Alpha's Secret Bride

"One of my domestic workers," he said. "She was my mate’s favorite. After my mate Michela died, she stayed close by. She made sure I ate, checked on me every day, and never let me shut everyone out." A smile spread across his face as the memories came back. "She’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met." He laughed under his breath. "Although, I have to admit, she can be pretty dramatic sometimes."

"Where is she now?" Scarlet asked.

Greg looked around the chamber, then lowered his voice.

"Somewhere in the house, probably keeping an eye on us."

A grin spread across his face.

Scarlet laughed.

"I believe you."

She glanced at her watch and sighed.

"Thank you, Gregory. You really made me smile today." She pushed her chair back and stood. "I should get going."

Greg rose with her.

"I’ll drive you home. Then tomorrow, I’ll pick you up after work and take you home again."

Scarlet laughed and shook her head.

"No. Ama would fire me. She’d think we’re already dating."

"If she fires you," he said with a shrug, "I’ll give you a better job."

She smiled.

"I don’t want to fight with anyone. If I ever leave, I want it to be on my own terms."

He nodded.

"Fair enough."

Greg walked her outside. He opened the car door for her, then stepped back after she got in. As the driver pulled away, he stood at the gate and lifted a hand.

Scarlet smiled and waved back.

As the car rolled down the driveway, she glanced into the side mirror.

A woman stood near the entrance, her eyes locked on the car. A deep frown settled on her face, making it clear she wasn’t happy.

The smile faded from Scarlet’s face.

She remembered what Gregory had said about his dramatic domestic worker.

Could that be her?

On Monday moonrise, Scarlet woke up early as usual. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should give Gregory a chance if he ever asked her out. She brushed the thought aside as quickly as it surfaced. Amaris was already interested in him, and she knew plenty of other women would be too. There was no reason for her to get involved.

A strange feeling settled in her chest, urging her to take the day off. She considered it, but the thought of losing her job stopped her.

She pushed the feeling aside, took a quick shower, got dressed, and rode the elevator down. A few minutes later, she stood outside her apartment building, waiting for a cab.

A shiny black Mercedes pulled up and stopped right in front of her.

She stepped aside, expecting Gregory to climb out. The car looked familiar. She had seen it parked in his garage the day before.

Instead, the passenger door opened.

A long leg appeared first, followed by a tall woman dressed with effortless elegance. She stepped out, closed the door behind her, and looked Scarlet over from head to toe. Then the corner of her mouth curled into a smug smile.

Scarlet recognized her at once.

She was the same she-wolf who had been standing at Gregory’s front door as his car drove away yesterday.

A knot formed in her stomach.

How did she find my address?

Her thoughts raced.

She remembered Gregory’s call with Amaris. Maybe Ama had sent this woman to warn her to stay away from Gregory. Scarlet’s mouth went dry. She could deal with many things, but she had no interest in getting caught in a fight over a man who wasn’t even hers.

She forced a stiff smile.

The other woman caught the nervous look in her eyes and didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she slowly looked around the apartment complex as if she had all the time in the world.

"Hmm." She clicked her tongue. "I can’t believe you live in a public apartment."

Scarlet stood where she was, her lips pressed together. Not a single word came out.

"I thought you were the daughter of a billionaire or some politician."

"My parents are dead," Scarlet said, cutting her off. Her face didn’t change.

The woman blinked.

"Oh." She tilted her head. "They didn’t leave you anything?" She gave a small shrug. "What a pity."

Scarlet frowned. "I never expected anything from them in the first place. You can’t miss what was never yours."

The woman folded her arms and smirked. "That’s easy to say now. Keep telling yourself that, but I wonder if you’ll still feel that way when everyone else has what you don’t. Everyone wants somewhere they belong, whether they admit it or not."

Scarlet held her gaze.

"Why are you here?"

The woman let out a light laugh.

