Alpha's Unclaimed Mate

5

THERON

“I

’m surprised the royal couple flew in without their entourage,” Vanessa purrs, her lips brushing my ear. “I hear the eldest daughter is seeking a partner for a new beauty venture. A collaboration now could be gold, right honey?”

A suffocating wave of vanilla slams into my senses, making me wrinkle my nose. I subtly adjust my grip on her arm to put some space between us. Her overfamiliarity is a major buzzkill.

Seren never forces things.

The memory of the gentle scent of lilacs makes a pang of longing shoot through me.

“Theron?” Vanessa snaps, a hint of annoyance lacing her voice.

“It depends on what the daughter brings to the table,” I reply, keeping my voice low. “If Blackwood’s doing most of the work, the ownership would need to reflect that.”

A smug smile stretches across Vanessa’s face, telling me I’ve said enough to shut her up for a while, so I steer her to the middle of the ballroom. If we’re putting on a show, then we might as well do it where everyone can see. I’m not wasting my entire evening on her.

As the music picks up and couples swirl around us, a flash of shimmering gold by the entrance catches my eye. I smile and twirl Vanessa, positioning myself to make eye contact with the woman in the gold dress. She’s a welcome distraction in this staged performance of a night.

Maybe this ball won’t be a complete waste of time after all.

The music eventually quiets down, and everyone begins to spread out as the alpha king and queen start their royal circuit, weaving through the crowd and greeting all the attendees. I can understand why my father made this my introduction to the community. Every pack in the country has representatives here.

“Theron!” King Ares booms. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from the owners of Apex Academy. Your alpha must be proud to hand over the baton to you.”

“Thank you, King Ares. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

“What a striking couple you two make,” the queen says, her gaze lingering on Vanessa’s dress. “That’s a spectacular gown. Chêne et Soie, I presume?”

Vanessa’s polite smile turns into a full-blown grin. “Thank you, and yes. It’s from a celebration for a dear friend who’s on the cusp of launching her makeup line.”

The queen raises an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with the king before turning back to us. “It’s always important to celebrate milestones.”

They start to move away. I’m disappointed they didn’t take the bait, but the alpha king turns to add, “There’s a lunch scheduled with some industry leaders next week at the palace. Perhaps you both could join us for it.”

“That would be a privilege, King Ares,” I reply with a genuine smile, tugging Vanessa closer to me. “We’ll be there.”

“Excellent. I’ll have my team send you the details,” he says before moving to greet the next alpha.

“Well, that went better than expected.” Vanessa leans in conspiratorially after the royals are out of earshot, a playful smile on her face.

I chuckle at her expression. I won’t lie—winning the royal couple’s favor without my father’s intervention would be a huge ego boost.

“It looks like we’ll be connecting with your friend this week.”

“I’m always working an angle, honey,” Vanessa replies with a wink. “Always.”

The next few hours turn out to be a mixed bag, and it’s late by the time I’m finally behind the wheel. Unfortunately, I’m not alone.

Vanessa slinks into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind her. The playful glow from the gala has vanished, replaced by a clenched jaw and eyes that bore into the side of my face.

“That wasn’t cool,” she hisses, her perfectly manicured nails clenching into fists. The shift from her charming ballroom persona to this confrontational rage feels like whiplash, but her anger has been simmering almost all evening.

I continue scrolling through messages on my phone. I think I know what she’s on about, but I refuse to play ball.

Suddenly, her hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist like a damn vise, making me turn to her.

“That stunt with the girl in the gold dress,” Vanessa starts, her voice low and tight. “Why?”

I shrug off her grip and put my phone away, my mind still tangled in the night’s events. I check the locks of the car and let out a sigh, readying myself for another round of pointless interrogation.

“I thought we were building something real here, Theron. Not some act for everyone else’s benefit.”

Her sincerity catches me off guard, the tremor in her voice making my muscles tense. I didn’t sign up for this. “It sounds like you want to be my keeper. But that’s not how I roll, honey.” I purposely use her favorite word, enunciating it in a way I hope will make her stop using it on me.

She lets out a humorless laugh. I almost feel bad for her, but then she reaches up and brushes a finger down my jaw, making me jerk away from her touch.

“What do you want?” I don’t bother keeping my voice down. My fingers tighten around the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white.

“She left her mark on you, Theron,” she whispers. “She did it on purpose. She wanted me to find it, I’m guessing.”

I lock eyes with Vanessa, my gaze hardening. “Look, Vanessa, this isn’t a big deal. It’s business as usual. You know the game. You’re playing it too.”

She growls, and I can tell she’s holding back her wolf. “I’ve spent years building my image and making connections so I can be a good match for someone like you.”

I shrug my shoulders. “So? I never asked for that. Never asked for you, either. Do you hear me complaining?”

“Complaining?” Her voice is suddenly an octave higher. “I’m busting my butt building connections for you. While you were doing your thing with that girl, I spent time with the Moonstone pack’s alpha and luna. For you. And this is how you repay me?”

Sighing, I glance at her and notice the hurt in her eyes, but they only remind me of the gorgeous hazel ones at home. The ones that look at me with hope and silent questions, but never complain. My throat tightens.