The Alpha and The Enforcer [TATE]

Chapter 42

Ellie's P.O.V.

I hadn't set foot in his pack since the night he broke me. Now here I was, standing in his office, head held high, spine straight, heart quiet. Three years ago, this place would have swallowed me whole. The walls, the memories, even the air would have collapsed around me. Now, it barely earned a breath.

Lucas stood near the center of the room, sleeves rolled to his forearms, tension rippling through his frame like heat rising from sunbaked stone. The faint scent of him, burnt wood, and the earthy musk of his wolf, lingered in the room like dust that never quite settled. It was familiar, but no longer comforting.

"You still drink peppermint tea in the mornings?" he asked, voice careful, like he feared the sound of it might crack the floor between us. He didn't wait for an answer. Already he was moving, grabbing the tea bag like it was some sacred ritual, filling the mug with water from the kettle on the side table.

I watched, unmoved.

"Some things don't change," I said, my voice calm, distant.

He offered a flicker of a strained smile. "You used to add sugar. Said honey didn't respect the tea enough to be included."

"Well...I still think so," I whispered under my breathe but something tells me that he heard because his strained smile turned into a soft one.

"You look different," he said.

"I am different."

His gaze faltered. He wanted to hold on to the past, to whatever version of me he still remembered. But I wasn't there anymore. The girl he let go didn't survive the fall, only I did.

"I didn't think you would ever come back here," he murmured, setting the tea between us.

"I didn't either," I admitted, sinking into the chair without touching the cup. The steam rose between us, but it wasn't warm. "I didn't think I'd ever see your face again, not after everything."

He studied me, something guarded in his posture, but also something in his eyes that I can't name. "So, tell me. Why did you come back?"

I rose, leaving the comfort of the couch behind, and moved toward the chair across from his desk. It felt too plush, too inviting. It reminded me of nights we used to talk for hours, before everything turned to ash. I didn't need comfort. I needed clarity.

Lucas circled behind the desk, watching me with narrowed eyes, unsure of the battlefield we were stepping onto.

But before I could get a word out, the door clicked open.

The sharp scent of roses and chocolate invaded the space.

Ariana.

She stepped in with the confidence of someone who believed the world bowed when she entered a room. Her makeup was fresh, hair perfect, lips coated in a gloss that glinted in the afternoon light. She had changed into a sundress with pink flowers on it, there was more effort in her appearance than earlier. A deliberate act.

"Lucas," she purred, gliding forward in her stilettos, each click on the hardwood floor deliberate, "you didn't tell me we had company."

She wound an arm around his and practically poured herself onto his lap, a performance from start to finish. One hand toyed with his shoulder, the other fell casually to her stomach, still flat, but positioned just right.

"It's ok, I know you're busy." she swipe a section of his hair from his eyes.

"Thought I'd drop off those new tonics from the healer," she said with a sugary smile. "The ones for fertility. I think this one will boost our chances. We've been trying for so long."