Theo’s mood was already sour, his irritation mounting with every moment he couldn’t locate his mate. His frustration turned into surprise when he entered the villa and found Clover waiting for him in the living room. She hadn’t been there before—not because she wasn’t allowed, but because he had explicitly ordered her to stay away. He wanted to start fresh, unburdened by the complications of their past. Seeing her there now was the last thing he expected.
Edward, his trusted aide, explained her sudden appearance. “She insisted, Alpha. She even tried to go up to the master’s bedroom,” Edward reported, his tone laced with disapproval.
Theo’s brow furrowed. Clover had always been a bit spoiled, a brat at times, but she had never openly defied him. She had been submissive in their past relat
