months. ¡°What?¡± he says, his confusion clear in his voice. ¡°You want me to fire my boss?¡± #Chapter 7 - Mate Bond #Chapter 7 - Mate Bond Karl Tiffany¡¯s mouth drops open. She looks at me with some panic, but I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯m equally, if not more, shocked than she is. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± she says. ¡°You¡¯re the owner of this ce?¡± Abby exchanges a nce with the man beside her. He shifts ufortably, looking for a chance to escape. ¡°asionally,¡± she replies. ¡°I¡¯m also the chef.¡± I look at her for a long moment, something heavy sitting on my chest. ¡°Can we talk alone?¡± Her gaze finds mine, and she frowns at the look on my face. After a moment, she nces down at her watch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the restaurant is really busy tonight. I have to get to another customer.¡± She leans closer to the man beside her, and they talk for a moment in low voices. I clench my jaw, annoyed at the sight of them standing so close. Are they together or are they just colleagues? ¡°Thanks, Abby,¡± he says finally. He gives us a weary look as he moves around us and exits the restaurant. ¡°Abby¨C¡± I start, but the door behind us opens, cutting me off. A woman walks in, and Abby¡¯s face lights up at the sight of her. She¡¯s dressed in a ttering ck dress, with one of the biggest diamond nes I¡¯ve ever seen. Her gaze finds Tiffany and me. She looks us up and down, then dismisses uspletely. Beside me, Tiffany bristles. Abby greets her warmly, giving her a hug. ¡°Hi, how are you?¡± she says. I clench my hands into fists. I can almost feel the heat of her body as the memory of holding her in my armses back to me. She gave the best hugs. After a hard day, there was nothing I wanted more than to hold her in my arms, and it always made me feel better. I haven¡¯t realized just how much I¡¯ve missed that until now. ¡°I¡¯m great, honey. How are you?¡± Thedy returns her hug, then takes a step back. ¡°I know I was just here the other night, but I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± The smile Abby gives her brings back more memories than I¡¯d care to admit. I used to make her smile like that. Now the way she looks at me makes me feel like I¡¯m slowly suffocating. ¡°What did you think of our new dish?¡± Abby asks. ¡°Excellent, Abby. Truly,¡± the woman replies. Tiffany and I don¡¯t speak as we watch Abby lead the woman to her table, then move over to the bar. I¡¯m not even sure what we¡¯re still doing here, but I can¡¯t bring myself to leave. Abby circles back a few momentster with a drink, cing it down at the women''s table. They chat amiably for a moment, before Abby moves on to the customers beside her. It¡¯s clear she¡¯s good at her job, and that her customers like her. I hate to admit it to myself, but I missed seeing her like this. She was always such a ball of energy¨C always busy around the house, making it ¡®just so,¡¯ as she always said. Everything had to be perfect. She spent her days building our home and making itfortable, and I never really appreciated it until I starteding home to a silent, cold house. Tiffany turns to me, and I brace myself. Tiffany, when she¡¯s annoyed, is something no man wants to deal with, not even an Alpha. She levels me with a re. ¡°Karl, you¡¯re ruining my chance to show off Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. with my friends. Of course, your ex-wife just had to own this restaurant. Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Shut up, Tiffany,¡± I say, wearily. I wait a moment, my eyes tracking Abby as she moves through the room, bing more desperate to speak with her by the minute. Eventually, I realize she¡¯s not going to talk to me. She doesn¡¯t return to the desk, and a woman with olive skin and a sharp ck bob takes her ce, giving the two of us a nd smile. Abby stops at a nearby table, chatting amiably to the men seated there, and my heart clenches. I¡¯m not sure, but I think I recognize one of the men smiling up at her. You need to get her back, my wolf growls. If you ignore me again, there will be trouble. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. I really need to get out of here. The more time I spend in Abby¡¯s presence, the more I want to fold her into my arms and pretend thest few years never happened, that the betrayal never happened. But it did. Damn, have you seriously forgotten why we separated? I say. I can¡¯t stop the pictures of her and the gardener from running through my mind. There was so much evidence, and my wolf knows it. I don¡¯t get why he¡¯s so adamant I get her back. Our wolves are fated mates, my wolf replies. Our bond isn¡¯tpletely gone. I can feel it. I start to protest, but he cuts me off. If you don¡¯t listen to me, he growls. I¡¯ll kill Tiffany. I don¡¯t bother to wonder if he¡¯ll actually do it. I know he will. As much as my cousin annoys me sometimes, I don¡¯t want harm toe to her, especially not at the ws of my own wolf. Fine, I snarl. A sharp pain pierces my head and I rub my temples. I can already tell this headache is going to be a bad one. I¡¯m suddenly desperate to get out of here. As much as I want to protect Tiffany, I also can¡¯t help but admit that I miss Abby, too. