I walked through the corridor of the pack headquarters, my heels clicking against the marble floor. The morning had been exhausting, dealing with pack politics and administrative work for Alpha King Jack. I never imagined my life would take this turn when I saved him from that rogue attack weeks ago. Emily had been spreading rumors all morning about how I got that car from the Alpha King, twisting the story into something cheap and calculated. She called me a wild chicken trying to fly with phoenix wings, as if saving someone's life was some elaborate scheme.
The scent hit me before I saw her. Daisy. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, sensing the hostility before my human eyes could register it. The familiar jasmine perfume mixed with anger and territorial aggression made my stomach turn.
She stood near my office door, arms crossed, her blonde hair pulled back so tight it looked painful. Her green eyes burned with fury as she spotted me. Several pack members loitered nearby, pretending to be busy with paperwork while their wolves ears perked up for drama.
I tried to walk past her, keeping my expression neutral. This was not the place for personal confrontations. Not here, where I worked directly under the Alpha King's command. The pack headquarters was sacred ground, a place of order and respect. Whatever personal vendetta Daisy harbored needed to stay outside these walls.
Her hand shot out and grabbed my arm, yanking me backward with surprising force. I stumbled but caught myself, spinning to face her. My wolf snarled inside me, not appreciating the physical aggression.
"Are you insane?" I demanded, jerking my arm free. Heat flushed my cheeks as I noticed more pack members gathering. This was exactly what I did not need, especially not after Emily had been spreading her poison about me.
"I am insane, Aurora." Daisy stepped closer, her wolf flashing in her eyes. The amber glow indicated she was barely keeping her beast under control. "I went insane the moment I realized what kind of woman you really are. I have been following you. Tracking your scent, watching your movements. I know you work here now, right under the Alpha King's nose."
I gritted my teeth, fighting to keep my own wolf in check. The bond between wolf and human could be fragile when emotions ran high. "Get out of here, Daisy."
She laughed, loud and harsh. The sound echoed off the walls, drawing even more attention. I could feel eyes on us from every direction. Pack members stopped their work, their conversations dying mid-sentence. Somewhere above, I sensed the Alpha King watching from his office window. His presence was unmistakable, a heavy weight of power that pressed down on everyone in the building.
"This is pack headquarters," I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady despite my racing heart. "Don't create a scene here. Don't ruin my reputation."
"I don't care." Daisy's voice rose to a shout. "Did you hear me? I don't care."
A crowd formed around us. Warriors, clerks, advisors. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. Daisy's eyes blazed with barely controlled rage. Her chest heaved with each breath, and I could see her nails extending into claws. She was close to losing control completely.
"Leave my husband alone." Her voice cracked with emotion. Tears pooled in her eyes, though whether from anger or hurt, I could not tell. "You need to find your own man instead of sneaking around with someone else's mate. Ethan is mine. He became mine when he rejected you and marked me instead."
My chest tightened. The old wound still ached, even after all this time. The memory of Ethan's rejection, the way he had chosen Daisy over me, still stung like silver against skin.
"He doesn't love you," Daisy continued, her voice breaking with each word. "He never did. You're just a mistress. That's all you will ever be to him. Find your own man and leave mine alone. Move on, Aurora. Forget about Ethan and find someone else."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. I heard whispers, saw the judgmental looks. Some pack members shook their heads in disapproval. Others looked at me with pity.
"She's a mistress?" someone said loud enough for me to hear.
"Stop this, Daisy." I kept my voice low, controlled. "You're making a fool of yourself."
"Let today be the last time you meet my husband during lunch." Her finger jabbed toward my face, stopping just inches from my nose. "You think I don't know your little arrangements? Your secret meetings? The next time I come here, I'll drag you by your hair through these halls and tear your dress to shreds."
Something inside me snapped. I had been silent for too long, letting people think whatever they wanted. Letting them paint me as the villain when I had done nothing wrong.
"I didn't know you had become so unstable, Daisy." I met her glare without flinching. "Your fear and insecurity are making you lose your mind. You're a loser. Find your husband's mistress somewhere else, not here."
Her face went pale.
"You got Ethan through betrayal and lies," I continued, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "You seduced him while he was still with me. You poisoned his mind against me with false stories and manipulations. Are you afraid someone will take him from you the same way you took him from me? Is that what keeps you awake at night?"
Daisy opened her mouth but no words came out. I had hit the truth, and we both knew it. Her face went from red to pale in seconds.
I turned to leave, done with this confrontation. My hands shook at my sides, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
"Aurora." Another voice joined in. Lily Ambrose pushed through the crowd, her dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction. She had been waiting for this moment, I realized. Waiting for someone else to start the fire so she could add fuel to it. "You're a filthy woman. You have no conscience left."
I stopped walking.
"Where is your humanity?" Lily's voice dripped with false concern. "Despite using your body to gain favor with the Alpha King, you still chase after another woman's husband? Have you no shame at all? How can you be with him all night and another man during the day? Don't you feel exhausted? Don't you have any self-respect left?"
The implication hung in the air like smoke. She was confirming the rumors about me and Alpha King Jack, twisting the truth into something ugly and scandalous. Making it sound like I was some kind of prostitute trading favors for position.
Blood rushed to my face. Several pack members gasped. Others whispered behind their hands. I could feel the judgment, the assumptions forming in their minds. This was exactly what Lily wanted, to destroy my reputation in front of everyone.
"Lily Ambrose." I turned to face her slowly, letting my wolf show in my eyes. "I think you should engage your brain before you speak. All I hear coming from you is the stench of a backed-up sewer. That happens when someone speaks from their rear end instead of their mouth. When someone has nothing intelligent to contribute but cannot resist the urge to add their worthless opinion."
Her face turned red.
"Stay away from me," I said clearly. "Because if you dare spread lies about me again, I won't let it go."
Daisy looked confused now, glancing between Lily and me. She had not expected this many people to have issues with me.
"How dare you?" Lily's hand rose, preparing to strike.
I stood my ground, my wolf rising to the surface.
"Dare it and see," a deep voice commanded from behind me.
Everyone froze. The Alpha King's voice carried absolute authority, and the crowd immediately began to disperse. I didn't turn around. I could feel his presence like heat against my back.
The real question was what he had heard, and what he believed.