The air between Chloe and Julian thickened, their breaths tangling in the narrow space. Julian's thumb lingered on her jaw, his touch light as if he were confirming she was real—not a ghost of his past. Chloe's body went rigid, her heart drumming a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She could feel the gentle, dangerous heat of his presence eroding her logic.
It was Julian who had stood by her at the altar, Julian who had pulled her from the wreckage of her family home, and Julian who had faced a social media storm to defend her. It was Julian, not Silas.
Julian's gaze dropped to her lips, watching a trace of cream melt away. A dark, predatory glint flickered in his usually soft eyes—a flash of a beast finally seeing its prey drop its guard. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the mask of the gentleman returned.
"Wait, Julian... I—" Chloe gasped, her fingers knotting into his sleeve.
"Chloe, I meant what I said at the wedding," he whispered, his voice vibrating against her skin. "If you want to leave, you can come with me. Right now.".
Outside, the digital world of Holloway City was still screaming her name, but Julian felt like a fortress. He would bar the gates; he would keep her safe. The word "Yes" was hovering on the tip of her tongue.
Slow, heavy claps shattered the moment.
Silas Sterling stood in the doorway, his silhouette blocking the midday sun. His tailored suit was perfect, but his eyes were a vortex of shadow. He stared at their joined hands, then at the closeness of their lips, the air in the bakery turning to ice.
The screech of a chair against the floor broke the silence as Chloe jolted upright, accidentally knocking over her water glass.
"Silas?" she managed, her voice catching as she gripped the edge of the table.
She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Julian held on tighter, stepping in front of her to shield her with his body.
"Mr. Sterling, what a coincidence," Julian said, his voice dripping with polite provocation. "This bakery operates on a reservation-only basis. Even you need an appointment.". He tapped the table with a slow rhythm. "And as you can see, I've booked the entire afternoon.".
Silas didn't answer. He lunged into the room, his long coat flared behind him like a dark wing. "Chloe Vance," he growled, "get over here.".
The sound of her name sent a spark down her spine, but Chloe hesitated. Why was he barking at her like she was a pet? Just because she was a "disposable" asset didn't give him the right to own her.
"She goes where she chooses," Julian said, his voice low and immovable.
Silas's eyes went gold. His ears flickered into points beneath his hair, and his pupils contracted into lethal slits. The Alpha was coming out..
Before Chloe could scream a warning, Silas moved with inhuman speed. His hand clamped around her wrist like a shackle, his grip so powerful she thought her bones would turn to powder.
"You think this is a hunt?" Julian's voice dropped to a sub-zero temperature as he wrapped his arm around Chloe's waist, pulling her back toward him.
The opposing forces sent Chloe stumbling. Her face hit Julian's chest, and she could hear the frantic, heavy thud of his heart.
"Julian—"
But Silas didn't let go. Chloe was caught in a physical tug-of-war between two titans—Julian's arm a protective band around her waist, Silas's claws digging into her wrist.
"Let her go," Silas hissed.
"You first," Julian countered. "Can't you see she doesn't want to go with you?".
Silas leaned in, his voice a jagged blade. "The only reason you're doing this is to get what's yours from Marcus Vance, isn't it?".
Chloe felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. Silas had decoded her secret. He had taken the fragments of the wedding disaster and pieced together her deal with her father.
"Your chance of getting those heirlooms," Silas sneered, "depends on you playing the part of the devoted Mrs. Sterling.". It wasn't a question; it was an ultimatum.
He was right. If she broke the contract now, her father would burn her mother's memories just to spite her. She had to be the bride he bought.
"Julian..." she whispered, her voice failing. "Let me go with him.".
Julian's body went rigid. He looked down at her, the disbelief in his eyes cutting deeper than Silas's claws. "What did you say?".
"Please," she mouthed.
"You don't want this," Julian insisted, his voice desperate. "The Thorne family doesn't fear the Sterlings. I can take you away.".
Chloe gripped Julian's lapel for a second, then slowly let go. "You said... you would support me.".
