The Alpha's Dirty Secret

I stabbed my thumb against the red icon on the screen. The call dropped immediately.

Silence slammed into the greenhouse, broken only by the steady drip of spilled coffee hitting the stone floor.

"Lily?" Maya stared at me, her eyes wide and searching. "That ringtone on the stream. It synced perfectly with your call. Was that Kael?"

"It was a scam caller." I forced my voice to stay flat, shoving the phone back into my purse. "A robocall about an extended car warranty. I hung up."

"But the metal riff on Chloe's video—"

"Half the pack uses that default track, Maya." I grabbed a dry napkin and scrubbed at the brown stain on my jeans. My fingers trembled so violently I almost tore the thin paper. I pressed my knuckles hard against my thigh to steady my hands. "You said it yourself, she hooks up with random wolves for views. It is just a coincidence."

"Show me the video again," Maya demanded, reaching for her own phone.

"She ended the stream," I said quickly. "Right after she silenced the phone. Look."

Maya tapped her screen, frowning at the black display. "She did. Lily, look at me. Are you sure you are alright?"

"I am fine." I stood up, my knee throbbing from hitting the iron table leg earlier. "My phone glitching just startled me. And this coffee is ruining my favorite jeans."

Maya sighed, tossing the wet napkins onto the silver tray. "You need to relax. You are wound up tight today. Go home, take a bath, and wait for your perfect Alpha to get back from the city."

"I will," I said.

I walked out of the five-million-dollar glass greenhouse. The vibrant purple orchids blurred into meaningless shapes around me.

At ten o'clock that night, I sat on the edge of our king-sized bed. The room was dark, save for the moonlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed ten times.

Tires crunched on the gravel driveway below. A car door slammed.

I stood up. I smoothed the wrinkles from my silk nightgown. I waited.

Heavy footsteps echoed on the stairs. The mahogany door swung inward.

Kael stepped onto the plush rug, loosening his dark silk tie. He dropped his briefcase near the door and rolled his shoulders.

"I missed you," he murmured, his voice rumbling deep in his chest.

He closed the distance between us. I stood frozen. He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, pulling my back flush against his chest.

His nose brushed the side of my neck.

The sharp, artificial sweetness of cheap vanilla perfume hit my nose. It clashed violently with the harsh, biting scent of wolfsbane soap.

He had showered. He had tried to scrub her off him. But the vanilla clung to his skin, stubborn and loud.

"Happy anniversary, my beautiful Luna," Kael whispered against my collarbone.

His lips pressed into my flesh. My stomach churned. Bile rose in my throat. I gripped the edge of the mahogany vanity table to keep from shoving him backward.

"You work too hard," I said. My voice sounded remarkably steady, devoid of the warmth he expected.

Kael turned me around. He looked down at me, his dark eyes filled with practiced affection.

"Did you secure the northern border contracts?" I asked.

"It took all day," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "The elders argued in circles. I barely had time to eat. I am sorry I missed our dinner."

"It is fine," I said.

"Did you like the orchids I sent this morning?" he asked, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"They were beautiful. The greenhouse is full."

"Only the best for my mate," Kael said, smiling softly. "Next year, I will build you a bigger one."

My eyes landed on the lapel of his custom navy suit.

A single, long blonde hair clung to the dark wool.

"Hold still," I said.

I reached up. My fingers grazed the expensive fabric. I pinched the golden strand and pulled it free.

"What is that?" Kael asked, glancing down at my hand.

"Just a stray thread," I lied.

I rolled the hair into a tight ball between my thumb and index finger. I dug my nails into my palm, trapping the evidence in my fist. The sharp sting of my own nails grounded me.

"You look exhausted," I told him, stepping out of his embrace. "Let me get you a drink."

I walked over to the crystal decanter on the side table. I dropped two square ice cubes into a heavy glass. I poured a generous measure of amber liquid.

I turned back and handed the whiskey to him.

Kael took the glass, his fingers grazing mine. "You always know exactly what I need."

He drained the whiskey in three long swallows. The ice clinked against the glass.

"I am going to wash the travel off me," he said, setting the empty glass down on the nightstand. "Wait for me in bed."

He shrugged off his suit jacket. He tossed it toward the velvet armchair in the corner.

The garment missed the cushion entirely. It slid down the armrest and hit the hardwood floor with a soft thud.

A small, rectangular piece of plastic slipped out of the inner breast pocket and landed face-up on the rug.

A white hotel keycard, stamped with a bright pink wax seal in the shape of a cursive 'C'.