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have gone so many years without a new Luna. I haven¡¯t been able to move on, and after seeing her again, I don¡¯t know if I ever will be able to. It¡¯s clear that my wolf won¡¯t, so what hope is there for me? After the divorce, I deliberately avoided any information about her. It hurt too much to know what she was up to, so I removed all traces of her from the house and mentioning her became forbidden. I even moved to a different vi, desperate to get away from any memory of her. Now, I wish I knew what she¡¯d been doing all these years, and how she ended up here, the owner of her own restaurant. We¡¯ll start an investigation again, I concede to my wolf. But I¡¯m not expecting much. I can feel my wolf¡¯s triumph, despite my skeptical words. It¡¯s clear he thinks she didn¡¯t do it. That, even with all the evidence, she¡¯s innocent. I can¡¯t imagine that being true, but if he¡¯s going to force me to look into it, then so be it. Tiffany huffs in annoyance and pushes her way out of the restaurant. It¡¯s clear she¡¯s realized she¡¯s not going to get her way, not even with the restaurant manager that¡¯s taken Abby¡¯s ce. It¡¯s clear that the boss''s word is final. I can¡¯t help the small rush of pride I feel. Don¡¯t get too hopeful, I tell my wolf. Whatever you say. I growl in response, desperate to convey my skepticism, but my hands are trembling. #Chapter 8 - The Truth #Chapter 8 - The Truth Karl I put down the stack of papers and lean back in my chair. I¡¯ve spent the better part of the morning going over the report from my investigators, and I¡¯m still struggling to wrap my head around everything they found. It seems like Abby has had a tough couple of years. Even though her father gave her a generous severance package, his business has clearly been struggling. He even had to sell their house, something I know must have been hard for Abby, who spent her childhood there. Her father was a supplier for the former Alpha, and her family was very wealthy as a result. When we married, though, she offered to change suppliers to avoid suspicion. We didn¡¯t want people to see me as a selfish Alpha. I don¡¯t think either of us realized how much of a strain that would put on her father¡¯s business, even if he waspletely understanding of our decision. After our divorce, Abby started as a backroom apprentice at a restaurant. By doing so, she managed to save up a sum of money. Looking at the pictures of her from that time makes something in my heart hurt. She looks haggard, worked to the bone, and there¡¯s a hollowness in her eyes that makes me feel incredibly guilty. I know I caused that broken look on her face. I never imagined she felt as heartbroken as I did. She cheated on me, after all. From there, she moved to the capital to start her own business. Using some contacts left behind by me, she was able to build her restaurant into a must-go spot. Now she¡¯s doing great. She owns one of the top eateries here, which is a feat in and of itself. Her acquaintances describe her as incredibly smart, great at maintaining rtionships, sweet, and good at remembering information about her patrons. Everyone my investigators spoke to had only good things to say about Abby. It seems like she hasn¡¯t had much time to focus on any personal rtionships as a result. Despite seeing her go on multiple dates, and the evidence that she has gone on quite a few since we ended things, she hasn¡¯t been in anything serious. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Instead, she put all of herself into her business, and she¡¯s seen results. Her food is widely considered some of the best food in the capital. I can¡¯t reconcile this person with the girl I used to know. She always loved to cook. I just never took it seriously. I thought it was silly. Justin¡¯s trail, on the other hand, seems to have disappearedpletely from the public eye. My investigators couldn¡¯t find anything on him. Wherever he¡¯s working now, it hasn¡¯t been through any regr channels. If I want to find him, it won¡¯t be quite as easy. Based on interviews with my staff, Abby was always really friendly. She was close to everyone and never had any attitude with them. She always loved to cook and would often get them to try her food. So, it¡¯s likely that the intimate photos I saw of