Chapter 5: The Alpha's Call

Elise's POV

I stared at the mountain of paperwork piling up on my desk. Emma, my new secretary, had just brought in another batch, along with a newspaper, a magazine, and—thank God—a steaming cup of coffee. She placed everything neatly on my desk without saying a word, then quietly slipped out of my office.

In the week since I'd hired her, Emma had proven to be exactly what I needed: efficient, punctual, and—most importantly—not interested in office gossip. She did her job and left me alone. Perfect.

I took a long sip of coffee, feeling the caffeine hit my system. I'd been holed up in my office for days, only leaving to shower, change clothes, or check on Jake at the hospital. My fingers twitched with restless energy as I reached for the magazine, needing something—anything—to distract me from the weight crushing my chest.

"Great," I muttered, seeing my face plastered across the cover. The headline read: "Elise Morgan Returns, Colder Than Antarctica." Below was a photo of me shoving that security guard, accompanied by a blow-by-blow account of the incident.

They have no idea just how cold our heart has become, Amber's voice whispered in my mind.

I let out a humorless laugh. She wasn't wrong. My heart had turned glacial, capable of freezing anyone who dared get too close. But isn't that what happens when you're shattered? You either stay broken or rise harder than before. I was done letting heartbreak control me. I didn't like the woman I'd become during those dark months. So I froze my heart, locked away the hurt, and buried it deep.

I need to run, Amber sighed, longing evident in her voice.

"I know. I'll find us somewhere soon," I promised. Being a lone wolf—literally—made it difficult to run freely. Most land was either pack territory or owned by humans who liked to hunt. I'd been considering buying a house with a large, secluded backyard where we could stretch our legs without neighbors spotting a wolf in their midst.

A knock interrupted my thoughts. "Come in," I called, not looking up from the magazine.

The door opened, and I immediately regretted not checking who it was first. The familiar scent hit me before I even saw him.

"What do you want?" I snapped, irritation flooding through me.

Noah stood awkwardly in my doorway, looking uncertain in his expensive suit that hung a bit loose on his frame. He'd lost weight. Not that I cared.

"I wanted to see how you were doing," he said, his voice painfully casual.

I stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Just because we dissolved our bond doesn't mean I don't care about you. I was hoping we could be friends."

This time, I laughed out loud. Amber snickered in my head.

Noah's brow furrowed in confusion, like he couldn't understand what I found so amusing.

"Were we friends when you called me a bitch?" I growled, feeling my canines lengthen slightly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, my voice dropping to an icy tone.

"Were you caring about me when you kicked me out of my daughter's party? Or when your claws dug into my neck?" My voice rose with each question. "Or when you betrayed me for her?"

He didn't answer, just stared at me like he couldn't find the right words, like he couldn't comprehend where the woman he knew had gone.

She died the day you chose Vivian, Amber snarled in my head.

"Leave," I said finally.

"Elise..." he started, but I cut him off again.

"Get out, Noah. You asked me to leave your life, and I did. Now I'm asking for the same courtesy. There is nothing between us anymore, and there never will be. Now get out before I call security."

When he didn't move, something snapped inside me. "GET OUT!" I shouted, feeling my claws pierce my own palms.

This was how I coped when I felt this angry, this out of control. The pain kept me grounded, kept me from seeing red.

I knew what was happening to me. The constant anger and lack of control, the thirst for blood, always one step away from the edge.

These were symptoms of going feral. This is what they had pushed me to—digging my claws into my own palms to keep from losing control.

"What happened to you?" he asked, his voice soft and concerned.

What a fucking joke.

I sighed, suddenly exhausted. "You did. You and Vivian... Now leave, before I do something I won't regret."

He gave me one last look. "This isn't over." Then he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone, I collapsed back in my chair, staring blankly at the wall.

I don't know how much time passed before my phone rang, snapping me out of my daze. I glanced at the caller ID. Unknown number. Great.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice still rough from yelling.

"Honestly, I didn't think you had it in you," a deep voice said, so raspy it sent shivers down my spine.

"Who is this?" I knew exactly who it was, but decided to play dumb.

"You know who this is, Elise. Playing dumb doesn't suit you." Damn. Caught.

"What do you want, Mr. Blackwood?" I finally asked.

I had no idea why he was calling. But if I said I wasn't curious, I'd be lying. There was something about him that pulled at me, made my skin tingle with awareness.

No one knew what happened between him and Vivian. All we knew was that he was the one who filed for the dissolution.

"Call me Dominic," he commanded, making me roll my eyes.

"What do you want, Dominic?" I repeated, emphasizing his name with a hint of sarcasm.

"It's more about what we can do for each other," he stated matter-of-factly.

That caught my interest. Amber perked up too, curious what he meant. I couldn't imagine what we could possibly do for each other.

I also wondered if I wanted to get entangled with someone as powerful as him. Our brief encounter had felt both exciting and dangerous.

But curiosity won out. "I'm listening."

Just when I thought he was going to explain, he did the most Alpha male thing possible.

"Meet me at Westcliff Restaurant tomorrow at two. I have a proposition for you," he said in that gravelly voice, then hung up.