I never thought Elliot Presgrave would ask me to marry him tonight.
"My grandmother wants me to marry you and then take care of you and your child for the rest of your life." "Are you willing to marry me?" he asked, his tone gruff and his face blank, as if proposing was just another thing on his to-do list.
The quiet between us grew. I slowly raised my head, ran a hand through my hair, and let out a low laugh. "Look at me closely, Elliot. Do I seem like I need a partner?"
His eyes moved over me slowly but without emotion. Not a hint of desire. There wasn't even the slightest pull from the bond that often brings wolves together. It was nearly an insult.
He added, "Miss Tillman," with a slight smile on one side of his mouth, "Don't you want to marry me?"
He seemed like he was ready to be turned down. Even hoped for it.
I continued, "Let's be honest: you're attractive, and I'm sure half the she-wolves in this city would fight each other for a chance at you." I leaned forward and smiled. "But I'm not one of those people. I don't want you.
His eyes flashed with something then maybe astonishment. Or was it a sense of relief? Either way, he nodded, which meant that answer was alright with him.
He said softly, "Good." "Then we agree."
Yes, we were. There was no fire between us, no magnetic pull that indicated anything other than convenience. This had nothing to do with love. It was about being loyal to his grandmother and some hidden promise. To a family history that I wasn't a part of.
After a moment, he replied, "I'd still like it if you went to see my grandmother." His voice was quieter now. "You need to tell her no directly."
And all of a sudden, I understood he wasn't asking because he wanted me. He asked since he couldn't pick someone else. His fragrance had the mark of someone else. He loved someone else. Or maybe in the past.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "You really bought QR International Group?"
"I did. From now on, I'm your Alpha. He said, "Your boss," with a steady gaze. "Don't worry. I'll look out for you."
I clinched my jaw. He didn't have to take care of me. I had lived alone with a child for five years and fought my way back from exile. I wasn't a broken puppy that needed help.
But I gave a weak nod. "Okay. Goodbye, President Presgrave."
He blinked as if I had caught him off guard again. Like women don't normally just walk away from him without thinking about it.
I breathed a sigh of relief and scratched the back of my neck when he finally left. My wolf moved around under my skin, uneasy and on edge. He made her feel uneasy in some way. Not because we liked him, but because it was so simple not to.
A loud bang brought me back to reality. Grace looked in, her eyes full of interest.
"What were you and President Presgrave talking about, Anastasia? People say he likes you."
I rolled my eyes. "Where did you hear that stupid thing?"
"Everyone's saying he was looking at you during the meeting," she murmured, as if it were some juicy news.
Great. What I wanted was for people to talk about my nonexistent relationship with my new boss. I sighed and turned to the window that went from floor to ceiling, wanting a moment of peace.
I took out my phone and paused for a breath before dialing the number I hadn't phoned in five years.
It rang once. Two times.
Then a voice that was rough but recognizable answered. "Hey? Can I ask who is calling?
My chest got constricted. "Dad, it's me." Anastasia.
No talking. Then a breath that was hard to take. "Anastasia? Where... Where have you been this whole time? I looked everywhere."
I couldn't stop the tears from coming. "I'm sorry. For the last five years, I lived in another country. But I'm back now. I've gone back to work."
"Thank the Moon Goddess," he said. "When are you coming back home?"
I thought about it. "In a few days."
"Good... good. As long as you're in good health. As long as you're safe. Annie, it's my fault. I should never have pushed you away."
I put my hand on the glass. "Let's not talk about that right now."
I didn't want to bring up past hurts. They had healed a long time ago. I made my child, my life, and my strength out of pain. That was enough.
I stood still for a time after we hung up, taking a long breath to calm myself down. I didn't want to go home yet. Not yet. But for now, all he needed to know was that he was alive and apologetic.
A gentle knock brought me back to my thoughts. This time, Larry was there with a smooth black box.
He smiled and added, "I brought you something."
I looked at the packaging with caution. "What is it?"
"Guess."
I squinted at the fancy writing at the top: Cloud Residence No. 1.
It sounded like a pack's territory or a fancy house.
I said, "You better tell me before I guess wrong," and I laughed.
He laughed. "Just open it."
I reached for the package, and my heart raced. Things were changing. The air around me and the road ahead. I could feel it deep inside me: change was coming.
And in our universe, blood and heat always came with change.
The box on the table shone like temptation itself, too clean and polished. It smelled like costly cedarwood polish and something colder underneath, like power wrapped in velvet. Larry stood in front of me, bouncing on his heels with enthusiasm as he opened it. There were six shiny keys and a door card inside, all organized in a way that made them look like they belonged to royalty.
"Cloud Residence No. 1," he continued with a smile, "is a high-ranking territory 370 square meters of total control. Worth $120 million, with luxurious renovations and top-of-the-line finishes... You can move in right away. "You deserve it."
His comments rang in the room, but they didn't touch my heart.
I looked at the keys but didn't move. "Is this mine?" My speech sounded flat and careful.
Larry nodded with excitement. "Anastasia, this is a special gift from Alpha Presgrave." He transformed your old home to Cloud Residence No. 1. Isn't it cool?
Exciting?
I could feel my wolf getting restless. My instincts told me to be careful, and I felt a chill run across my chest. That place wasn't merely a fancy den. It was a lead. A little reminder that someone else was looking out for me. His.
"Give it back," I murmured, keeping my voice steady. "I don't need it."
His smile faded. "What? You don't want this? He looked like I had just turned down a position on the Alpha Council.
I stood my ground. "I won't owe the Presgrave Pack anything. Not favors. Not land."
He blinked, shocked. "Anastasia, this isn't just a bonus. It's yours. No one else is getting this kind of care.
That's right. That was the issue.
Larry was older than me, perhaps thirty-five, and I could smell the need coming off of him even over the strong smell of cologne and files. But he wasn't the one who did this. I knew who it was.
Elliot Presgrave.
The strongest alpha in this city. A man whose presence made the air in a room feel strange. His power stayed with you long after he went.
I said, "Tell Elliot I don't need any special treatment at Bourgeois," and my voice was icy. "I didn't come here to pick favorites."
I pushed the box back toward Larry. "Get rid of it."
He looked like he needed help. "Don't do this to me. How am I expected to say it to him?"
"Then lie," I said sharply. "Say I smiled and thanked him." But we both know I won't take it.
He thought about it for a second more before giving in and taking up the box with a sigh of despair.
I knew Elliot wouldn't like that very much, even though it was far away in the Presgrave stronghold. He never did. He would be sitting in Bourgeois HQ instead of his empire at Dominion, behind glass walls, thinking about what I was going to do next.
And I wasn't so foolish as to think this was simply about a house.