Marked in Shadows

Matteo's POV

I was reviewing documents in my study when my phone suddenly chimed with a message notification.

Sabrina snatched my phone away before I could reach for it. She smiled sweetly at me and said, "Let me check it for you."

I sighed at her mischief, but I could not bring myself to stop her. She unlocked my phone with practiced ease, but the moment she glanced at the screen, her smile froze.

A flicker of disdain flashed in her eyes.

I frowned and asked, "What message is it?"

She snapped out of her daze at the sound of my voice and instantly put on a cheerful expression again.

"Nothing. It was just a spam text. My phone's dead, so can I borrow yours to play with for a bit?"

I agreed, not knowing that my decision would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Let me know immediately if there are any work messages," I said to Sabrina, who was lounging on the couch, as I put down my documents.

Sabrina agreed on the surface, then turned around and deleted the collaboration documents that other Alphas had sent over.

After doing all of that, she changed into a silk nightgown and tiptoed behind me, wrapping her arms around me.

Her rose-scented pheromones stirred something in me, and I put down my pen, turning to embrace her.

"Forget about work and spend time with me, okay?" she asked.

Her body pressed against mine, teasing me in slow, deliberate motions that made my heart race. My throat went dry, and before I knew it, I had lifted her into my arms and carried her to the bedroom.

We spent a blissful night together.

The next morning, I was still half-asleep when my phone started ringing incessantly. I tried to ignore it, but it would not stop.

Annoyed, I glanced at the woman sleeping in my arms and forced down my irritation as I answered the call. "What is it? Don't you know it's the weekend?"

I deliberately kept my voice low so I would not wake Sabrina, though the impatience still leaked through.

On the other end was my secretary, Grace Cohen.

She answered in a panicked tone, "I sent you an email yesterday. The Alphas from the three major packs are coming to discuss a partnership with you today. All three of them are already in the VIP room waiting for you."

My drowsiness vanished instantly. "Email? I never got any email!"

I hurriedly grabbed my clothes and walked barefoot across the floor. "Where's Alyssa? Why didn't she notify me? Doesn't she know this meeting is important? Get her to come pick me up right away. Also, dock her pay this month for leaving her post without permission."

I walked downstairs furiously, thinking Alyssa must still be mad at me and was ignoring the pack's interests over that small matter. It seemed I had been too lenient with her.

However, Grace went silent for a long time before carefully replying, "Alpha, Alyssa has already resigned."

I stumbled and nearly fell down the stairs. Those words hit me like a bolt from the blue, leaving me frozen in place.

"When did she resign? Did I approve it? Contact Alyssa immediately and tell her to come back now."

I did not realize my voice was too loud and had woken Sabrina, who was sleeping upstairs.

I could not believe that Alyssa had actually resigned. Was it really over that small matter?

She clearly knew I loved Sabrina, and I had already compensated her for all the hurt she had suffered.

What more did she want?

I gripped my phone tightly, unable to suppress the fury in my heart.

On the other end, Grace seemed terrified by my reaction and did not dare to speak for a long time.

Just as I was about to continue asking about Alyssa's whereabouts, a pair of slender arms wrapped around my waist.

"What's going on? You woke me up," Sabrina murmured softly, resting her head against my back.

Most of my anger instantly subsided, and I did not press the matter further. "Just a minor work issue. It's nothing."

I picked up Sabrina and carried her back to the bedroom. I planned to go to the office first since I could not afford to offend the Alphas from the three major packs. However, as soon as I lay her on the bed, she wrapped her arms around my neck and kept acting coy.

"I don't want you to leave. Stay here with me, please."

She nuzzled my neck like a kitten, her delicate manner making my throat tighten. I could not resist pulling her back into my arms.

It was not until half an hour later, after she had fallen asleep, that I picked up my phone. By then, my phone was full of missed calls from Grace.

My expression darkened as I sent a message to her.

[Reschedule today's meeting for this afternoon.]

Soon, my phone showed Grace's reply.

[Alpha, they've already left. They said there won't be any future cooperation.]

My heart sank, and I suddenly remembered that Grace had said she had sent me an email. I opened my phone, but there were no new emails.

Then, I recalled that Sabrina had been using my phone all last night.

I could not help but feel suspicious. I clicked on the trash folder, and my eyes widened, and the color drained from my face.