Abby and Justin didn¡¯t mean anything. She was friendly with everyone, not just him. That doesn¡¯t exin the other evidence, though. How would her panties have gotten in the weed pile if she wasn¡¯t having an affair with him? I can''t think of any exnation, and the information my investigators got for me doesn''t refute any of the physical evidence I found. It¡¯s not like I broke things off with her without concrete evidence. When I found them there that day, my heart shattered. I really loved her, and knowing she slept with someone else broke me. I pick up the phone and call the doctor. I employed him back when I first found the panties. He found both of their DNA on the fabric, including Justin¡¯s semen. It¡¯s hard to refute evidence like that. But apparently new technology has developed that can pinpoint the time. I¡¯m desperate to know what he found, if only to get my wolf off my back. ¡°Good morning, Alpha,¡± he says when he picks up the phone. ¡°Good morning.¡± I rub my temples. ¡°Did you do the tests I asked of you?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. I have the results here. Just give me one moment.¡± I wait for him to pull up the information with bated breath. ¡°Alright, here it is.¡± He¡¯s silent for a moment, and I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m even breathing. ¡°It seems that the semen we found on the panties appeared at least 24 hours after the marks made by the owner.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means it¡¯s unlikely that the wearer of the panties had them on that same day that the semen appeared.¡± I¡¯m shocked into silence. If that''s true, then Abby didn¡¯t have an affair after all. It means that Justin somehow got ahold of her panties and did something with them I¡¯d rather not imagine. In case it enrages me so much, I decide to track him down immediately and let my wolf w him to bits. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say. I hang up the phone and lean back in my chair. I can¡¯t believe it. If only I had this information back then, none of this would have happened. You misunderstood her! My wolf snarled at me. You idiot! You broke your mate¡¯s heart. His words make me feel a little sick. I put her through so much, and it wasn¡¯t even true. My wolf¡¯s right, I am an idiot. I¡¯ve felt self-loathing before, but never quite this acute. My own arrogance destroyed my marriage. I pushed away the woman I love because I was too proud just to ask her about Justin. I¡¯m an Alpha. I spend so much time away from home, and so much time working. It didn¡¯t seem that much of a stretch that Abby would find physical release with someone else. With me gone all the time, she had ample opportunity. I didn¡¯t trust her, despite everything she did. I thought of her merely as a housewife¨Cunproductive, silly, more interested in cooking than reading. She had the audacity to betray me. At least I thought so, and that enraged me. She was beautiful and popr and maybe, deep down, it didn¡¯t seem like such a shock to me that she would. So, I believed it all. It almost felt easier to believe it, to think she had turned her back on me, than to be constantly waiting for it to happen. Now she¡¯s gone and if I¡¯m beingpletely honest with myself, I¡¯ve been miserable without her. My throat is dry. I will win her back, I vow to my wolf. I¡¯m going to make up for everything. My wolf huffed. Yes, you will. The ¡®or else¡¯ in his statement is more than clear. If I don¡¯t get her back, there will be consequences with my wolf. The phone rings, shocking me out of my thoughts. I swallow hard and reach for the phone. What if it¡¯s Abby? My heart rate picks up as I bring the phone to my ear. A part of me longs to hear her sweet voice on the other end of the line. ¡°Hello?¡± #Chapter 9 - Shut Down #Chapter 9 - Shut Down Abby I stand with my hands on my hips, watching a group ofw enforcement officers pour into my restaurant. One of them approaches me, a stern expression on her face. ¡°Mam, you need to shut down this restaurant immediately and straighten out your practice.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± I say, looking around with wide eyes. I can¡¯t believe my ears. ¡°The restaurant needs to be closed for the month.¡± I lower my hands. ¡°Please, I can¡¯t do that,¡± I say. ¡°I have customers with reservations, and regrs that are expecting to be seated. I can¡¯t just close for a month.¡± Just the thought of doing so makes me feel a little sick. Thest thing I want is to let my customers down, and who knows what negative effects it could have on my business long term. ¡°Please, officer¨C¡± I start, but she waves me off. She lookspletely unmoved by my pleas. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You have a food safety problem here.