Chapter 2

Cara POV:

Sitting in the backseat of the sedan, I watched the street scenes fly backward while the wet glass reflected my pale, furious face.

The driver glanced at my dripping dress through the rearview mirror and cleared his throat.

"Miss, going all the way out to that rich territory around the Holden Estate is going to cost extra."

I lifted my eyelids coldly, pulled the last fifty-dollar bill from my pocket, and threw it onto the passenger seat.

"Shut up and drive faster."

Startled by the glare in my eyes, the driver clamped his mouth shut and floored the gas pedal, making the tires roar through the standing water.

Leaning back against the headrest, I closed my eyes. The image of Emilee's fake smile on television kept flashing through my head, churning my stomach until bile rose in my throat.

I pressed a cold palm flat against my lower belly. The scorching heat of a top-tier Alpha still seemed to linger deep inside my body. I bit down hard on my lower lip until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, forcing my mind to stay sharp.

The car swerved sharply around a corner and screeched to a halt in front of a massive black wrought-iron gate, rainwater streaming down the windows in sheets.

Shoving the door open without an umbrella, I stepped straight into the ankle-deep puddles and fixed my eyes on the dark gold Holden family crest welded onto the iron bars.

I walked through the rain and pressed my thumb hard against the intercom buzzer.

An arrogant security guard's voice crackled through the speaker.

"Who is it? Don't you know today is the eldest young lady's big engagement day?"

Wiping the rainwater from my chin, I spoke into the grate.

"Open the gate. I am Cara Holden."

The guard let out a loud sneer over the line.

"The Alpha of the house gave strict orders. A troublemaker like you isn't allowed to take half a step inside this estate."

I let out a cold laugh, stepped back two paces, and locked my gaze onto the six-foot carved stone wall beside the main gate.

Eben POV:

My eyes snapped open in the dim bedroom, a splitting headache pounding behind my temples as my Alpha senses instantly registered an unfamiliar stillness in the suite.

Propping myself up on the wide mattress, my gaze locked onto the glaring crimson stain on the pure white sheets—the proof of innocence she had left me last night.

Yet my brows knitted tightly together. The intoxicating, soul-trembling cedarwood scent that had driven me mad in the dark was completely gone, replaced by a cheap, pungent cloud of artificial floral perfume.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Emilee stepped out in a loose bathrobe, a shy blush painted across her cheeks. She was the woman I had sworn to protect with my life ever since she saved me from a lethal silver blade at Silverpine Cove thirteen years ago.

"Eben, you're awake?"

My body tensed and I leaned back against the headboard to put distance between us, my inner wolf letting out an agitated growl in my head that carried a sharp edge of disgust.

She walked to the edge of the mattress and reached out to lay her hand on my bare shoulder.

"Last night... you were so rough, it hurt me so much."

Right before her fingertips touched my skin, I jerked my shoulder away, my eyes freezing over.

"Go wash that perfume off your skin. It's choking me."

Emilee's hand froze in midair, her face stiffening for a fraction of a second before she bit her lip and forced tears into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I thought you would like it..."

Ignoring her act, I threw off the duvet and strode straight toward the walk-in closet, the claw marks on my back stinging with every step and reminding me of how completely I had lost control in the dark.

With my back turned to her, I pulled on a crisp black shirt.

"Why didn't you say a single word to me all night?"

Emilee's breath hitched audibly behind me before she stammered an answer.

"I... I was just too nervous, and you were so fierce..."

My fingers paused on my collar button. The woman beneath me last night had trembled, yet her silent defiance and fierce grip bore zero resemblance to this whining voice.

Turning around, I pinned her with my gray-blue eyes.

"Are you certain it was you in this bed all night?"

Emilee stumbled backward into the nightstand, her gaze darting away from mine.

"Of course it was me! Didn't you see the blood on the sheets?"

I caught the flash of panic in her eyes, though I held back my temper because of the oath I owed her from Silverpine Cove. Snatching my suit jacket off the sofa, I headed for the door.

"Get dressed. My bodyguards will escort you back to your estate in thirty minutes."

Stepping out into the hallway, I drew a deep breath as the door clicked shut, catching a faint, lingering trace of cold cedarwood in the air. I stopped dead in my tracks and whipped my head toward the emergency stairwell at the end of the hall, where the scent vanished.

My Beta and personal assistant, Hilary, walked up with a folder in hand.

"Boss, the car is ready downstairs."

Instead of taking the file, I pointed straight at the heavy fire door.

"Check the security feeds. Find out who left this hotel through that stairwell between four and six this morning."

Hilary blinked in surprise before bowing his head immediately.

"Yes, Boss. I'll pull the footage right away."