Page 19 of Escalating Alpha

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, not having known that. I took his phone from him and sighed when I saw one of the pictures to prove they had them. It wasn’t a shot I’d sent from my phone or one taken from my phone. It was a better camera and maybe even edited. “Fuck, fuck,fuck all the ducks.”

“How do you want to handle this?” Sander asked.

“I have no fucking idea,” I admitted. “Galvin was still on the fence and was going to talk to people. Now it’s another crime and big.”

“I also don’t think he can be objective given who will use this as ammunition against you and what he has at stake,” Dain admitted. “I contacted Summer.”

I frowned, but then it hit me. “The media person? From that morning show I went on and talked about us being able to be lie detectors or whatever?”

He nodded. “She reached out to me after that and admitted she was tired of being in the shadow of her husband. That her career had suffered more than she had ever thought given they datedafterthey’d worked together a while. Also, she had a long career too, but it’s additionally his attitude. He used to keep the line clear and professional, but now that they’re married—”

“I saw it at the taping,” I cut in, sighing. “He was treating her like he might at home. Interrupting her or just saying she was wrong—stuff we can do when heated but alone. You can’t do that to your partner on fucking television. Not in public. I can call you a dumb shit when we disagree, and have, but like… I would never at a function. It really bothered me.”

“Apparently, it’s bothered her and for a while since she’s brought it up and it’s not getting better. Also, couples counseling, but he’s more worried about his image if they were found out than their marriage. So she tried to convince me that she was the right person to give us the real coverage we need more than the YouTube channel. Or other channels.”

“We’ve done stuff like this or Brian’s still doing the new shifter vlog thing, right?”

“He hasn’t done one in a month because most of his issues are about your relationship and he said each time he tries to record it’s more like that,” Dain admitted.

Yeah, I would beat him hard if he talked more about that publicly than he already had.

“What does she want? Really?” I asked.

“The truth,” he sighed. “She wants the truth instead of propaganda. And not to push a supe agenda. She said she wanted like a shifter 101 class. How does a pack work? There are so many misconceptions that even she gets overwhelmed whenshe does care and pays attention. So everyone else does too because they’re too busy.”

I’d said that a lot.

“And her network is okay with this? They’re not trying to spin this into more and clickbait?”

“She doesn’t want to do it with them. She doesn’t have a non-compete. She took it out at her last contract renewal when the executives told her to work out her issues with her husband instead of the producers doing their jobs. She was going to resign otherwise.”

“She wants to do it with HBO as a documentary since we’ve already worked with them and they’re dying to do more with us,” I surmised. “I’ll think about it, and there are a lot of people to talk about it with. I would also want episode plans and stuff, a real outline, and we’d have to have full approval.”

“More than fair,” Dain agreed. “And I suggested some sort of agreement that HBO donates a certain amount to the supe outreach events.”

I really liked that idea and praised him for it.

“How does this help us now?” Sander asked.

“She’s going to interview me and we’re going to expose what’s going on instead of waiting for the shoe to drop,” I told him. “Through her network?”

Dain nodded. “She said if it’s a breaking exclusive, she could get it. She’s on Melicent’s private plane on her way here already.”

Wow, she really wanted out of her current circumstances then. Poor woman. Sometimes I wondered what women really got out of marriages besides more heartache and being unappreciated?

I searched his gaze. “Okay, well, I guess I trust you to handle this how you feel best.” I let out a slow breath and then stood.

He pulled me off to the side and swallowed loudly. “I can’t stand this anymore even if this is completely the wrong time totell you.” He let out a slow breath. “You called me your fuck buddy.” He nodded when I flinched. “And that even the sex makes you worry that I’m going to yell at you later because I think I’m your boss.”

I yanked my arm away, basically confirming it.

“That you used to feel like I saw in your soul, but now that’s gone, and you wished we never married if this was how things turned out.”

The lump in my throat was too large and painful, but I did what I had to and said something. “I’m sorry my words hurt you. I don’t remember saying that. I mean, I know you wouldn’t lie about it to just start trouble, but I don’t…”

“I deserve them,” he rasped. “I did lose sight of your soul and the step for us to be in sync.” He touched my face, cupping my cheek even when I flinched. “I never stopped loving you, Sera. I didn’t cope well with it all. I thought I did. I thought I wasn’t a prideful man, but I am, and I regret so much but never you. Never my love for you and this marriage.”

“Thank you for sharing and telling me,” I whispered, unsure of what to say but at least glad he finally fucking told me. “I’ll let them fill you in on what else happened. I have to go.”

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