Chapter 4

Theodore's POV

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake off the memories of last night. It played over and over in my mind, refusing to let me go.

Adeline.

The feel of her. The taste of her.

I had never seen her that way before. Never looked at her like a woman. She had always just been Adeline—Iris's sister. Someone I knew, but nothing more.

So how the hell did we end up tangled together, skin to skin, making love?

I wasn't supposed to feel anything, nothing at all.

But now, for some reason, I couldn't stop feeling.

She was everywhere—on my skin, in my thoughts, wrapped around my senses like a spell I couldn't break.

I couldn't control my desires so badly and before I knew what was happening, I had already marked her.

And that… that gave me satisfaction, for some reason.

Not just because I had taken something from her. But because, for a moment, it felt like I had taken something back from Iris.

Her betrayal had destroyed me completely, and marking Adeline had felt like payback. But at what cost?

Because now, I felt guilty at the same time.

Adeline had done nothing wrong. She had no part in Iris's games, yet I had pulled her into the mess.

And despite that guilt, despite knowing I had no right to her, I still wanted more.

I knew I should have let her go. That's why I sent her into the bathroom.

Because if she had stayed any longer, I would have taken her again. I just couldn't resist her.

I would have claimed her over and over, and I wasn't sure I would have been able to stop myself.

But then my phone beeped.

I checked the message, and everything inside me went still.

Iris had run away from the wedding.

Shit.

I flung my phone onto the bed, dragging a hand through my hair.

Not only had she betrayed me, but now she was out to disgrace me too?

I had spent years building my reputation, strengthening my claim as the next Alpha, and now this?

She was determined to ruin me.

And then, as if the universe was setting me up, Adeline stepped out of the bathroom.

Dripping wet.

The towel clung to her body, barely covering anything, and I could still see every curve, every line.

Her skin glowed, it was damp and it looked soft, and her nipples pressed against the fabric, making my mouth go dry.

My desires were high once again, refusing to let me think straight.

If I stayed, I wouldn't be able to stop myself. I knew for sure.

So I had to leave.

She wanted to talk, but I couldn't do it then. So we settled on a time, and I walked away, even though every part of me screamed at me to stay.

But I never stopped thinking about that night.

Not a single day passed without the memory crawling back me, making me crave her like a starving man craved his last meal.

Still, I had bigger problems.

Iris was gone, and I had to fix the disaster she left behind.

But today wasn't about Iris.

Today was about Adeline. It was today we were to meet.

I sat in my office, waiting, feeling a bit restless but I had to control myself.

And then she walked in.

Majestically.

And just like that—everything else disappeared. All my attention was just on her.

"How about Iris?"

That was the first thing Adeline asked, and it caught me off guard.

Of all the things she could have said, all the things I expected her to say after what happened between us, she chose Iris.

For a moment, I just stared at her. Shouldn't I be the one asking her about her sister—the woman who vanished right before our wedding, humiliating me, breaking my trust, and leaving me to deal with the aftermath?

But Adeline had no idea how bitter things had turned between me and Iris. She had no clue just how deep the betrayal ran. So, I told her.

"We've broken up. There's no future between me and Iris."

She didn't respond, didn't move—just stood there, like she was waiting for something else.

What was she expecting to hear?

What was running through her mind at that moment?

She looked good—too good. And I hated how much I noticed.

The curve of her lips. The way her hair framed her face. The softness in her eyes made me feel things I didn't want to feel.

I wanted her.

I shouldn't, but I did.

My fingers were itchy at my sides, resisting the urge to reach for her, to pull her against me and taste the lips that had been haunting me since last night.

I didn't understand it. It made no sense.

Adeline had always been there—Iris's sister, nothing more. But now, she was in my blood, under my skin.

And the worst part?

I knew I was the first man to have her. Which made me so possessive of her.

I didn't even realize I'd been staring—admiring—lusting, until she cleared her throat.

I blinked, snapping back to reality. Damn it.

I swallowed hard and forced a stern look on my face.

"So…" My voice came out rougher than I intended. "Was this what you wanted to discuss with me?"

Because before we parted ways that morning, she had looked like she wanted to say something important.

Now, she just stood there, hesitation written all over her face.

Was it guilt?

Did she regret it?

Regret spending the night with her sister's fiancé?

The thought burned as I watched the way she shifted on her feet. Even if she didn't say it, it was written all over her face.

"Do you—"

I was about to ask if she regretted what happened when she cut me off.

"Can you break the mate bond?"

I was mute.

I just stood there, staring at her.

Break the bond?

The very idea sent a growl rolling in my throat. No.

Not just me—my wolf rejected it, too.

I didn't know why I felt so damn possessive of her. I didn't understand why the thought of severing that connection hurt in a way I wasn't prepared for.

And before I could even process it, my phone rang.

I let out a deep breath and tore my gaze away from her, glancing down at the screen.

It was a call from the pack elders.

I had no choice but to take it.

I turned my back to Adeline and pressed the phone to my ear.

"What about the wedding, Theodore?"

He went straight to the point.

"You know how important this is. The more time you waste, the riskier it gets. You could lose the throne."

I knew that.

I knew just how completely screwed I was because of Iris.

I needed a solution. And I needed one fast.

Slowly, I turned back around to face Adeline.

Adeline stood there, her arms wrapped around herself, waiting for me to finish.

She didn't say a word.

She just looked at me once and then looked away.

"Theodore? Are you there?"

The elder's voice pulled me back to the call as I didn't respond. "Did you hear what I said?" he said.

I kept on staring at Adeline.

At the woman who had been mine for a single night, a night I couldn't forget.

A night I didn't want to forget. It was all meant to be payback.

A decision formed in my mind, one so clear, so absolute, that I didn't even hesitate.

I lifted the phone back to my ear and said the words that sealed both our fates.

"Adeline will replace Iris as my wife and Luna of the pack."