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shake my head. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. We¡¯ve gotten an S+ in sanitation every time.¡± The officer rises to her full height, that stern expression unwavering. ¡°If you disobey the order again, the police department will detain you.¡± I stare down at the cease-and-desist notice, desperately trying to wrap my head around what it means, but even holding it in my hand doesn¡¯t make it seem real. How can this be happening? I¡¯ve never failed a health inspection. Now my restaurant is closed for a month and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything that would warrant this,¡± Olivia says. She¡¯s the only one I didn¡¯t send home after the police raided the ce. ¡°Can you think of any recent hygiene problems?¡± She thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. ¡°Did we offend any regtors?¡± She frowns. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Any customerints?¡± ¡°Not that I can recall.¡± I sigh and rub my forehead. ¡°Great, so there¡¯s nothing. We haven¡¯t done anything, and yet here we are, out of business for a full month.¡± I¡¯m trying hard not to freak out, especially not in front of Olivia, but it does sort of feel like the end of the world. I worked so hard to build rtionships with my customers. Now I¡¯m going to have to call them up and exin why they can¡¯te in for the reservations some of them made months in advance. And in the meantime, what if they find somewhere else to go? Somewhere they like better? ¡°Well¡­¡± Olivia starts, a pinched look on her face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That man and woman who were here the other night didn¡¯t look too pleased when they couldn¡¯t get a table.¡± It takes me a minute to register who she¡¯s talking about, then my hands curl into fists. Karl. I offended him by not letting him make a reservation, and now he¡¯s taking it out on me. I should have known. He¡¯s never gone easy on the people who¡¯ve offended him. His pride won¡¯t allow it. The fact that I turned him away, in full view of the packed restaurant and in front of hisdy restaurant was just the sort of thing he¡¯d do. And as Alpha, he certainly has the power to make something like this happen. ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± I say. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I walk to my office in the back, my muscles tense. I will not let him get away with this. It¡¯s been three years. He has no right toe in here and mess with my business. I yank the phone off the cradle and dial the reservation number his subordinates left. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hi,¡± I say. ¡°I need you to put me in touch with your Alpha. Tell him Abby¡¯s trying to reach him.¡± He was silent for a moment. ¡°He¡¯s on the phone right now. I¡¯ll tell him to give you a call when he¡¯s free.¡± He hangs up before I can respond. I cross my arms over my chest and sit down in my office chair. I¡¯m not leaving here until he calls. I don¡¯t care how long it takes. I don¡¯t care if I have to sit here all day. He¡¯s going to fix this. It doesn¡¯t take long for the phone to ring, and I force myself to take a calming breath. I pick it up and bring it to my ear. ¡°Abby?¡± His voice sounds a little rough. ¡°Karl.¡± He clears his throat. ¡°Are you ready to talk?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I say coldly. ¡°I want to talk to you now.¡± He doesn¡¯t speak for a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to change your mind so quickly,¡± he says, finally breaking the silence. ¡°I thought it would take a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what you want, isn¡¯t it?¡± He gives me an address, and I put the phone down a little harder than necessary. Olivia¡¯s waiting for me at the front desk when I walk back out, my purse thrown over my shoulder. ¡°Alright Olivia, you can go home,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of this.¡± She nods. ¡°Just lock up when you leave.¡± It doesn¡¯t take long to find the ce he¡¯s staying. It¡¯s a sprawling estate in one of the richest neighborhoods the capital has to offer. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, but I am a little awed as I circle the fountain in the front yard and park my car. There¡¯s a guard standing at the door who nods at me as I approach. ¡°He¡¯s in his office,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± He opens the door for me, then leads me across the marble foyer. We walk up a grand staircase and down a hall. ¡°In there Ms.,¡± he nods at a closed door. I nod, and he strides away. Clearly, he doesn¡¯t see me as much of a threat to Karl¡¯s safety. Not that he should. As angry as I am at him, the thought of any harming to him makes my wolf rear up and snarl. I knock, and his voice calls out, telling me toe in. He¡¯s seated at arge oak desk, stacks of papers piled on the surface in front of him. He stands as I walk in and circles the desk. ¡°Abby.