Chapter 7:His Mood, My Misery
1622 Words
YELENA
“When did your sister come back that you didn’t think you should tell me?” I asked, standing by the door while my husband typed away on his laptop like I was invisible.
No response.
I narrowed my eyes. “Tristan…”
He lifted his head slowly, and gods... those sharp blue eyes of his pinned me like I was a deer caught in headlights. My wolf, Lena, purred inside me like an i***t. I swear that man could just blink and my whole body would forget how to function.
“I’m talking to you,” I said again.
He gave a small sigh, his eyes dropping back to his laptop. I hated that. That quiet way he dismissed me without even saying a word. Calm, distant, like nothing in this world could bother him.
“I heard you, Yelena,” he said finally, his deep voice brushing my name like a spell. He was the only one who called me that. Everyone else called me Lena, the same name as my wolf, which always made her happy. But the way it rolled off his tongue… it always did something to my stomach.
“I didn’t know she was coming. She didn’t call me either,” he said, still typing.
I watched him for a moment. His sister had been gone for years, and most of the pack barely knew her. But I did. I’d seen her a few times before she left. She was quiet but wild, like someone with secrets that liked to stay buried.
I wanted to ask if he’d invite her here, but the words wouldn’t form. Instead, I just stood there watching him, my brain fighting my heart. Then I decided if he wouldn’t look up, I’d make him.
So I padded toward him quietly. His fingers froze mid-type, and he lifted his eyes again.
He shifted slightly in his chair, giving me space. I shook my head. No, that wasn’t what I wanted.
He frowned, confusion flickering in his gaze. I took another step closer. He shifted again. I shook my head again, my lips twitching.
His voice dropped low, dark, the sound making my skin tingle. “What do you want, Yelena?”
“I want to sit beside you,” I said softly, like a child asking for candy.
He exhaled, leaning back. “I’m busy,” he said flatly. Cold. Straight to the point. My heart fell at once.
I turned away, trying to hide my disappointment, but his hand suddenly wrapped around mine, it was cold, strong, impossible to ignore. I froze, not daring to look back. He tugged gently, then harder, and I stumbled backward right into his chest.
I gasped, staring up into his face. His eyes were unreadable. No love. No hate. Just… control.
“Don’t be stubborn,” he murmured.
Those three words melted something deep inside me. I didn’t even realize when my body leaned up, chasing his lips. He caught me mid-motion and pulled back, his hand sliding to the back of my head, pressing it against his chest.
“I’m not ready for this,” he said quietly, his heart steady against my ear. “Stay calm. We’ll go inside soon.”
Inside? He always said that when he didn’t want to talk about something. Inside what... his thoughts? His heart?
I wanted to ask but didn’t. I just stayed there, breathing him in. Even when he worked, even when he was silent, his presence filled every corner of the room. Every corner of my brain.
By the time morning came, he was gone.
I woke up alone, cold air biting my arms where his warmth used to be. I rubbed my face and sat up, blinking at the empty space beside me.
“Tristan?” I called softly. No answer.
I checked the bathroom, and it was empty. The kitchen is too empty. Even his phone wasn’t on the nightstand.
“Where did you go this early?” I muttered, dragging my hand through my messy hair.
He usually told me before leaving. That was his thing, quiet, not careless. Something felt off. But I shook the thought away. I had work to catch up on, and Jackson already hated it when I came late.
After a quick bath, I slipped into my blue nurse uniform, pinned my hair, grabbed my bag, and left. The pack city was already awake, streets buzzing with wolves in human form. The air smelled like morning dew and faint magic.
Since I didn’t own a car yet, I took a taxi. The driver was a chatterbox, asking where my Luna mark was and why I was working like a regular nurse instead of living like a queen. I ignored him and watched the tall buildings flash by until we stopped at the hospital.
The moment I walked in, Nyra, my best friend and professional gossip queen blocked my way.
“Where have you been, Lena? Jackson has been breathing fire all morning,” she whispered, her eyes wide.
“I overslept,” I said, waving her off. “I’ll explain later.”
“Don’t take it lightly with him today,” she warned under her breath, her lips twitching with a knowing smile. “He’s in a worse mood than usual. I hope he doesn't play too harshly with you.”
“Thanks, my lovely prophet of doom,” I said with a small laugh and walked off before she could tease me more.
I knocked on his office door.
“Come in,” came his sharp voice.
The moment I stepped in, the air shifted to cold, heavy. Jackson stood by his desk, his eyes like dark storms. His aura flared the way only a high-ranked wolf’s could.
“Do you still want this job?” he asked suddenly.
My steps froze. “What?”
He started walking toward me, slow and deliberate. The way predators moved before striking. “I asked if you still want to work here.”
“I… I don’t understand what you’re saying,” I stammered.
“Really?” His lips curled, a dark smirk forming. “You don’t understand if I mean you should go back home? Or stop being a useless nurse who can’t keep time?”
I took a step back instinctively. His eyes darkened further, and his wolf was close to the surface. I hit the wall before I even realized it.
“ I-I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “It won’t happen again.”
“Sorry?” He took another step. His breath hit my cheek, warm but dangerous. “You’re sorry for being the Luna who thinks she can do anything she wants because her husband’s an Alpha?”
My chest tightened. “That’s not what...”
He cut me off with a growl, low and guttural. “Why don’t you just stick to being what you are, a w***e Luna playing nurse for attention?”
His words sliced through me. I clenched my fists so tight my nails bit into my skin.
“I’m not a w***e,” I forced the words out. My voice trembled but I held his gaze. “And I’m sorry for coming late. I slept off longer than I should have.”
“Oh, you slept off?” He leaned closer until our breaths mixed. “Of course you did. After spending the night f*****g your Alpha husband for fame.”
Something in me snapped.
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the office. His head jerked to the side, and I froze, trembling. My palm burned, but my heart burned worse.
“Yes,” I said, my voice shaking but firm. “I can f**k him if I want because he’s my husband.”
He turned back slowly, his black eyes gleaming red at the edges. Before I could blink, his hand wrapped around my neck, lifting me slightly off the floor. My breath hitched, panic flashing through me.
“Jackson…” I gasped, gripping his wrist. “Let go…”
His hold tightened. “How dare you touch me, you filthy wolf?” His tone was venomous, pride dripping from every word. “You forget who’s boss here?”
Tears blurred my vision. “Please… I can’t… breathe…”
He finally dropped me, but his fingers stayed around my throat, holding me in place. I sucked in air, coughing. He smirked, his eyes scanning my face like he enjoyed the sight.
“I thought the brave Luna doesn’t break so easily,” he mocked.
I swallowed hard. “Please, Jackson… I won’t be late again.”
He pressed me back against the wall, his body towering over mine. His other hand slid up, brushing my hair aside as he leaned closer... so close his lips grazed mine but didn’t kiss. Every nerve in my body screamed. I hated that he still affected me in some strange, dangerous way even after rejecting him.
“Next time you try this,” he whispered darkly, “I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Then he shoved me back, hard. I hit the wall again and cried out, my hand flying to the back of my head.
“Now,” he said, walking back to his desk like nothing happened, “fix that report you messed up. You did rubbish there.”
He tossed a stack of files on the floor. Papers scattered everywhere.
I bent down, biting back my tears as I gathered them, my hands trembling. My throat ached from his grip. My heart ached more from the humiliation.
“Come in,” Jackson said suddenly when a knock came.
Nyra walked in, froze, and looked from him to me.
- Writer
