EMBER'S POV

"You all did a good job with the plan. But I must say, I was most impressed by our newcomer," he said and smiled at me. Every eye turned to me as well, and I flushed,


"thank you, sir,"

"You weren't just clever, but you were witty too. Well-done. And congratulations, as you've been selected to attend the Alpha's banquet that comes up tomorrow evening. Please dress up nicely." The room erupted in hush whispers but the president quieted it down.

"you may all leave. Everyone, aside from you two," he said, pointing to both his secretary and Joan, who looked at him with impending doom.


I lulled as everyone quietly left and watch as Joan walked toward the president with disdain

“Sir, please, I really can explain…” she cried, but he looked away from her and gestured toward the security guard who had entered the room


“Take them to disciplinary room.” He said coldly and began to rise.

The secretary looked sorry and went willingly, but Joan wasn’t having it.

“Please! Please!” She cried and reached tiedo hold his hand , but he sidestepped her and her hand fell away.

“You’re causing a scene, ma’am” the security guard said uncomfortably,

“Oh shut it!” She barked and I watched as The President raised a brow.

“Please leave this room.” The president said, “you as well, Ember.” He added, turning to me and I nodded,

“Yes sir.” I said and then walked to the door.

But as I walked out, I still heard Joan’s desperate pleas to not be fired.

……

The Alpha banquet was very much like the one my father and Axel had organized. Most every Alpha under my father's rule was present there. Which meant that Paris was somewhere around. Although I hadn't yet seen him, I had seen Kate and did my very best to avoid her as much as I could.

But one could only avoid a person who was obsessed with her for so long,

"What are you doing here?" said the damned high-pitched voice from behind me. I brought the glass of wine I held to my lips and took a sip, before finally turning to face the imp that would not let me be.

She wore a blue dress that exposed her bust finely. Anything to try to keep Paris interested in her, I supposed.

Avoiding you, I wanted to say. But I thought against it.

"enjoying a glass of wine." I improvised, "And you?"

A smug smile spread across her lips before she spoke, "accompanying Paris to this banquet. And I'll let you in on a little secret. He and I have been working on a little project that I'll be presenting to the other Alphas. You should come to watch."

"I see. Didn't know you were good for anything other than obsessing over people who don't have your strength or your time."

Her smile fell, but she picked it up again as a bunch of people came closer, "I'm going to make you eat your words." she said, and turned to the people when they got closer,

"I was just about to come to find you guys," she said happily, and I watched them interact while I drank from my wine.

"Alpha Paris said you had something to speak to us about?"

"I do. Paris and I have been talking about investing in your animal shelter. But I was thinking about expanding your building as well. So there can be a much bigger space for all the dogs and cats who don't have a family yet." she said in an innocent voice and I wanted to gag.

"You don't even like animals." I found myself blurting out, and all heads turned to me,

"Excuse me?" one of the men said, and Kate's eyes on me were like ice or fire. But I didn't care, I pressed on,

"She hates animals. You once screamed and cried when I brought a stray dog home."

"I.." she started and turned to the people who looked at her doubtfully, "Please don't listen to this woman. She's crazy!"

"Am I? By all means, invite her to your animal shelter one of these days, and ask her to pet one of the animals there."

"shut your mouth!" she barked, and I shrugged, sipped my wine,

"We have a stray with us at the moment, will you pet it?"

"Of course?" the woman hurried off, and came back with a golden retriever puppy, and stretched it out to Kate to hold.

Kate looked at her with a pained smile, and took the puppy, "oh, damn it, I can't!" she screamed and would have dropped the puppy if I hadn't caught it quickly."

"I don't think there's a point investing in our shelter, miss, if you can't even tolerate the cause." the man said and looked at me with a warm smile, before stretching out his hand to receive the dog,

"Thank you," he said and put his arm around the woman and left.

I had a feeling he was thanking me for more than just catching the puppy.

"no! No wait!" she cried, but they didn't pay her any mind,

"You! How dare you?!"

"me? What did I do?

"You just had to make me look bad!"