The words were a double-edged sword. Julian's arm slowly slid from her waist, his eyes dark with a stormy, unreadable emotion. Silas immediately yanked her flush against his chest. The scent of pine and winter air enveloped her, making her shiver.
"A smart choice," Silas whispered in her ear, his hot breath raising goosebumps. His arm was like a band of iron around her shoulders, claiming her as his.
Chloe looked back at Julian. He stood in the middle of the bakery, the shadows masking his face as the wind chime by the door rang one last time.
"I'm not giving up," Julian called out. "I'll see you soon.".
Silas let out a dismissive snort and dragged Chloe out of the shop. He shoved her into the car but remained standing on the curb for a moment, his shoulders heaving. His wolf tail hung limp, and his ears were flattened—a total reversal of the monster he had been inside.
When he finally sat next to her, he was a wall of ice. He wouldn't look at her, but his tail-tip twitched, slowly winding around her wrist like a living tether.
Chloe tried to pull away, but the fur only tightened. What is wrong with him? One second he's a tyrant, the next he's a moody adolescent.
The car was a vacuum of silence until Silas spoke.
"Mine.".
"What?" Chloe blinked.
Silas turned to her, his jaw set. "The account you were looking for. Stop searching. It was me.".
*************
"You went to Julian Thorne because you wanted to use his resources to dig into things you shouldn't, didn't you?"
Silas didn't wait for an answer. He spoke rapidly, his words coming out in a clipped, defensive rush as if he were terrified she might actually say no.
"Don't bother looking anymore. Your guess was right. The account belongs to the Sterling Estate."
"@VesperOfYouth. That's me."
His voice was lower than usual. His wolf ears were pressed flat against his hair, the tips twitching rhythmically.
"What?" Chloe breathed, certain she had misheard him.
Based on his public coldness, Silas Sterling was the last person she expected to be her secret guardian angel on social media.
"Don't believe me?" Silas bit out the words, his tail suddenly going dead still. "Open the tablet."
When Chloe didn't move, he snatched the device, his movements agitated. He tapped in the passcode and bypassed the facial recognition with a practiced flick. The backend of the @VesperOfYouth account stared back at her from the screen.
Chloe's breath hitched. She had imagined this moment, but seeing the proof—that this lethal, icy Alpha was one of the only three people to support her from the start—left her speechless.
Silas had said himself that survival for Lycans in Holloway City was a tightrope walk. Every move he made was watched by enemies. A single wrong word could bring down the entire Pack. Perhaps that was why he had hidden behind a burner account to show her even a shred of humanity.
"But why..." her voice was a mere whisper. "I mean..."
Silas's tail suddenly thudded against the leather seat, a sharp sound in the quiet car. He refused to look at her.
"It's not for love," he interrupted harshly. "Don't get ideas. You're my wife in name; we're both playing parts. I value the contract, nothing more."
He was wound tight, the fur on his ears vibrating with a tension he couldn't hide.
"Are you nervous?" Chloe asked softly.
Silas's Adam's apple bobbed. His tail crept out again, winding around her wrist and brushing softly against her skin. This time, Chloe didn't pull away.
"I'm just fulfilling my duty," Silas repeated, as if trying to convince himself.
But the more he emphasized the "duty," the more suspicious it became. Why bother with a secret account that had no influence on the corporate bottom line? He wanted to show his attitude, not just the "Sterling CEO's" attitude.
Silas rubbed the bridge of his nose, his tail-muscles tensing. He didn't notice how hard he was gripping her until Chloe let out a sharp "Sss."
"Silas," she said, her voice strained. "You're on my wound."
In the bakery, his claws had been too sharp, leaving jagged red marks across her wrist.
The tail snapped away instantly. Silas turned to her, his gaze dropping to her arm. The beads of blood hadn't fully dried yet, a silent indictment of his loss of control.
The car was silent. Silas's human fingers curled and uncurled on his knees. Finally, he reached out, turning his palm upward in front of her.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice thick. "Let me see."