Before he could open it, the door behind me opened again, and the air shifted. A soft, familiar giggle floated into the room like a curse. Farah stepped inside like she owned the place, her hair in waves, her dress hugging every curve. She beamed at Ethan. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No, of course not,” the alpha said, his eyes lighting up in a way they never did with me. He stood immediately, abandoning the envelope, and went to greet her. “Come sit. We were just about to eat.”
He pulled out a chair for her—my chair—and guided her in like she was royalty. I watched in silence as he fussed over her, cut her steak perfectly, poured her wine, all while my flower lay forgotten on the side, its pollen floating into the air. My wolf’s anger buzzed through me, and I sneezed once, sharply.
Neither of them noticed.
“I heard the patrols are picking up rogue scent trails again,” Farah said casually, dabbing her lips with a silk napkin. “Maybe we can inspect the borders together after this?”
Ethan nodded eagerly. “That’s a great idea. We’ll go after lunch.”
I stared at them, heat burning behind my eyes, not from jealousy but from the sheer humiliation. He hadn’t even opened the envelope.