"You did that all to yourself. Why couldn't you just hold the dog for a couple of minutes? Prove me wrong."

"You know I hate those things!" she spat, and quickly regretted her words,

"Then why pretend? People invest in these things without exactly having a love for animals. But they don't go about pretending. But you, anything to look like the angel that we all know you aren't."

"And you are? Are you a saint, ember?"

"I never said I was. And I don't pretend to be one either. I'm me, period." I said and drank from my wine.

"Now scurry along, you're disturbing my evening."

"why you-"

"What's happening here?" I turned slowly to Paris and would have rolled my eyes.

How was it that the two people I was doing my darndest to resist and avoid had found me?

"nothing. Please take your mate, and leave me alone." I said and began turning away from them.

"Ember, wait!" he called out and I paused, looked at him,

"What?" I asked and watched as he turned to Kate,

"I didn't bring you here to come looking for trouble .." he began and Kate pouted her lips,

"I wasn't, she's the one-"

"none of that, i'm not having having any of that. As your Alpha, I ask that you apologize to her right now."

I turned to Paris in surprise, but made a good work of keeping my face void of emotion,

"Why, this is certainly a first. "I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. But I meant it. This was most certainly the first time in a long time that he had ever gone out of his way to be on my side.

"Paris, how could you ask that of me? She's the one causing all of the trouble here."

"apologize," he said through gritted teeth, and she pouted again, before turning to me with vengeful eyes,

"fine. I'm sorry. "she said, not sounding sorry at all, then turned to Paris,

"there. Does that please you?”

He didn't applaud her like I suppose she expected, but simply nodded, then turned to me. Then without saying a word to me, he turned away and left the same way he came.

"You have no idea how much I loathe you," she said quietly, quite on the verge of tears,

"Mmmm, I think I have some idea, to be honest," I said casually, “not sure I care much though.”

"I'm going to make you regret this. So you just savor that apology, because that's all you'll ever get." then she angrily stalked off.

Seeing Paris and Kate might have been the last thing I wanted during the banquet but I still managed to have a good time. But at some point, I needed to escape all the crowds of people and found myself climbing up the stairs to stand at the edge of the banister to find it. I watched everyone interact, and since I had already encountered the two top people I didn't want to see or be seen by, I had no uneasiness about being seen from where I stood.

My eyes fell on Paris and Kate, and I watched them as they spoke to each other. But whatever conversation they seemed to be having with each other, Kate seemed unhappy about it and even looked more down when Paris walked away from her.

The damned woman walked towards me, her hands balled into fists, her eyes in slits,

"All of this is your fault."

I tilted my head, "If you're going to blame me, then you should at least let me know what I'm being blamed for."

"Paris doesn't look at me the same," she whined, and I drew my brows together,

"How is that any of my business?"

"it is! It is your business. I don't know what you did, but I had hoped that your leaving would be everything that our bond needed. But perhaps you've done something to him!"

"Like what? Black magic?" I asked, completely scandalized, and took a step forward. I had it with her for the night. She was disturbing my peace of mind, and I was simply done, "I warned you not to approach me in this manner." I said carefully,

"So what?" she asked quietly, jutting out her chin, "you ruined a very important moment for me, and you can stand there and still try to make threats. So go ahead, do your worst, let everyone see just how much of a terrible person you are," she added, and smiled a coy smile.

She was baiting me, but I had to hand it to her, she was good at it. Because at that moment, my wolf reared its beastly head, willing to inflict pain on her,

"you know what? You're right. I don't have to hurt you. Seems to me that you're already miserable as it is." I said and walked past her. It pained me that I couldn't use my fists.

But this was better. At least for that moment.

"where are you going? Come back here!" she demanded, as I reached the steps, then I began to hear footsteps racing toward me.

The woman simply did not know when to stop.

She got to me and grabbed my hand, and I found myself looking at our linked hands, then at her. She was smiling.

"Paris is watching," she said with an awkward smile and then screamed while pushing herself off me. I watched in horror as she tumbled down the flight of stairs, not believing my eyes.