Broken Ring, Broken Bond Chapter 04

Broken Ring, Broken Bond Chapter 04

Crestmoon Pack Group’s launch event was scheduled for one week later.

They ordered me back to Crestmoon territory to attend in person.

My advisor set the invitation down on his desk.

“You can say no.”

I stared at the words “Special Advisor” printed on the card.

“I’m going.”

He frowned.

“Aurora, you don’t have to sit through this humiliation.”

I pulled the ring box out of my desk drawer and tucked it into my bag.

“Some things need to be returned in person.”

And some titles need to be refused in person, too.

I didn’t want the position of Crestmoon Pack future Luna anymore.

The day I got back to Crestmoon territory, Julian was waiting to pick me up at the airport.

He wore a black overcoat, standing out in the crowd, his features sharp and cold.

When he spotted me, he reached for my luggage.

I stepped out of the way.

His hand hung in midair, and his jaw tightened.

“Are you still throwing a fit?”

I pulled my suitcase toward the exit.

He followed close behind.

“The lead designer thing—you brought this on yourself. If you’d just apologized to Tessa properly, I could swap the names back.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Aurora.”

He grabbed my wrist. His grip wasn’t hard, but I couldn’t pull away.

“You weren’t like this before.”

I looked right at him.

“You weren’t like this before either—you never let another woman take my spot.”

Something shifted in Julian’s eyes.

It was gone just as fast.

“Tessa’s just filling in temporarily. She’s not in good health, and her career’s just getting started. I’m helping her out.”

I nodded.

“You’ve always been really good at helping her.”

His brow furrowed.

“How long are you going to keep dragging up the past?”

“Until it stops hurting.”

He let go of my wrist like my words had stabbed him.

Once we got in the car, Tessa turned around from the passenger seat.

“Aurora, what a coincidence! I just came along to pick you up too.”

She was wearing Julian’s coat.

It was too big, the sleeves swallowing her hands whole.

Julian reached over and clicked her seatbelt into place for her.

“She gets carsick, she needs to sit up front.”

I climbed into the backseat and didn’t say a word.

Halfway to the venue, Tessa suddenly pressed a hand to her stomach.

“Alpha, it hurts…”

Julian pulled over immediately.

“Where’s your medicine?”

“In my bag.”

He dug through her purse, his movements so smooth it looked like he’d done it a hundred times before.

Tessa looked at me through the rearview mirror, her voice soft as silk.

“Don’t mind me, Aurora. It’s just an old issue from my surgery. Alpha’s used to taking care of me.”

I stared out the window.

Julian’s hand froze halfway to pulling out the medicine bottle.

“Tessa.”

She shut up immediately, her eyes watering.

“I’m sorry, I said the wrong thing again.”

Julian didn’t scold her. He just said quietly, “Drink water.”

Backstage at the launch, everyone was running around like crazy.

I’d just finished changing when a staff member brought me a name badge.

“Ms. Brooks, this is for your seat.”

I looked down.

Special Advisor, aisle seat, second row.

Tessa walked over, her badge reading Lead Creative Designer.

She brushed her fingers over the name on her chest.

“Aurora, I never expected Alpha to trust me this much, honestly.”

She leaned in a little closer.

“But don’t worry—I’m not gonna steal what’s yours.”

I looked at her.

“You’ve already stolen plenty, haven’t you?”

Her smile faded a little.

“He was the one who wanted to give it to me.”