"Where are my manners?" She placed a hand on her chest. "My name is Eira." A slow smile spread across her face. "I’m your new moonmate’s fiancée."

"Gregory isn’t my moonmate."

"I know." Eira nodded as though she agreed. "But I’ve noticed you’re trying very hard to make him yours."

Scarlet frowned and shook her head.

"I’m not."

The smile vanished from Eira’s face.

"Listen to me, you little whore." Her voice turned sharp. "I don’t ever want to see you in that house again. Do you understand me?"

She crouched, unzipped a small silica bag, and pulled out a revolver.

"If I ever catch you there again, I’ll pull the trigger and make sure your brain gets reset for good." She raised the gun just enough for Scarlet to see it. "Do you understand me?"

Scarlet nodded once.

"Yes. I won’t go there again."

"Good."

Eira’s tone softened, but her eyes stayed cold.

Meanwhile, a neighbor across the building paused and glanced toward them. The raised voices had caught his attention.

They looked up just as the man quietly slid his window shut.

"Where do you usually see him?"

"At the coffee shop where I work."

"I want you to resign today." She took a step closer. "Gregory already knows where you live, so I’m getting you another apartment." She paused just long enough for Scarlet to meet her eyes. "And after that, change your device number."

"I’ll do all of it," Scarlet said.

A smile spread across Eira’s face.

"That’s a good girl."

She reached over and ran her fingers through Scarlet’s hair.

The wig slipped off and dropped to the ground.

Eira stared.

"What happened to your hair?"

"I cut it."

"Alright." Eira said with a mocking tone as she glanced at her one last time. "Go upstairs and write your resignation letter. I’ll wait here."

Scarlet picked up the wig, put it back on, and turned toward the apartment building without another word.

She took the elevator upstairs. A few minutes later, she came back down with an envelope in her hand.

Eira opened it, read the letter from top to bottom, and smiled with satisfaction.

"Get in. I’ll drive you there."

Scarlet shook her head.

"Thank you, but I’d rather walk."

Eira lifted an eyebrow.

"Weren’t you waiting for a cab a few minutes ago?"

Scarlet didn’t answer.

Eira reached into her purse and pulled out a business card.

"Fine. Here’s my card. Call me as soon as you’ve submitted the letter."

Scarlet accepted it and slipped it into her handbag.

A few minutes later, a Sentinel patrol car pulled up in front of them.

Eira leaned closer without taking her eyes off Scarlet. "If you do anything stupid, you’ll regret coming to this country. Smile and tell him everything’s fine. Do you understand?"

The officer stepped out and walked over.

"Miss, is everything okay here?" he asked, looking from one of them to the other.

Eira smiled as if nothing had happened. "Everything’s fine, Officer. She’s my domestic staff. I came to pick her up for work. Isn’t that right... Kaela? I mean..."

"Scarlet," Scarlet corrected quietly.

"Right. Scarlet." Eira gave a small laugh. "You confused me with Kaela, my newest employee."

Scarlet forced a smile. "Yeah. You’re right. We do look alike."

The officer studied their faces for a moment. Then he gave a small nod, returned to his patrol car, and drove away. It seemed a wolf in the neighborhood had reported what they had seen.

"Remember what I said," Eira said. "Call me as soon as you resign. And don’t you dare tell anyone including Greg about what happened here. Do you understand?"

Scarlet swallowed hard and gave a small nod.

"I understand," she said quietly.

She turned and started down the road without looking back.

Eira watched her for a moment before getting into her Mercedes. The engine roared to life, and the car disappeared down the street.

Scarlet watched Eira drive away.

She kept walking until the Mercedes was completely out of sight.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips.

There was a time when people like Eira would have stood in line to take orders from her. Now she had stood in silence while a gun was pointed at her.

Life had a cruel way of bringing people to their knees.

She reached into her handbag and pulled out Eira’s business card.

She looked at it for a long moment.

Then she dropped it into the nearest trash bin and walked away without looking back.