Free Web NovelChapter 17: Chapter 17 Vertex
Sylvia’sPOV
I clenched my fists, feeling my claws extend before forcing them to retract. "Mother," I ground out, ignoring Selene completely, "I’m asking you one last time - will you handle Leo or not?"
Mother’s golden eyes flickered with something like regret before hardening. "This matter is more complicated than you understand, Sylvia. I’ll deal with it in my own time."
The dismissal cut deeper than any rejection from Zane ever had. "Fine," I spat, turning on my heel. "I’ll handle it myself then."
...
The scent of roasted venison and aged whiskey greeted me as I pushed into the dimly lit speakeasy. Morgana was already at our usual booth, her crimson nails tapping impatiently against the mahogany table.
"Well?" she demanded before I’d even sat down. "Did your mother finally rip that bastard’s throat out?"
I signaled the waiter for a double bourbon before answering. "Not even close. Apparently Leo’s ’service to the pack’ outweighs his embezzlement and sexual misconduct."
Morgana’s glass shattered in her grip, amber liquid spreading across the table like blood. "You’re fucking joking." Her wolf flashed in her violet eyes. "What service? Breathing our air? Taking up space?"
The waiter set down my drink with shaking hands, wisely choosing to retreat immediately. I drained half the glass in one swallow, letting the burn distract me from the ache in my chest. "Selene played the ’he saved my life’ card. Mother folded like a house of cards."
"That conniving little—" Morgana cut herself off, lowering her voice to a furious whisper. "Tell me you see what’s happening here. First she gets you exiled from the company, now she’s protecting the man who humiliated you?" Her claws extended, gouging the table. "This isn’t coincidence, Sylvia. She’s making her move for the inheritance."
The pieces clicked together with brutal clarity. All those "chance" encounters between Selene and Leo. The way he’d targeted my projects specifically. Even Mother’s sudden reluctance to discipline him...
"Sylvia, you look like you’ve seen a ghost." Morgana’s sharp violet eyes tracked my every microexpression as I processed the implications. "What’s going through that brilliant mind of yours?"
I exhaled through my nose, forcing my wolf to settle. "Suspicions aren’t evidence," I said carefully, swirling my bourbon. The ice cubes clinked like warning bells.
Morgana’s claws tapped an impatient rhythm on the table. "So what’s the play?"
"First priority - remove Leo from Frostline Enterprises." My canines lengthened as I imagined tearing out his throat. "By any means necessary."
The waiter chose that moment to deliver our meals, his hands trembling as he caught my glowing amber eyes. The scent of rare steak and truffles should have been mouthwatering, but all I could smell was Selene’s deceitful lavender perfume clinging to my memory.
I pushed food around my plate while Morgana tactfully changed subjects. My mind kept replaying Selene’s performance - that delicate hand on Mother’s arm, those crocodile tears about Leo’s "heroism." Every saccharine word had been calculated to manipulate.
Halfway through dinner, Morgana leaned in with a wicked grin. "So... how’s my dear cousin treating you?" Her eyebrows danced suggestively.
I nearly choked on my wine. "Morgana!" Heat flooded my cheeks as unwanted memories surfaced - Caesar’s powerful hands pinning me against the wall, his teeth...
"Oh come on!" She flicked a breadcrumb at me. "The great Blood Moon Alpha finally claims his mate after years of pining, and you’re going to be coy about it?" Her smirk turned devilish. "I need details, Frost. How does our illustrious leader perform when—"
"Enough!" I threw my napkin at her laughing face, grateful for the dim lighting hiding my blush. But my traitorous mind supplied vivid recollections - the way Caesar’s muscles flexed as he—
Morgana mercifully shifted to childhood stories, painting hilarious images of a young Caesar getting bested by his smaller cousin. I found myself genuinely smiling for the first time in days.
As we left the restaurant, the crisp night air helped clear my head. Morgana insisted on walking me home despite my protests. We’d just reached the alley’s mouth when my phone vibrated with Caesar’s special ringtone.
"Darling." His deep voice curled around me like smoke. "Out with Morgana, I see."
I rolled my eyes at Morgana’s exaggerated swooning. "She’s been telling me about a certain Alpha who once cried when his pet rabbit escaped."
A rich chuckle vibrated through the phone. "That rabbit was a tactical retreat, not an escape." The warmth in his tone made my pulse stutter. "Heading home now?"
"Yes, just leaving the—"
"Put me on speaker," Caesar interrupted. When I complied, his Alpha command rolled through the night: "Morgana, if anything happens to my mate before she’s safely home, I’ll reassign you to Arctic patrol for a decade."
Morgana mock-saluted. "Aye aye, Captain Overprotective." But her grip on my elbow tightened protectively.
After hanging up, Morgana fanned herself dramatically. "Moon’s tears, when did my ice-cold cousin become such a lovesick puppy?" She nudged me. "He’s got it bad, Frost. Like ’marking his territory on every surface’ bad."
I swatted her away, but couldn’t suppress the warmth spreading through my chest.
Back in my bedroom, I examined the sapphire-blue gown I’d chosen for tomorrow’s Vertex meeting. The silk shimmered like moonlit water under my fingertips - elegant yet powerful, perfect for making an impression.
The door creaked open. "That’s new." Caesar’s appreciative gaze traveled from the dress to my bare shoulders. "Vertex project preparations?"
I stiffened. "How do you know about Vertex?" The classified biotech initiative wasn’t common knowledge, even among Alphas. freeweɓnøvel.com
Caesar’s lips curved into that infuriatingly mysterious smile as he stepped closer, his strong arm sliding around my waist. The sudden contact made my pulse stutter.
"It’s perfect for you, darling," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. I could feel my cheeks heating as I met his dark, knowing gaze.
"Wait." He reached into his pocket and produced a velvet box. "For you."
The diamond necklace inside caught the light, scattering prisms across the walls. My breath caught. "This is too much—"
"Just a small token," he interrupted, pressing the box into my palm. His fingers lingered, warm and possessive. "There will be more, my love."
I opened my mouth to protest, but his hand closed over mine, sending an electric current up my arm. The weight of the jewelry box suddenly felt heavier than its physical mass.
