Chapter 8 Divorce Agreement
1360 Words
He had made his position perfectly clear. Pushing the matter further would only make me appear desperate.
Alpha Damien gazed ahead, his voice dripping with nonchalance.
"Catherine is coming back next week. She has a close rapport with an allied pack, one that requires her personal touch. Normally, Beta Gavin would handle these arrangements, but his family suffered a bereavement last night. There is no sense in bothering him during this time, so you will take care of it."
"Understood," I replied. "How many people are in their party?"
"Just one."
We ran through the standard hospitality protocols and key points before Alpha Damien concluded the briefing, instructing me to book a hotel room and text him the details.
The Pack gossip mill had churned for ages about Alpha Damien and Catherine's special arrangement. Every so often, she would waltz into his office under the guise of pack's affairs.
It appeared those rumors held water after all.
A blaring car horn snapped me back to reality as Liam's car pulled up to the curb.
Even with the vehicle idling right before us, Alpha Damien's grip on my hand did not loosen.
Liam bolted from the driver's seat to open the door for us.
I had assumed this was merely a goodbye, but then Alpha Damien interlaced his fingers with mine and slid into the backseat beside me, right under Liam's nose.
"Bayview Manor," Alpha Damien commanded.
One of the Alpha's many luxury properties, Bayview Manor was located in the town's most exclusive district, a high-end residence where the cost per square foot exceeded most people's annual salaries.
The entire ride was filled with Liam's nauseatingly transparent attempts to ingratiate himself, each sycophantic comment making my skin crawl.
When we arrived, Liam lunged to open the door, only for Alpha Damien to pull me out alongside him.
Liam and I locked eyes across the car roof, caught in a silent, stunned standoff.
"I appreciate the trouble, Liam," Alpha Damien rumbled.
Liam faltered for a second before plastering on an obsequious smile. "Oh, Alpha Damien, you are too kind. Serving you is my greatest privilege."
"Serving me?" Alpha Damien's lips quirked as he glanced at me. "The service had its perks. Get home safe."
With that, he wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me toward the gated entrance.
He strolled with leisurely confidence, while I tensed up, flushing with shame with every step.
It would be hard to find another couple like Liam and me, a husband playing chauffeur while his wife was led away to an affair.
Alpha Damien played us both.
Inside the apartment, he shrugged off his coat and tossed it carelessly over the sofa. He undid the top two buttons of his tailored white shirt, revealing the sharp lines of his collarbones.
As I removed my own coat and turned, I found him at the wine cabinet, his back to me as he poured two glasses of a rich, dark red.
A nightcap was his habit, our unspoken signal. I accepted the glass, clinking mine against his with practiced ease.
We settled across the bar from each other. He loosened his cufflinks, setting them aside before rolling up his sleeves, exposing the lean, defined muscles of his forearms.
He knocked back the rest of his wine and fixed me with a piercing gaze. "So this is what you call love?"
The question struck me speechless.
The moment he had pulled me into that car, I had known it was part of his game. This entire night had been orchestrated to throw the so-called love my husband had for me right back in my face.
My eyes dropped to the floor. There was no defense left.
"Still do not get it?" Alpha Damien pressed.
Oh, I got it alright. The one who didn't understand was him.
Liam and I were entangled in this for one thing only. Use his sperm to conceive.
"You claim he loves you," he murmured, refilling my glass with an unsettling gentleness. "Yet he hands you over to me? Darling, you are delusional."
I twisted the stem of my glass, my mind racing for a way to lower his guard tonight.
Get pregnant sooner, escape him faster.
That's the only thought echoed in my mind.
I put on a meek act and looked up at him.
"I will admit I am naive, Alpha Damien. But Liam does love me. He might not have your power or wealth, but at home, he treats me like a princess. He will not even let me wash a dish. He pampers me every single day.”
I brush my hair back from my face.
“I did not have the happiest upbringing. My parents were distant and strict. But Liam changed that. He showed me what it meant to be loved and cared for," I added, layering on the narrative.
"So just for that, you're willing to sleep with me to pave the way for his career?"
His words made my excuses sound pathetic, even ridiculous.
Scrambling to save face, I kept going. “Alpha Damien, I am truly grateful for how you have helped my family financially and given Liam opportunities to shine in his career. I will never be able to repay you, in work or in life.”
Alpha Damien crooked a finger, summoning me closer. As I approached, he drained the wine from my glass before capturing my lips in a searing kiss.
The ribbon at the neckline of my dress slid loose, slow as a present being untied.
The wine seemed to light a fire in his eyes, his kisses turning savage and unstoppable.
He hauled me onto the bar counter, our bodies entwining beneath the chandelier's glow. From the glass partitions, I saw my flushed face, my dazed eyes, completely his.
That night, he lost control.
I tried to seize the moment to use the brooch, but he knocked it from my grasp. It hit the floor with a sharp ping, another missed opportunity.
Morning came.
Blinking awake, I recognized Damien's bedroom.
Swaddled in his robe, I shuffled to the living room, only to find a woman in her fifties emerging from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of soup.
"Good morning, Ms. Hayes. Breakfast is ready." She gave me a kind smile.
I paused, feeling awkward. "Let me clean up first."
I started to leave, but paused again. "How should I address you?" I asked.
She smiled warmly. “I am the Packhouse's chief Nanny. I've been taking care of Alpha Damien since he was a kid. He calls me Yvonne.”
Though he could use that casual title, I did not feel worthy of the same familiarity.
"Ms…" I faltered, but she gently interrupted with a soft laugh. “Just call me Yvonne, like Alpha Damien does.”
Noticing my discomfort, Yvonne softened her tone further. "Dear, how old are you?"
The question threw me. "Twenty-eight," I admitted.
Her face lit up as she clasped my hands.
"Perfect. Damien is thirty-one. You two are well-matched. He has always been so self-reliant, never giving anyone cause for worry. But now?" She sighed softly. "The whole family are anxious that he will never settle down with a Luna. I have cared for him for years, and you are the first girl he has ever brought home."
The misunderstanding was snowballing rapidly.
I was about to explain that I was not his girlfriend when the door swung open. Alpha Damien emerged, a few papers in hand.
He glanced at Yvonne. "Yvonne, we are running low on groceries. Would you mind picking up some fresh ingredients?"
She caught on instantly, untying her apron. "Oh, I completely forgot. Thanks for reminding me. I will go get them now. Just leave the dishes. I will clean up later."
Once the nanny had gone, Alpha Damien handed me the documents.
"What is this?" I asked.
Then I saw it: the words "DIVORCE AGREEMENT" glared from the header. Disbelief washed over me as I met his gaze.
His voice was ice-calm. "I drafted it this morning. Sign it, and I will have my lawyers handle the rest."
- Writer
