Lorien POV
He must have either picked up on the simmering irritation rolling off me or simply grown tired of me standing there like a storm cloud while he tried to work, because Auren finally exhaled a long, weary sigh. Leaning back in his chair, he looked up at me, one brow arched in silent question. I pressed my lips together, my foot tapping impatiently against the polished floor.
“Good morning, Lorien,” he said at last. The corner of his mouth twitched upward, like he found my annoyance amusing.
At least he wasn’t as cold as Rhael had been with his rejection.
The thought sliced through my chest like a blade, a flash of pain that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I forced it down and met the Alpha’s gaze with a glare sharp enough to cut through steel.
“You didn’t come down for break
