Augustin’s Pov
I leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on my laptop screen as I scrolled through financial records, For weeks, I’d been tracking suspeloué mane, transla following digital breadcrumbs that might lead me to the traitors.
Tonight, I’d found something.
“Gotcha,” I muttered, I stared at the name on my screen: Fox Larson.
Unlike the other transactions I’d been monitoring, which all used numerical codes as identifiers, this one had an actual name. The first real mistake they d made since I started tracking them. The funds had been transferred to an account in Verdantia,
This is it. The break we’ve been waiting for.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Eliza had been helping these people cover their tracks. The thought made my blood boil. If she was involved in this conspirac I would make sure she suffered for it.
Eliza. Not the wat trophy everyone thought she was. Her father had sent her to the manor hoping she’d become my mistress and bear my children. He’d been a friend of my father’s, part of the old guard who believed in maintaining the traditional ways. But I saw her as a sister, which frustrated her to no end.
I’d abolished the law that allowed Alpha Kings and Alphas to maintain harems. It was a disgusting practice–elite families would send their daughters to become mistresses in exchange for guaranteed elite living for themselves and their families. They’d rather have their daughters become mistresses than marry into lower families.
It was a sick tradition that people still tried to maintain even after I’d abolished it. Three years ago, I’d forbidden alphas, betas, and gammas from sending their daughters to my manor, and I’d maintained that ban ever since.
I kept Eliza at the manor because her father was my father’s friend, and they had agreed she would stay here. But if she was betraying me now, there would be hell to pay.
The door creaked open, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up to see Juno walking in, exhaustion clear on her beautiful face. Her red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
“You look tired,” I said, concern coloring my voice. “Have you been pushing yourself too hard again?”
She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she walked over and pressed her lips against mine in a soft kiss. I pulled her into my lap, deepening the kiss, my hand sliding up to cup the back of her neck. Her scent filled my senses, and I felt Fenris stir within me, hungry for more.
Juno responded eagerly, her hands tangling in my hair, but after a moment, she broke away and moved to sit on the edge of our bed. I watched her every movement, completely captivated.
She stretched her arms over her head, arching her back with a small groan. “I’m exhausted. Today was never–ending. Between the meetings with security, planning for the competition… I’m drained.”
“You need to start using that schedule I made for you,” I said gently. “You’re putting too much pressure on yourself. The baby needs you to rest more. I don’t want to argue about this again, though.”
Juno laughed softly. “Good, because I don’t have the energy to argue. You know I’m not good at following schedules, even yours. I think I need a bath to relax. Nothing helps sore muscles like hot water.
“Go ahead,” I nodded, turning back to my laptop. “I just need to finish this. I think I’ve found something important.
She stood and walked toward the bathroom, pulling her top over her head as she went. Each movement was deliberately sensual, her body silhouetted perfectly in the soft light. My eyes traced the curve of her spine, the swell of her hips, the smooth expanse of her skin.
Fenris growled inside me, his desire pushing against my control. Mine. Ours. Take her.
“Juno,” I warned, my voice dropping to a dangerous rumble as she unhooked her bra with deliberate slowness. “You know what you’re doing to me, don’t you?”
1/2
Chapter 177
She glanced over her shoulder at me, o mischievous smile playing on her lips. “Maybe. Or maybe fie ma recibe need for me t of her laughter drifted back as the disappeared into the bathroom.
I snapped my laptop shot, Work could wait. I hadn’t touched my mate in two days, and I wasn’t about to let this opportunity pais, ha inviting me to join her.
I waited a few moments, listening to the sound of water filling the tub, then stripped off my clothes. My body was already responding to the what was to come, hard and ready. I walked into the bathroom to find june already settled in the large tubs, bubles covering strate
“Did you miss me?” she asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief and desire as she looked me up and down. ‘You seem eager to join mar
Fenris answered with a possessive growl, making my need clear without words.
I stepped into the tub and joined her, and she immediately moved closer, water sloshing around us. I captured her lips in a fierce list, claiming het mo with a hunger that had been building for days. When we finally broke apart, she playfully placed a dollop of bubbles on the tip of my nose.
Her laughter echoed off the bathroom tiles as she giggled at her own prank, the sound filling the space with joy. “You look very dignified, Alpha King. Veri intimidating with bubbles on your nose.*
I stared at her, mesmerized. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Without even trying, she had completely conquered me, brought me to my knees willingly. With her, I felt lighter, freer. There was no tension, no pressure. She didn’t want me for my power or status; she wanted me for me.
I felt grateful, wondering how I had gotten so lucky to have her love.
“My Berry,” I said possessively, my voice thick with emotion.
Juno immediately stopped laughing, her eyes flashing gold for a brief moment–Seraphine making her presence known.
I smiled, noticing the change. ‘I love you too, Seraphine,” I said softly. “You’re both one and the same to me. I’ve never seen you as separate entities.
Juno giggled again, clearly pleased by my acknowledgment of both sides of her. “She loves you. Sometimes I think she’s more possessive of you than I am.
I pulled her closer, looking deep into her eyes. We kissed again, deeply and thoroughly, breaking apart only when we needed to breathe. I rested my forehead against hers, maintaining our connection.
“My love for you will never fade or diminish,” I whispered. “I am not my father. You will never have to share me, never face betrayal. I’ve seen what that did to my mother, and I would never inflict that pain on you. I will be faithful to you until my dying breath, worshiping and cherishing you for as long as I live
Tears welled in Juno’s eyes.
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Too bad Eliza’s father didn’t realize harems went out of style with the last Sultan of the Ottaman Empire. It certainly will contribute to her downfall.
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