¡± He smiles, and a shiver runs down my spine. I can¡¯t help it; his handsome face still makes me swoon. I shake my head, forcing myself to snap out of it. It doesn¡¯t matter how handsome he is, or how charming I¡¯ve always found that smile. I can¡¯t even note that there¡¯s a warmth in his eyes that¡¯s been missing in the past few years. I won¡¯t allow myself to fall for the cold-hearted man ever again. He gestures for me to sit down in one of the chairs facing his desk, but I cross my arms and widen my stance. ¡°I want to apologize to you,¡± he says, taking a step toward me. I hold my ground. ¡°Maybe there was some misunderstanding between us.¡± ¡°Apologize for what?¡± I snap. ¡°You¡¯ve already shut down my restaurant! There¡¯s no reason to y nice now.¡± #Chapter 10 - The Threat #Chapter 10 - The Threat Abby I¡¯m not sure what I was expecting, but it¡¯s definitely not the look that crosses his face. His smile falls, reced quickly by a frown. He looks genuinely confused, but I force myself not to read too much into it. He could just be faking it. I¡¯m sure his time as an Alpha has taught him a thing or two about acting. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he says. He sounds genuine, but I don¡¯t trust him enough to believe he actually is. Not anymore. He sits on the edge of his desk and his muscles bulge as he adjusts his seat. His suit jacket lies draped across the chair behind him, and his white dress shirt strains as he sits, contouring to his sculpted arms and chest. He crosses his long legs out in front of him. It¡¯s hard not to be a little distracted by him. I can feel myself being drawn to him, like two mas. Something in me just wants to cross the room and sink into his muscr arms. I want to feel his lips on mine and his soft hair between my fingers. It was always like that between us, with so much tenderness and passion. It hurts all over again to know none of that tenderness will ever exist again. ¡°You don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about?¡± I say, desperate to keep the anger alive. Even if he looks great sitting there like that, I¡¯m not going to let him distract me. ¡°My store got shut down today! You came into my restaurant the other night, and now I¡¯m out of business for a month. All because I didn¡¯t give you a timely reservation?!¡± His frown deepens, and he narrows his eyes at me. ¡°So, I¡¯m a shameless viin in your mind, is that it?¡± The way he says it sets my teeth on edge. He rubs his temples, and I know that means he¡¯s got a terrible headache. He¡¯s always had bad ones. I used to sit up at night with his head in myp, holding a cold cloth to his forehead. I wonder if Tiffany does that for him now, or if he¡¯s all alone with his pain. Neither option really sits well with me. ¡°Even if I wanted to do something in retaliation,¡± he continues. ¡°I would have been open and honest about it. I wouldn¡¯t have stabbed you in the back.¡± I can tell by the look on his face that he¡¯s genuinely offended. ¡°Then how do you exin the timing of it?¡± I say, not budging from my stance. ¡°Or is it just a coincidence?¡± He looks up at me, his eyes slightly bloodshot. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably how I¡¯d exin it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just showing off your powers,¡± I continue, ignoring himpletely. He will not win any of my Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. sympathy, not now. ¡°You¡¯re trying to dominate me! You¡¯re trying to tell me that my restaurant career is worthless to you!¡± The minute I say it, I know that¡¯s the part that hurts the most. As usual, Karl can¡¯t find it in himself to take my work seriously. To him, it¡¯s probably just a silly little business, but to me, it¡¯s my entire world. It¡¯s the one thing I¡¯ve built for myself, the one good thing that came out of the divorce, and now he¡¯s trying to take that from me. He doesn¡¯t respond for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed. I brace myself. He always gets really silent before he gets really angry. It¡¯s his tell. But I will not cower. Things have changed, and I¡¯m not afraid of him anymore. His expression smooths out a momentter, and he looks away from me. I¡¯m a little shocked he managed to get his anger under control so quickly. He was never great at that. ¡°I asked you here to reconcile with you,¡± he says softly. ¡°Our divorce was a mistake. Why would I do something that would be detrimental to your interests?