Page 7 of The Alpha's Forsaken Vow

“How much did my nephew pay you, sweetheart?”

Her brow furrows. “Excuse me?”

“I’ll pay you more than whatever that bastard offered.”

Her breath catches, but I don’t miss the anger in those bewitching green eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Stepping closer and watching her reaction, I state the obvious, “You’re Julian’s ex-girlfriend.”

“Yes, but how did you—”

“How much did he pay you to fake cry, snag my attention, and get into my bed?”

Her lips part, disbelief clouding her expression. “I didn’t even know you were…Julian’s uncle until right now.”

Her voice is sharp, defensive.

I let out a humorless chuckle. “Yeah? And you don’t find it suspicious that out of all the women in that bar, you’re the one who ended up in my bed?” I tilt my head, studying her. “You’re the perfect tool that Julian would use to compromise my claim to the Alpha title.”

Her eyes glisten with tears, her bottom lip trembling as she fights for words. Then, with a cruel little laugh, she murmurs, “You really think I’d let Julian decide who I get to sleep with?”

I close the remaining space between us, my wolf buzzing from the proximity.

I ignore him.

I lean down, grip her wobbling chin between my fingers, and force her to look at me.

“With the right price, any woman will spread her legs if a man so much as asks.” My voice drops lower. “Whatever plan you and Julian have hatched, I will crush him. And I will crush you tenfold, wild one. Do not test me.”

She slaps my hand away, furious.

The tears she fought so hard to hold back fall down her cheeks, but she wipes them away quickly.

I say nothing as she gets up from the bed, hurriedly putting on her dress and gathering her belongings from the floor.

I watch her in silence.

When she’s done, she turns to face me, shoulders squared, chin high.

Last night, she cried for pleasure.

Now, she cries for something else entirely.

Her voice is raw, choked, when she finally speaks.

“You and Julian are the same.”

I tense.

“You don’t care who you hurt as long as you get to be Alphas.”

Her words strike deeper than they should.

And then, quieter with a lethality she doesn’t know she lays claim to, she adds, “And don’t worry, Alaric. I regret last night more than you ever could.”

The door slams shut behind her a minute later.

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