She Eyed My Spot, My Alpha Let Her

Chapter 8: Sharon’s Grip

Pete’s POV

I was not proud of what happened at dinner.

The image of Leia standing there, unacknowledged and humiliated before the entire pack, refused to leave my mind. I had seen it. I had felt it. The way her eyes searched for me, even for the smallest sign that I would step in and correct what was happening. And I did nothing.

My jaw tightened as I sat alone in my office, staring at the untouched glass of whiskey on my desk. The room felt suffocatingly quiet, but my thoughts were anything but.

‘You failed her. Keep doing this and we will lose our mate. Why do you even care about that…woman?’

My wolf, Tamer’s voice cut through my mind, sharp and unforgiving.

‘I had no choice,’ I muttered under my breath, though the words sounded hollow even to me. 'You always have a choice.'

I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face. It would have been simple. One word from me and everything would have stopped. One command and Leia would have been seated beside me where she belonged.

But Sharon… Everything always seemed to circle back to her.

If I had stopped her in front of everyone, she would have made a scene. She would have withdrawn, threatened to leave, and with her would go the very foundation of the pack’s business. I could not risk that. Not now. Not yet.

That was what I kept telling myself. That was what I needed to believe until I found a permanent solution for the business. Yet this belief did nothing to silence the guilt clawing at me.

A knock sounded at the door before it opened without waiting for my response.

Sharon stepped in, her presence immediately filling the room. She looked composed, her earlier display of vulnerability nowhere to be seen.

“Pete,” she said softly, closing the door behind her. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“You’re not,” I replied, though my tone lacked warmth.

She walked further in, her movements graceful and calculated. “I wanted to talk to you about something important.”

I leaned back slightly in my chair, watching her. “What is it?”

She hesitated just enough to appear thoughtful before continuing. “Leia’s birthday is coming up, isn’t it?”

My eyes narrowed slightly. “Yes,” I said, snappy but surprised at how she knew about it. Or did I let it slip when we talked?

“I was thinking,” she said, her voice gentle, “we could turn it into something beneficial for the pack.”

There it was. Using the pack again. It’s always the pack.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “We could host a proper event,” she continued. “Invite prominent figures, leaders from allied packs, business partners. It would be a perfect opportunity to strengthen relationships and secure new deals,” she said.

I studied her expression carefully. On the surface, it was reasonable. Strategic, even. Maybe I could find a better ally who could help solve this business mess and relieve me from the need to suck up to my brother’s widow all the time.

“And you want to organize it?” I asked, matter-of-factly.

She smiled faintly. “I already have connections, Pete. People who would attend if I personally invited them. This could be exactly what the pack needs right now.”

I remained silent for a moment, weighing her words. It made sense. The pack needed stability, expansion, and influence. And if her involvement ensured that, then…

“I’ll handle everything,” she added softly. “You won’t have to worry about a thing. Leia wouldn’t have to worry either. Maybe she might even forgive the grudge she seems to hold against me. Who knows? All you two will have to do is show up.” Sounded like she was rooting for our bond, but I knew better.

Something about the way she said it settled uneasily in my chest.

Tamer growled in my mind. ‘Another one of her schemes. I can smell it right through her. Don’t give in. There’s an ulterior motive.’

“I’m not sure if Leia would be happy about you taking over the arrangements of her party. How will I convince her it will be okay?” I asked.

Her smile did not falter. “It is her birthday, after all. This would be for her. An elegant party she ever had. Again, I don’t think she would want to jeopardize the pack just to score against me, would she? As a Luna, she would be happy to contribute to the welfare of her pack, wouldn’t she?”

For her huh? The words echoed in my mind, but they did not sit right. Maybe Tamer was right. What if Sharon’s motive is to steal Leia’s shine once again and make her lose confidence in us altogether? On her birthday? Wouldn't that translate as the cruelest mate in history? What if that completely damages the bond and makes her reject us?

Still, I nodded. “Fine. Make the arrangements.”

Her eyes lit up, satisfaction flickering through them before she masked it. “You won’t regret this, Pete. Leia too.”

I wasn’t so sure.

She left shortly after, leaving the office quieter than before, but not lighter.

I stared at the glass of whiskey again before finally picking it up and downing it in one go. The burn did little to dull the weight pressing against my chest.

I needed a distraction. A moment away from all of this. I wanted to see Leia and check how she was, but I couldn’t even muster the courage to look her in the eye.

I found Derek and Zadok in one of the smaller lounges within the pack house. They were already seated, drinks in hand, their conversation halting the moment I entered.

“Alpha,” Derek greeted, though his tone carried an edge.

“Sit,” Zadok added, gesturing to the empty chair across from them.

I did. A drink was poured for me without question. For a while, none of us spoke.

Then Derek broke the silence. Always the witty one among us, childhood friends. “That was quite a display tonight.”

I knew what he was referring to. “She crossed a line,” I said simply.

Zadok let out a short, humorless breath. “Did she?”

My gaze lifted to meet his. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Derek said, leaning forward slightly, “we all saw what happened, Pete.”

“And?” I challenged.

“And you let it happen,” Zadok finished.

The words hung between us. They were heavy and uncomfortable, but the truth.

“I did what was necessary,” I said, my tone hardening.

Derek shook his head slowly. “Necessary for who?”

“For the pack,” I replied immediately.

Zadok’s expression darkened. “Should that always be at the cost of your mate, P?”

I clenched my jaw. “You don’t understand the position I’m in,” I said.

“No,” Derek agreed quietly. “But we understand what a mate bond means and what it looks like when someone ignores it. Only your fated mate makes you stronger to lead a pack as big as ours. A chosen one can too if marked, but they can never match a fated one. I’m afraid you may end up ruining yourself in the name of the pack. I mean, can’t we find other means to secure the pack's finances than this?”

Silence settled over us again, thick and unyielding.

I stood abruptly, the chair scraping lightly against the floor. “This conversation is over.”

Neither of them stopped me.

As I walked away, their silence felt louder than any argument. By the time I returned to my office, the unease had only deepened. Haven’t we brainstormed all the possibilities before? How else can we sustain the business when we had only had Lionel and his mate as the pillars?

Everything felt like it was slipping just slightly out of my control. And for the first time since all of this began, I could not ignore the thought that perhaps…

I was the one tightening Sharon’s grip on me. Was there a way out of this mess?