First

Kelvin’s brow creases with worry for her. A deep frown contorts his face and he walks over, taking the seat next to her. He gently takes her hands in his, squeezing it gently, making Leila’s sad eyes meet his affectionate ones.

“What happened? Is he treating you poorly?” he asks in a soft and worry laden

voice.

Is Tatum treating her poorly?

Does sleeping in another woman’s bed and spilling their deepest secrets to her count as being treated poorly?

“No….” Leila shakes her head, feeling a tug of pain in her heart. “Carmela is back, Kev, you know what that means.”

Kelvin scoffs softly, raising a brow at Leila, looking a bit relieved to know she wasn’t suffering at the hands of the Alpha.

“You disappoint me Leila, you’re just going to throw away your marriage and position because of that bitch?” Kelvin asks in a curt tone.

His dislike towards Carmela is well known to Leila and Kelvin is not one to mince words or hide his feelings, except the ones he has for Leila.

Telling Kelvin not to call Carmela names is like pouring water into a basket, so Leila doesn’t bother with it.

She wishes she could confide in him and tell him about the baby, about what happened last night and the days since Carmela’s return but right now she does not need a friend to confide in, she needs a lawyer to get her out of her

marriage.

“If I don’t divorce him, he’s going to divorce me for her. One way or the other, my marriage is going to end. I just want to be a step ahead. Are you going to help me or not?”

Despite how cold Leila tries to sound, the pain in her voice is as clear as the Despite how cold Leila tries to crowing of the rooster at dawn.

Kelvin heaves a sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling bad for her. If

Chapters

the goddess wasn’t so unkind to him by not making her his chosen mate, her would have spent every last breath of his lungs bringing nothing but joy and happiness to Lella’s life.

“If you really want to get out of the marriage, then I’ll help you.” Kelvin says in a reassuring tone.

After giving Leila a few forms to fill, Kelvin insists that he takes Leila out for lunch as they hadn’t gotten together for a long time and after lunch, Leila made her way home.

When she gets home, the smell of cinnamon and walnut roast with heavy musk that fills the living room as she opens the door tells her that Tatum is home and quite early too.

She spots him by dining, sipping on a glass of whiskey and typing away on his laptop, not even raising his head to see who enters but he obviously knows it’s her from her smell.

cross to h

“Good evening.” Leila greets him, walking corridor when his cold voice makes her halt.

“How was your date with Kelvin?” Tatum asks, his voice icy and laden with accusation.

Leila’s heart thuds heavily.

She forces the lump in her throat down.

“It wasn’t a date Alpha, we just went out to eat,” She replies, scratching her nape and keeping her head down.

“Come here,” Tatum replies, kicking the seat beside him backwards.

Leila drags her heavy feet across the room, conscious of how Tatum’s cold eyes fixate on her. Despite the weary in her heart, there is always something about his intense look that fills her stomach with butterflies, whether good or bad.

“Care to explain how a visit to Carmi ended up as a lunch date with your ex?” Tatum asks in that same cold voice.

Leila is shocked by his words. There was a rumour back then that she and

Kelein were in a relationship because of how close and affectionate they were towards each other but the only reason that was a rumour and not true was because she only had that sort of feeling towards one man, she even secretly hoped he would be her mate, no matter how far fetched it was.

And is Tatum really going to complain that she went to eat, in public, with another man, when last night he slept with Carmela and did goddess knows what?

The thought alone makes her heart sting with pain but she keeps her face straight

“I know it’s not proper as Luna to be seen with other men in public but it was only lunch with a friend, I’m sorry,” Leila says in a solemn voice, still avoiding his eyes.

“Look at me,” Tatum orders in a hoarse voice and Leila slowly meets his eyes and as cold and beautiful as they are, there is no anger in them.

“I don’t have a problem who you have lunch with, just don’t lie to me like that next time, you are still my Luna.”

