THE ALPHA'S DESTINED MATE

Fourteen – THE INVITATION FAILED

Fourteen – THE INVITATION FAILED

Debra’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What was that for?” she asked quickly, staring at Brandon with a demanding look.

She had never seen him act so rashly, especially in such a demeaning manner.

Brandon scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting from one corner of the room to another as he desperately searched for an excuse.

He quickly straightened his posture and fixed his eyes on Debra, whose brows had furrowed deeply.

“I saw a spider on top of the cup, so I quickly swatted it away,” he explained in a low, convincing tone.

“Ohhh! Thank you!” Debra replied politely.

“Thank you?” Madison blurted out loudly, her tone anything but friendly as she rolled her eyes in frustration.

“Give me another lie, Brandon!” she yelled, folding her arms across her chest.

“You expect me to believe you saw a spider in a cup I washed myself and poured water into for her?” she scoffed angrily.

“I’m sorry, my—”

“There is nothing to be sorry for, Brandon!” Madison fired back harshly. “Because in that little head of yours, you were probably thinking I could have poisoned the water.”

“Honestly, my lady, if you must know, I am afraid of spiders,” Brandon explained politely.

“Scared, my damn foot,” Madison scoffed.

“Madison, it’s just water. I can get another one. There’s no need to be angry at him. He was only looking out for me,” Debra said softly.

“Exactly, my lady. If there is nothing wrong with the water, then there is no need to worry,” Brandon replied, a hint of condescension creeping into his voice as he cast a sarcastic glance at Madison.

Her frustration was written all over her face.

“Fine. But I’m not buying that shitty lie of yours,” Mady spat angrily, glaring at Brandon with rage-filled eyes.

‘Since when did the two of them get this close?’ Brandon wondered, maintaining a neutral expression as Madison continued shooting daggers at him.

If stares could kill, he was certain he would already be dead by now.

Madison walked over to Debra and slipped her arm through hers.

“Debby,” she cooed softly, sounding like a little girl clinging to her older sister while asking for a bucket of chocolate.

“I’ll be leaving at noon. Not for home, actually.” She raised one finger playfully.

“I already asked the guard to drive me to Winterfrost Restaurant. I bet you’ve heard a lot about it?”

“Why don’t you join me?” she continued. “I’m very sure you’ve never tried their food in your life, so this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Her voice was marred with a thin layer of sarcasm.

Brandon threw her an awkward sideways glance, immediately catching the hidden meaning behind her words.

Debra bit her lower lip at the phrase ‘never tried in your life.’ It might have been true, but the disdain in Madison’s voice tugged painfully at her heart. After all, who didn’t know about Winterfrost?

It was the most prestigious restaurant in the city, famous for its exclusive Italian cuisine. A single plate of food there could cost what an ordinary person earned in an entire year.

A ridiculous amount to waste.

It was a restaurant reserved for the wealthy elite at the very top of the city’s social hierarchy.

“Please don’t say no,” Madison pleaded, her eyes carrying a strangely taunting glint.

“The King needs his Shadow in his study,” Brandon declared without hesitation.

“Now?” Madison raised a surprised brow.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, my lady, but it seems you’ll have to enjoy your adventurous lunch alone,” Brandon said in a low, firm tone.

‘Damn it!’ Madison screamed inwardly.

She felt like throwing her hands into the air and screaming at the top of her lungs, but she maintained her elegant composure.

“I promise to go with you another time,” Debra assured her.

Madison bit her lip in frustration.

Why the hell was he meddling in my affairs?

Without another word, she turned around and left. Her heels clicked angrily against the tiled floor as she stormed down the hallway, her expression darkening with every step.

‘That damn Beta!’ Her lips barely moved as she muttered under her breath.

“You would have been pleading for your life if my plans had gone as expected. But you just had to meddle in my affairs.” She clenched her fists.

“Well, enjoy it while you can, ’cause I'm coming for you.” With one final glare over her shoulder, she disappeared around the corner.

“Where is he?” Debra asked, turning her attention back to Brandon.

“In his study.”

Debra nodded and began walking toward the King’s study. She had taken only a few steps when she suddenly stopped.

“Is everything okay?” Brandon asked curiously, staring at her back.

Debra slowly turned to face him. “You were too hostile toward her,” she said.

Brandon remained silent.

“Why don’t you try getting close to her?” Debra continued. “She’s nice and kind-hearted. Perhaps we might even end up planning some special occasion for the two of you.” She winked at him, a mischievous smile curling across her lips.

“She is only pretending to be kind,” Brandon muttered. “There is nothing to love about Madison.”

“What did you say?” Debra asked, her face knitted with curiosity. She had barely heard him.

Brandon quickly closed the distance between them and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, careful not to grip her too tightly.

“Please listen to me, Debra,” he said softly, his gaze fixed on hers.

“Stay away from Lady Madison. She isn’t the little Madison I knew when we were children.” His voice grew more serious.

“I’m warning you, Debra. Please!”

Debra gently removed his hands from her shoulders and took a step back, her expression unwavering.

“I think you have trust issues, Beta Brandon. Please work on them,” she said.

“Those trust issues might be the very thing that saves me from the hands of hell,” Brandon replied.

Debra narrowed her eyes.

“Is that a warning to me?”

“More like one... or perhaps more than one,” Brandon replied with an uncertain tone.

“Alright. I’ll be heading to the King’s study. I shouldn’t keep the King waiting.” She turned and walked away.

Brandon remained where he stood, watching her disappear down the hallway.

“She is too soft-hearted,” Iry, his spirit wolf, said inside his mind. “Do you really think she will be safe around a sly lady like that?”

“She is the King’s only hope of breaking free from that hunting nightmare curse,” Brandon replied, his expression hardening.

“Even if I have to put my life on the line and watch her every move for the King, then so be it.”

Iry was silent for a moment.

“Did you read her soul when you were that close to her?” Iry finally asked, curiosity lacing his voice.