Chapter 0464

I thought I'd finally made headway with Ivy, until Cassandra showed up calling me "Big Daddy." That nickname never bothered me before—it used to spark all sorts of playful moments. But now, with Ivy watching, it felt like salt rubbed in an open wound.

Cassandra wasn't even a challenge to spar with. Her focus wasn't on training—it was on finding excuses to get me pinned beneath her. After flipping her onto the mat for the second time, I realized her intentions. As I held her down, she arched against me with a smirk.

Even though my wolf Evander and I only had eyes for our mate, biology betrayed me. The friction stirred a reaction she mistook as interest.

She twisted under me, tracing my abs with her fingers. "I've been very naughty, Big Daddy," she purred, biting her lip. "Maybe you should teach me a lesson in your room." Her hand slid toward my waistband.

I caught her wrist just in time, pinning her arms above her head. She took it as encouragement, licking my neck.

I vaulted off her, scanning the training grounds. Relief flooded me when I spotted Alpha Alistair deep in conversation with Ivy and her partner.

"Find someone else for that lesson," I growled, jogging toward the treeline.

Through the mind link, Adrian's laughter echoed. "Rough day, Grant?"

"Peachy," I snapped. "Tell me you're dealing with this crap too."

"Every damn day. Guess this is our punishment for past...indiscretions."

"Indiscretions?" I scoffed. "Try idiocy. I can barely get Ivy to look at me. If she'd seen that—"

At the forest's edge, I stripped and let Evander take over. The shift burned through me, fur erupting as my bones realigned.

'Our mate didn't witness your stupidity. This time.' Evander's snarl vibrated through our shared consciousness. 'No one touches us but her.'

"I know. But first, we need her to actually want us."

'You should've listened when I said to wait for our true mate.'

"Fine! You were right!" I snapped back.

Evander suddenly went silent, his focus sharpening. Then I caught it too—not a scent, but her scent. Ivy.

Perfect timing. I'd planned to let Evander approach her tonight anyway. Now fate handed us the opportunity.

'She's mine to chase,' Evander corrected possessively.

He surged forward, muscles coiling with predatory grace. Ahead, a sleek silver wolf darted between the trees—Ivy's wolf Valeria, moving with effortless agility. The moonlight gilded her fur as she wove through the underbrush, clearly enjoying her midnight run.

Evander rumbled a greeting. Valeria's ears swiveled toward us, her pace quickening instantly. The challenge lit Evander up—he loved the chase.

'She's fast,' I noted as Valeria zigzagged, forcing Evander to work for every inch. 'Almost as quick as Magnus.'

'Alpha blood?' Evander mused between leaps.

"Would explain why she's our perfect match."

The implications gave me pause. If Ivy had alpha lineage, where would our loyalties fall—with Adrian, or with our mate?

Valeria burst into a moonlit clearing, giving Evander the advantage. He closed the distance in powerful strides, finally tackling her with a playful nip to her hindquarters.

She rolled with the impact, snapping half-heartedly at his muzzle. Evander simply pinned her, his teeth gently gripping her scruff until she stilled with a soft whine.

The second she submitted, his entire demeanor shifted. A deep, rumbling purr vibrated through them both as he nuzzled her neck. When Valeria licked his jaw in return, hope flared in my chest.

'See? She hates you, not me,' Evander taunted.

Then Valeria began to shift. Evander scrambled back as fur melted into smooth skin, revealing Ivy kneeling in the grass—glorious and furious.

She rose, hands on her hips, moonlight painting her bare skin silver. "Evander," she demanded, eyes flashing. "What the hell was that?"

What do you think of Evander's approach?

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