Page 25 of The Alpha's Broken Oath

Winter’s answer to my question is a steely blank stare directed at me. One that would melt even the strongest of icicles to mere puddles.

“I don’t know, Mr. Cross. Why don’t you tell me? Are you keeping me here to punish me? I’ve reviewed these reports twice, counter-checked them twice, too, and I still can’t find the problem.”

Hearing her call me “Mr. Cross” feels like I’m trying to chew rusty nails every fucking time. She won’t find the problem because there’s no problem in those financial reports in the first place. I said I would resort to anything to get her back, and this is but the tip of the iceberg.

“You can be out of here in minutes if you give me what I want, Winter. One question, baby. Give me the answer to my question, and you can leave.”

She’s dodged the one question that’s racking my mind like an itch, and I can’t help but feel pissed off about it every ticking minute. I blame it on Martin. Ever since he mentioned another Alpha being in Winter’s life, I’ve all but gone crazy. Thoughts of Winter and another Alpha together or flirting or dating have been making me see red all day.

Winter piles up the reports neatly against her desk, before she picks up her purse, stands up and says, “If that’s all you need, then I’ll be on my way, Mr. Cross.”

The minute she makes a beeline for the door my feet are already hoisting me up. One minute, I’m behind my desk, watching her instead of focusing on work, and the next minute, I’m standing right behind her, my hand above her head, my gaze on her, and my entire body caging her from the back.

Jealousy and possessiveness clench my heart in a vice grip, and words fly from my mouth faster than I stop them, “Do you call him Sir? Or do you call him by his first name?”

Her shoulders stiffen, and I watch the action itself without backing down.

“Is he waiting for you to get home right as we speak, Winter? Is that the reason you’ve been itching to get away from me all night?”

Silence.

Winter gives me nothing but the silent treatment, and in that silence, confusion and disbelief are written in her pretty features as if what I just said wounds her and shocks her at the same time. For me, I take her silence as my answer. I might have been right about her having a date. I might have also been right in assuming there’s a guy, more specifically Kieran Vega, waiting for her somewhere.

I can hear the little spurts of air that erupt from her nostrils. I can almost see her eyes without standing in front of her, and this is the most torturous thing I’ve had to endure.

To ask my mate whether she’s seeing another man, whether she moved on from me when the truth of the matter is my insides feel like they are being chopped to pieces by a serrated blade from anticipating her answer.

Putting my foot in my own mouth, I lean closer, my lips almost touching the shell of her ear. “Does Kieran Vega know you were mine first, and you are still mine when he fucked you?”

“Fuck you, Deacon,” the hitch in her breathing and the sound of her voice cracking as she speaks tells me I went too far.

Winter pushes the double-edged doors with enough might to bring the building down. By the time my mind registers that I just ruined our work relationship before it even began, Winter is already running down the hall that leads to the only elevator on this floor.

I give her a head start. I watched her do the exact same thing she did years ago. I couldn’t stop her then—but this time round? I run after my mate. I choose her. I’ll always choose her.

The elevator doors part in time for Winter to get in. Once she’s inside, Winter raises her head, and our eyes meet. I can't forget the look written on her face.

It’s like she didn’t expect me to run after her—like she’s already decided that I’m the asshole who’ll never run after her no matter what.

Our eyes colliding, my feet move faster than those doors close. My little mate taps the button at least three times so that she can lock herself inside and lock me out. Unfortunately for her and fortunately for me, I shoulder my way inside the metal contraption before the doors shut and lock us both inside.

“Winter—”

“No. Just no, Deacon! You rejected me, and I left. Was that not enough for you? Was me losing my family and losing you all in the same shitty month not enough satisfaction for you?”

Her eyes burn aflame. Those green shards of eyes she has are an inch away from spilling a bout of tears as she points an accusatory finger at me.

Static only filters through my ears as I sample her words.

“Satisfaction? For Goddess’ sake, Jacob was my best friend too, Winter. Your family was like my—”

Winter cuts me off like a woman scorned. ” My family was never your family, Deacon. Jake was never your fucking best friend if you couldn’t even be man enough to stop your father’s lies and avenge his death years ago.”

How wrong she was, and I couldn’t even begin to tell her just how much.

Not backing down, refusing to let me have a word in because she’s hurt and tired, Winter continues talking, and every word is laced with as much acid as she can summon.

“Which is why you do not get the right to come here and pretend like you own me. You don’t get the right to ask who I’m fucking or who I’m not fucking because I am not yours, and you are not mine. Whether it’s Alpha Kieran or someone else, you lost all the right to me a long time ago, Deacon.”

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