My wolf growled in irritation the moment I saw Anita kneeling there, naked, head bowed in submission like she had done so many times before. But this time, it didn't ignite anything in me.
Not even a flicker of desire.
I clenched my jaw, stepping inside and slamming the door shut behind me. The sound echoed through the room, making Anita flinch slightly before lifting her head. She was beautiful—objectively so. Long hair cascaded over her bare shoulders, flawless skin, curves that had once been enough to satisfy me. But as I stared at her now, all I saw was the glaring fact that she wasn't Olivia.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" My voice was cold, void of the amusement and desire I once had for her little games.
Anita smiled—a slow, sultry thing that had once made my blood heat. "I was waiting for you, Alpha," she purred, running her hands up her thighs. "I missed you. It's been too long."
I scoffed, raking a hand through my hair. "Get up, Anita."
She blinked, her smile disappearing. "What?"
"I said, get the fuck up." My patience was razor-thin, my mood still tangled in Olivia's scent, her taste, the way she had moaned my name even while trying to push me away.
Anita hesitated for a moment before slowly rising to her feet, her expression shifting from seduction to confusion. "I don't understand. You've never told me to stop before."
I exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Yeah, well, things change."
Her eyes darkened with something sharp. "This is about her, isn't it?"
She let out a bitter laugh, stepping closer, pressing her naked body against mine. "You think she's different?" she whispered, her lips brushing my jaw. "Are you developing a soft spot for that bitch?"
My hand shot up, gripping her chin roughly, forcing her to look at me. "Don't call her a bitch." My voice was lethal, every syllable dripping with venom.
Anita smirked, but there was pain behind her eyes. "No, she's worse. Because she doesn't even want you."
She pressed her hands against my chest, trailing them down my stomach, her voice dropping into something almost pitying. "But I do."
For the first time in my life, I felt nothing.
I grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands off me. "Get out."
Her eyes widened in shock. "Lennox—"
"I said, get the fuck out, Anita."
The command in my tone left no room for argument. She stared at me for a long moment, her lips parting like she wanted to say something, but then she huffed, grabbing her discarded robe and throwing it on.
"Tomorrow is the ceremony where I become your mistress. Are you forgetting that?" she muttered.
Anita stepped closer, her chin lifted in defiance. "Alpha Lennox, I hope you're not trying to go back on your word. You and your brothers—"
She scoffed, a cruel smirk curling her lips. "You and your brothers have fucked me the way you wanted. In your room, in the woods, at the seashore. And now you think you can toss me aside just because you're tired of me?"
My wolf growled, my frown deepening.
"No man will ever want me now. Tomorrow, I become your concubine—whether you like it or not," Anita declared in anger before storming out of the room.
The moment the door slammed shut behind her, I exhaled, rubbing a hand down my face. But no amount of deep breaths could calm the storm raging inside me.
Because Olivia was still on my mind.
Her taste was still on my lips.
And I fucking hated that I wanted more.
The door to my room pushed open, and Levi and Louis walked in.
Levi narrowed his eyes. "Anita just reported you to us… she said you kicked her out of your room."
I sighed, pushing myself to my feet. "Yeah. I wasn't in the mood. Anita acts like everything is about sex."
Louis's sharp eyes flicked over me as he moved closer. His nostrils flared, and his expression darkened almost instantly.
"You reek," he muttered.
I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. "Of what? Sweat? Frustration?"
"Olivia." His voice was clipped, laced with something I didn't like.
Levi's gaze sharpened, and I tensed, my wolf baring its teeth in warning. Louis took another step closer, his jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grinding.
"Tell me, brother," he said, his tone deceptively calm, "why the fuck do you smell like Olivia?"
I met his glare head-on, crossing my arms. "Why do you care?"
Louis let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Why do I care?" His lips curled, a smirk that held nothing but anger. "Maybe because you were frowning at me when you found out I kissed her. Acting all high and mighty. And now, what? You go behind my back and do the same fucking thing?"
Levi's eyes darted between us, his brows furrowing, but he stayed quiet.
I took a step forward, towering over Louis, my voice dropping into a dangerous growl. "And what if I did?"
Louis shook his head, laughing bitterly. "You're a fucking hypocrite, Lennox. You act like you don't want her, yet you go behind our backs."
I snarled, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Says the man I caught kissing her in the woods!"
My wolf growled, my muscles coiling with tension. "But now you want to question me?" I jabbed a finger into his chest again, stepping even closer. "You don't get to act like you have some fucking moral high ground, Louis."
Louis didn't back down. Instead, he let out a low, mocking chuckle. "Moral high ground? That's rich coming from you. You wanted to rip my throat out when you saw me with her—"
"And now I want to rip it out for a different reason," I growled, cutting him off.
His smirk dropped, replaced by something darker, more dangerous. His nostrils flared, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Try it."
Louis was the youngest among us, but he always liked provoking me.
I bared my teeth, my wolf clawing for control. My vision blurred at the edges, my body already shifting slightly. The room filled with raw, crackling tension, and I could see Louis bracing himself, ready to strike just as I was.
Then Levi slammed his hand between us, shoving us apart with enough force to send a warning.
"That's enough!" he snapped, his voice sharp with authority. "Both of you—back the fuck off."
Louis and I glared at each other, our chests rising and falling heavily, but neither of us moved.
Levi let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "You know what's funny? I should be the one who's fucking pissed right now."
We both turned to him, brows furrowing.
Levi scoffed, his expression twisting with something close to disgust. "You two are about to rip each other apart over Olivia when both of you went behind my back."
Louis let out a sharp breath, dragging a hand down his face.
Levi's voice dropped, thick with irritation. "I thought we all hated her. I thought we agreed she wasn't worth our time. But now you're both sneaking around, kissing her like a couple of lovesick pups?" He took a step back, shaking his head. "What a fucking joke."
A suffocating silence hung in the air.
Then I let out a harsh breath, rolling my shoulders. "I still hate her," I growled.
Louis scoffed, his eyes narrowing with anger. "Yeah? Is that why you smell like her?"
I clenched my jaw but said nothing.
Levi growled at Louis. "Enough."
I ignored the twisting in my stomach, ignored the lingering feeling in my chest.
Because it didn't fucking matter.
Olivia was still nothing to me.
And I was going to prove it.
Levi sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "We should all get some rest. Tomorrow is the ceremony—Anita becomes our concubine. I doubt we want the pack seeing their Alphas covered in bruises," he muttered, sounding exhausted.
Louis stretched out a hand to me as peace offering. I took it, giving him a brief hug before stepping back.
This wasn't new. We always fought over petty things and made up in the end.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Louis said.
I nodded, watching as he turned and walked away. Levi gave me a lingering look before following him out, closing the door behind them.
Sighing, I dropped onto my bed, my mind replaying everything that had happened between me and Olivia.
That should never happen again.
And it had to stay that way.