You Had Your Chance, Alpha

4

Nikolai stared at his phone as the call disconnected once again. His forehead creased into a deep frown.

This wasn't like Selene.

The Selene he knew would never hang up on him. She would never ignore his calls. She would never dare walk away from an argument.

For the past two years, Selene had followed his every word without complaint. Even after realizing that Bianca was the woman he truly wanted by his side, Selene had remained obedient.

Nikolai had never hidden it. Not completely.

Everyone knew how close he and Bianca were. Everyone knew that before the mating season, many wolves had expected them to become mates.

Unfortunately, the Moon Goddess had other plans. Bianca had found Jeffrey. Nikolai had found Selene. And ever since then, things had never felt right.

"Nikolai?" Bianca's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She gently placed her hand on his arm. Nikolai looked up and immediately softened.

"Is she still mad at me?" Bianca asked quietly. "Maybe you should go home, Niks," she added.

"Biancs, it's okay," Nikolai said. Without thinking, he cupped her face. His thumb brushed against her cheek.

For a brief moment, his gaze lingered on her lips. A dangerous thought crossed his mind. It should have been Bianca. She should have been his mate.

She should have been the Luna of the Ironfang Pack. Not Selene.

"Niks?" Bianca called softly.

Nikolai blinked and immediately pulled his hand away. A flicker of guilt passed through him.

Jeffrey was his beta. One of his most trusted friend. And Bianca was Jeffrey's mate. Jeffrey was a respectable man.

A loyal beta. A good husband. Nikolai rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You're not in pain now?" he asked. Bianca shook her head and smiled.

"Thanks to you for taking care of me. I'm well now," she said. Nikolai nodded. A moment later, his expression darkened.

"Is Jeffrey not treating you right?" he asked. The thought alone made anger slowly rise inside him. Bianca immediately shook her head.

"Well... he is," she answered. "Jeffrey treats me well," she added. Nikolai relaxed slightly.

"But thank you, Niks," Bianca continued softly. "You really are my best friend," she added. She leaned against his chest.

Without hesitation, Nikolai wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"If it's you, Biancs, I will do everything," he said. Then he kissed her forehead. Bianca smiled sweetly.

Nikolai glanced at his watch.

"Well, I have to go to the office now," he said.

The past few weeks had been exhausting. Deadlines, reports, pack matters, and endless paperwork had piled up on his desk.

Before standing up, he glanced at his phone once more. His annoyance immediately returned when he remembered Selene ending the call.

"I'll scold Selene later," he muttered. Bianca smiled.

"Don't be too harsh on her," she said softly. Nikolai simply nodded before heading toward the door.

A few minutes later, his car disappeared down the road. The moment he was gone, the smile on Bianca's face vanished.

The warmth in her eyes disappeared as if it had never existed.

Slowly, she walked back into the living room and sat comfortably on the couch. There was no pain. No discomfort. No injury. Her ankle was perfectly fine.

In fact, she had never twisted it at all.

Everything had been planned from the beginning. The tears. The phone call that she did. The apology she rehearsed in her head and even the accident.

Every single thing.

Bianca crossed one leg over the other and smirked.

For two years, she had watched Selene occupy the place that should have belonged to her. The Luna position and Nikolai.

And for what?

Selene was nothing more than a random woman from an allied pack.

Someone who had appeared out of nowhere and taken everything Bianca believed should have been hers.

Bianca slowly traced her finger along the armrest of the couch. Jeffrey was a good mate. But he wasn't Nikolai. He never would be. Her eyes gleamed with ambition.

Nikolai still cared about her. Still chose her. Still put her first. That alone was enough.

For now.

"Soon," Bianca whispered to herself. A sly grin spread across her lips.

"Soon, I'll get what I want."

And this time, there wasn't a single trace of innocence left on her face.

Nikolai arrived at the pack office and was immediately greeted by several warriors stationed outside the building.

The warriors straightened and bowed their heads respectfully as their Alpha walked past them.

Nikolai gave a brief nod before entering the building.

The moment he stepped into his office, he loosened the collar of his shirt and headed toward his desk. The pile of paperwork waiting for him immediately caught his attention.

He let out a quiet sigh and sat down in his swivel chair.

"Where's Jeffrey?" he asked as he picked up one of the documents.

Morgan, his third-in-command, who had been standing nearby organizing reports, immediately looked up.

"Beta Jeffrey went out to join the patrol, Alpha," Morgan answered. "The patrol team found rogues in the area, and just to be safe, he went with the warriors," he added.

Nikolai frowned.

"Rogues?" he asked, his forehead creasing. "Why wasn't I informed about this?" he added. Morgan looked slightly confused.

"Beta Jeffrey did inform you, Alpha," he said. Nikolai opened his mouth to respond but stopped.

A memory surfaced almost immediately. It had happened around the same time Bianca had called him. Jeffrey had been trying to report something through the mind link. Instead of listening, Nikolai had cut him off.

At the time, he had been furious that Jeffrey wasn't with Bianca when she had supposedly injured herself.

He had scolded his beta for neglecting his mate and ended the conversation before Jeffrey could finish his report.

Now, realizing what Jeffrey had actually been trying to tell him, Nikolai felt slightly irritated. Mostly at himself. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temple.

"Alright," he finally said. "Tell them I'll join once I finish the paperwork," he added.

Morgan nodded. Before he could leave, his eyes suddenly glazed over for a brief moment.

A few seconds later, he blinked and looked back at Nikolai.

"Alpha, Beta Jeffrey just contacted me through the mind link," he said. Nikolai raised an eyebrow.

"What did he say?" Nikolai asked. Morgan straightened.

"They've already subdued the rogues. The ones who fought back were killed, and the surviving rogues are being brought back to the pack for questioning."

Nikolai pursed his lips. His hand slowly tightened into a fist. Jeffrey had handled the situation.

And while his beta had been risking his life protecting the pack, Nikolai had spent the morning dealing with Bianca and arguing with Selene.

For some reason, the realization left an unpleasant feeling in his chest. Still, he kept his expression neutral.

"Alright," he said after a moment. "Good job," he added.

Morgan nodded respectfully.

"I'll relay the message to Beta Jeffrey, Alpha."

Once Morgan left the office, silence settled over the room. Nikolai leaned back in his chair and stared at the paperwork spread across his desk.