Chapter 6: The Private Room

Selene's POV

I watched him cross the restaurant floor with that slow, deliberate stride, and every muscle in my body locked. My wolf pressed against my ribs. Alert. Warning me. Or welcoming him. I couldn't tell.

My hands went cold. I was still wearing Derek's lipstick on my knuckles, still sitting in the soft candlelight of a dinner date, still playing the role of a woman who loved her fiancé.

Two fears hit me at the same time. The first: I had no idea what he was about to do. The second, worse: if he mentioned this morning, Derek would know I'd lied.

But Jaxon slowed his pace. Deliberately. He seemed to want me to feel every second of his approach.

Derek noticed him. He stiffened for a second, then recovered, wiping his mouth with his napkin and pushing his chair back. The easy smile he put on didn't quite reach his eyes. "Alpha Jaxon. Didn't expect to see you here tonight."

Jaxon stopped in front of our table. He was wearing a dark jacket, no tie, collar open. He looked like he'd come straight from work. He nodded at Derek. Polite. Measured. "Derek. Good evening."

Then nothing. Not a glance in my direction. Not a word. Not even a flicker of acknowledgment that I was sitting right there.

"I hear the Alpha Council is coming up," Derek said. "You'll be there?"

"I will." Jaxon's voice was easy, conversational. "The border patrol reports are due. Your pack's sector included."

They talked for another minute. Border logistics and council scheduling. Logistics. Numbers. Jaxon's tone never changed. He didn't look at me once.

"Enjoy your evening," Jaxon said to Derek. Just Derek. Then he turned and walked toward his private room. Soren followed, and neither of them looked back.

But something lingered. My skin prickled where the air had shifted when he passed. His scent still hung faintly in the air. Cedar, something sharp underneath.

My wolf whined. Low. Wanting.

I pressed my hand flat against my thigh under the table to stop it from shaking.

Derek sat back down, shaking his head with a small laugh. "That guy gives me the creeps. No offense to your fated mate."

I forced a smile. "None taken."

But my hands were trembling under the table. Not from fear. From the effort of sitting still while every cell in my body strained toward the man who'd just left.

Derek kept talking. I nodded at the right moments, but my attention kept drifting toward the back of the restaurant. I couldn't see the private room from our table. But I felt the pull toward it. Constant. Stupid. Undeniable.

When Derek reached for my hand again, I shifted back in my seat. Just an inch. He didn't seem to notice. But I couldn't make myself lean into him. Not with Jaxon somewhere behind that wall. It made no sense. He couldn't see us from there. My body didn't care.

I picked up my water glass and drank. Set it down carefully.

Focus.

Derek brought up the engagement party. Venue options, catering, guest lists. I nodded along, asked the right questions.

"The florist wants to meet Wednesday," he said. "And Vera offered to help with the seating chart. She's good at that stuff."

Wednesday. The day before Alpha Council.

In my last life, Derek and Vera had spent entire days on "wedding errands" together. For me, as they claimed.

I hadn't questioned it then. Now, looking back, those errands were probably the perfect cover for they cheating behind my back.

And my chance to get the proof I need.

"That sounds great," I said. "Let me know if you need me there."

"I want to be involved," I said. I squeezed his arm. "It's my wedding too."

He smiled. "That's sweet. But Nah. You'd be bored. Vera and I can handle the legwork."

Derek pulled me closer, one arm around my shoulders, and pressed a kiss to my temple. His cologne filled my nose. Too sweet. Cloying.

I held still. Didn't flinch. Let it happen.

Then his phone rang.

He pulled it out, frowned at the screen. "Unknown number." He answered. Listened. His face shifted. Concerned, then alarmed.

"What? The eastern border?" He stood up. "I'll be right there." He hung up and grabbed his jacket. "One of my pack members found some suspicious rogues wandering near my pack. I have to go."

"Is my pack okay?" I asked.

"Should be fine." He kissed my forehead. "Stay, finish eating. I'll call you later."

He left.

I sat alone with my half-eaten pasta, my mind racing. The timing was too clean. An anonymous call pulling Derek away the moment Jaxon showed up?

Suspicious. All of it.

I decided to hear back to my pack and checked if everything was fine.

I was about to signal for the check when a server appeared at my table.

"Ms. Selene?" He was polite, but the way he said my name told me this wasn't about the check. "Alpha Jaxon has requested your presence in his private room.""Ma'am. The gentleman in the Redwood room would like to inv

Requested. As if I had a choice.

I set my napkin on the table and stood.

I couldn't refuse. If Jaxon wanted to talk, running away would only confirm that I was hiding something.

The hallway to the private rooms was quiet. Dim lighting, dark wood panels. My sneakers squeaked against the polished floor. The sound echoed.

My palms were damp by the time I reached the door.

I pushed the door open.

The room was small. A round table, two empty chairs, the remains of a meal pushed aside. Jaxon sat facing the door, leaned back, watching me enter.

I didn't see Soren until his hand closed around my throat.

Not his hand. His claws. Five points of pressure against the soft skin under my jaw. He'd moved behind me the moment I stepped through the door.

I froze. My breath caught. My wolf went silent.

Jaxon's voice came from ahead of me. Calm. Almost bored.

"You lied to me. What exactly are you after?"