His words make Leila’s chest throb but her calm face is a contrast to the storm of emotions brewing inside her. STILL…..that means soon she will no longer be.

Se sive citing be a war the pain in her heart take GEONDON ONE. Het les move with a sign tensor under the table and she

banc doctor bars, hoping to pain is net so evident in her voice

Man Sill you tura, when do i stop being bet, AlpM?“

WAR BIN Aven mean by that Tatry looks at her weird.

mean your theme has returned obviously my days are numbered,” Leila manages to keeo her voice from trembling as she speaks

Something that looks like gain fils Tatum’s eyes and he shifts his gaze back to

What choose to do with her shouldn’t concern you, Tatum replies passively with an aloofness to his demeanour.

The tiny sliver of hope that Tatum may yet keep her flicks through Leila’s mind but she quickly pushes it away. He only said not to concern herself with it, he never said it won’t happen.

The just asking because

“Leia, drop it.” Tatum snaps his laptop shut, his tone becoming stem. “Trying to change the topic by bringing up Carmela is low, even for you.”

Leila’s eyes bulged. That’s not what I’m trying to do, Carmi was supposed to be your wife if she wasn’t kidnapped.”

Tatum shoots her a cold look, the tone of his voice rising.

“Tell me the truth Leila, are you really asking because of Carmela or because of your–Kelvin?”

Leila gasps in shock, her eyes coating with tears at the implication of his words that break her heart and her lips tremble as she replies.

“My Kelvin? I haven’t even seen him in years, where is this coming from?”

“I don’t want you seeing him again. Am I understood?” Tatum replies in the same cold voice, his eyes hard as a rock

Tdon’t understand why this is an issue, Kelvin is just a friend, you know this.”

Tatumi kooks up at her teary eyes but the gold look remains in his own ayon.

And I have made myself clear, friend or Bot, you will not get close to him as kong as you are my wife,” He shuts down her proteat

tea purses her lips, unable to believe his audacity. She is nowhere as close to Kevin as he is with Carmela and yet he seems to have a problem with her?

A thought suddenly comes to her, making her heart pound on its own accord.

Is Tatum jealous she spent time with Kelvin?

Wouldn’t that mean that he has feelings for her?

“It I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were jealous,” Leila replies with a subtle coyness in her tone, hoping he admits it, feeling tingles at the fact that Tatum might be jealous for her sake.

Tatum opens his mouth but he hesitates to reply. The cold look returns to his eyes as he looks her straight in the eyes and before he opens his mouth, Leila’s heart already sinks.

“I am the Alpha, do you think it is good for my image if my Luna is seen frolicking with another man all over my pack grounds?”

His curt voice dashes the last of Leila’s hopes. How stupid of her to think he ist jealous when all he is concerned about is his reputation.

“This was a one off event, I promise it will never happen again,” She replies. sullenly.

Tatum nods gently in response and Leila stands up with a heavy heart, her tears at the brink of breaking the barriers of her wet eyes.

“Soon, I won’t be your Luna anymore but for the little time left, I promise not to soil your reputation.”

Tatum’s stoic tone remains the same. “I already told you, you shouldn’t”

His phone rings and interrupts him, making the two of them shift their gaze to it and it’s Carmela calling.

Tahim picks it up, his eyes fixed on Leila as he does

“No, I’m not doing anything important Yeah, sure,” he replies before he chuckles and walks a distance away from Leila.

Nothing important? They were in the middle of an argument and he just took Carmela’s call, deeming her unimportant?

She watches with pain in her heart as Tatum sprawls on the couch, speaking in. a soft and affectionate voice, smiling broadly and chuckling frequently as he talks to Carmela.

She slowly makes her way to her bedroom, wiping the tears that fall from the corner of her eyes. He just chastised her for having lunch with a man but he is smiling and chatting with another woman with no care how she feels about it.

She cannot bear to be treated like this for much longer and remain sane.

[How soon can the papers be ready?]

She takes out her phone and texts Kelvin.