¡± I¡¯m shocked into silence. For a moment, I think he¡¯s messing with me, but then he looks up to meet my eyes and I know he¡¯s not lying. It¡¯s written all over his face. And I know him. When he says he¡¯s straightforward, he means it. He¡¯s never been the type to sneak around behind someone¡¯s back. His integrity was one of the things I always loved most about him. ¡°I don¡¯t care why you divorced me,¡± I finally say, ¡°that¡¯s in the past.¡± I¡¯m not sure I believe it, but it seems like the safest thing to say right now. I can¡¯t deal with the rest of it right now, not on top of everything else. ¡°My restaurant is all that matters.¡± I decide it¡¯s best not to respond to the whole reconciling thing. It¡¯s going to take a lot longer than a few minutes for me to wrap my head around that. He can¡¯t mean that he wants to get back together, can he? Not after everything? ¡°Come on, sit down,¡± he says, standing up from his ce against the desk. ¡°We¡¯ll figure this out.¡± I don¡¯t budge, and his eyebrows go up. ¡°Are you going to fight me on everything?¡± He sits down behind his desk and reaches for his phone. ¡°Probably,¡± I say, but I cross the room and sit down with a sigh. I lean back into the plush beige chair and nce around at his office. It¡¯s bare. No personal effects, no books. Nothing that says anything about who he is as a person. Frankly, it¡¯s cold. The walls are white. The hardwood gleams, but there¡¯s no rug to offer some sort offort or warmth. The beige curtains are pulled back from the windows, letting in the harsh sunlight. I decorated his old office, and it had so much more life. I find it hard to believe that he likes this vacant space more. ¡°Abby,¡± he says. I look up at him. He has the phone in his hand, but he hasn¡¯t reached to dial a number yet. He calls his subordinates, and I close my eyes, letting the sun¡¯s warmth wash over my face. I take a deep breath. Don¡¯t worry, I tell myself. This is all going to figure itself out. I nod, and even though I don¡¯t want to, I feel a littleforted. With Karl helping me, I should be able to get my restaurant up and running again before the weekend is out. That¡¯s one of the perks of being an Alpha. You have influence with just about every authority figure in the city. If he¡¯s serious about helping me, that is. I¡¯m still not sure what to think. A part of me is still reluctant to believe that he wants to make things right between us, but if he helps me get my restaurant back, then maybe that¡¯s a good first step. At least it would show that he¡¯s not the one trying to sabotage me. As far as reconciling goes, that¡¯s something I don¡¯t even have the energy to deal with right now. I need time to think. He says, ¡°We¡¯ll get to the bottom of this, don¡¯t worry.¡± #Chapter 11 - Warning #Chapter 11 - Warning Abby Karl hands me the report, his expression unreadable. I can feel his gaze on me as I pick up the stack of papers and scan the first page. ¡°That¡¯s everything my people could find,¡± he says. I look up at him and nod. It took an hour to get the report, and we spent most of it in tense silence. His staff brought in tea, which we both drank quietly, his with Kahlua, mine ck. Then he had to take a few calls while I sat and pretended not to listen. The worst, though, was when he ran out of things to do, and we just stared at each other across the desk for ten minutes. I could tell, with every passing minute, that he wanted to bring up what he said about reconciling. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t. He could probably pick up on the fact that I wasn¡¯t in the most receptive mood. I¡¯m more than happy to put that conversation off for as long as possible. Even with all that quiet time to think, I still don¡¯t know how I feel about it. About him. He falls silent as I read, and I can feel him looking at me. I do my best to ignore the weight of his gaze, but it makes me shift a bit in my seat. Even now, the full intensity of his attention makes me want to squirm. He¡¯s always had that effect on people, but it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been on the receiving end. When I¡¯m done reading, I look up at him. ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± Even though he probably deserves an apology, I can¡¯t seem to bring myself to give him one. Sure, I might havee storming in here with zero evidence and a bit of a vendetta, but we haven¡¯t been on the best of terms for a while now. He can¡¯t really me me for thinking it was him. Wouldn¡¯t he suspect me too if something like this happened to him? ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± I say, dropping the report back down on the desk when I¡¯m done reading. The information takes a moment to sink in. ¡°Another restaurantined about me?