bChapter /bb42 /b

:.

Heat rushed to my face, humiliation burning my ears and neck. I kept my back to him, unwilling to let him see how his words still had power to hurt me. Turning away from the closet, I continued searching for my design tools and sketches, bfocusing /bbon /bsteady breaths to bcalm /bmy racing heart.

64

In the study, I found some of bmy /bdesign supplies and a few sketches. Relief washed over me, momentarily easing the knot in bmy /bstomach. But as I searched furtherb, /bdread began pooling inside me. My main portfolio–years of work, hundreds of hours of creativityb–/bwas missing.

“Where’s my portfolio?” I turned to Williamb, /bbunable /bto keep my bvoice /bfrom wavering.

“Oh, that. He pretended to consider for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin. His eyes gleamed with pleasure at my distress. ‘I

burned it.”

b“/bWhat?” The word escaped bas /bbarely a whisper, my lungs seeming to copse. bA /bcold numbness spread from my chest outward, my vision darkening at the edges.

“That was my response to your betrayal,” he shrugged, watching my face intently, drinking in my reaction. “You deserved it.”

Something snapped inside me. “You evil bastard!” The scream felt torn from somece deep and primal. My vision blurred, hot tears spilling down my cheeks. My hands shook violently bas /bthe full impact hit me. “Those were my only copies of years of work!”

b“/bYou disrespected our mate bond. Consider it justified punishment,” William said, his lips curling upward as he watched my painb, /bsavoring it. “bI’ll /bmake sure you can’t establish yourself in this city, Reba. No one will hire you, no one will help you.”

What happened next urred so fast I barely processed it. Raymond moved with lightning speed, his fist connecting with William’s jaw. The sound was sickeningb–/bwet and solid. William stumbled backward, eyes wide with shock as he crashed into the wall and slid to the floor.

“You dare- William sputtered, blood trickling from his split lip. His eyes shifted color, amber recing brown as his teeth elongated. His fingers transformed partially into wsb, /bscraping against the hardwood floor as he pushed himself up. A low growl built in his throat, the sound raising the bhair /bbon /bmy armsb. /b

Raymond didn’t flinchb, /bpositioning himself between William and me. I pressed myself against the wall, heart hammering so hard I felt dizzy.

“Think carefully before your next bmove/b, Moretti,” Raymond’s voice was cold, lethal. “bI /bstand bhere /brepresenting Dominic Sterling. Are you certain you want to challenge thatb?/bb” /b

The name struck William visibly. He froze mid–movement, uncertainty flickering in his amber eyes. His gaze darted between Raymond and me, calction recing rage,

“Sterling?” William’s voice had lost its arrogance, the wolf features slowly receding. “What does Sterling have to do with her?”

Raymond nodded curtly. ‘Miss Brown is now Mr. Sterling’s personal assistant. She is under his protection.”

William stared at me, then suddenly erupted into mockingughter. The sound cut through me, familiar in its cruelty. Blood still btrickled /bfrom his lip as he wiped it with the back of his hand, staining his expensive shirt cuff.

b“/bbA /bbpersonal /bbassistant/bb‘/bb? /bIs that bwhat /bthey’re calling it now?‘ His eyes narrowed, gleaming with vicious satisfactionb. /bb“/bbYou’re /bbnothing /bbbut /bba /bwhoreb, /bReba. You cheated on me the night before our wedding, and now byou’ve /bcrawled into the future Alpha’s bed.

The usation struck me hard, stealing my breath. My face burned with shame despite knowing the falseness of his words.

William stepped forward, his voice dropping to a malicious whisper. “If I had been more powerful, you would have stripped naked and climbed into my bed too, wouldn’t you? It’s all about status and money with you. Tell me I’m wrong.”

64

12:05 Mon, Sep b22 /b

Mated by Contract to the Alpha