¡± He nods. I stand up and walk away from the desk, running my hands through my hair. I can¡¯t believe this. Why would theyin about me? I¡¯ve never had any issues with them before. ¡°They were clever about it,¡± he says. He watches me pace back and forth across the room, his eyebrows slightly raised. ¡°They paid off a bunch of regtors. It wasn¡¯t easy to find out the truth about what happened.¡± ¡°I guess your people are good at what they do.¡± ¡°The best,¡± he says, pride slipping into his voice. I can¡¯t help but think the Moon River pack is lucky. They have an Alpha that truly cares about them. He takes genuine pride in what his people aplish. He was good at his job before, but I can see that he¡¯s really grown into his role. ¡°What am I going to do?¡± I stop in front of his desk and wring my hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we were even targeting the same customers.¡± He shrugs. ¡°When there¡¯s a conflict of interest, there¡¯s a conflict of interest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go after them.¡± ¡°No need,¡± he says as he finally stands from his chair. He rounds the desk and stops in front of me. I have to tilt my head back to look into his eyes. He¡¯s so much taller than me. The top of my head just barely reaches his chin. ¡°What?¡± I say, a little dazed. ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of this for you.¡± He ces his hand on my shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. A distant part of me demands that I shake off his arm. After all, it¡¯s not really his ce to this for me, to have someone take care of me for once. I nod. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°But you have to promise we¡¯ll have a serious conversation. The minute this is all figured out.¡± I bite my lip. It¡¯s not a conversation I¡¯m keen on having, but if he¡¯s helping me with this, I don¡¯t really have the right to refuse. Talking to him is the least I can do if he helps me get my restaurant back. ¡°What if I say no?¡± I ask, just to test the waters. ¡°What if I don¡¯t need your help? My restaurant has its own PR person.¡± Not as effective as an Alpha, but still true. Theoretically, I could figure this out without him. ¡°I¡¯ll get it done in 30 minutes,¡± he says. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to open today without losing a single reservation.¡± I¡¯m a little dumbfounded. I thought for sure I¡¯d be out of business for at least a few days. He¡¯s certainly made it impossible to refuse his help. ¡°Okay, you have a deal.¡± The minute Abby leaves, Karl teleports to a house across town. It¡¯s nowhere near asrge as his, but it¡¯s clear the owner does well for himself. The neighborhood is nice, lined with towering oaks and well- keptwns, and there¡¯s a sleek ck Jag parked out front of the townhouse when he arrives. He pounds on the door, and a few minutester it opens. The man has a bewildered look on his face as he watches Karl shove his way into the front hall. ¡°Excuse me?¡± the man splutters. ¡°You can¡¯t juste in here.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Karl walks to the back of the house where it opens into a well-lit seating area. He spins around and pins the man with a re. ¡°You own The Crystal Pce, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You lodged aint against The Chase earlier today.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± Karl snarls at him, and the man backs up a few steps, a horrified look on his face. It seems to dawn on him slowly who the man looming above him is, and that¡¯s Karl¡¯s not the kind of person he wants to mess with. ¡°If you ever attack Abby¡¯s restaurant again, I will destroy you. Your entire business, and the officers of your dirty dealings, will have quite the string of bad luck.¡± The man opens his mouth to speak, but Karl growls at him and he wisely mps his mouth shut. ¡°That isn¡¯t a threat,¡± Karl growls. ¡°It¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Alpha of the Moon River back,¡± the man says, somehow finding the courage to speak. Karl bristles with anger. ¡°Isn¡¯t Abby your ex-wife? How is this your concern?¡± Karl raises an eyebrow and stalks forward. The man shrinks back a little, his hands shaking. One heartbeat could have Karl¡¯s wolf upon him. The man seems to know it, and he holds very still as Karl quietly considers him. ¡°Don¡¯t test me.¡± Karl leans away and straightens thepels of his suit jacket. ¡°It¡¯s entirely my concern. She¡¯s my future wife.¡± ¡°Alpha¨C¡± Karl grabs the man by the cor, cutting him off. ¡°And I think you owe her an apology.¡± He and Abby might not be together at the moment, but no one messes with her and gets away with it. His wolf snarls in agreement. Wherever they stand, it¡¯s his job to make sure no one ever disrespects her. The man tries to pull away, but Karl tightens his hold. ¡°I wonder if she¡¯ll be impressed by you.¡± He