Chapter 59

Xavier I could still feel the sting of her rejection, sharp and humiliating, as if her words had carved straight into my chest. Cecilia had pushed me away—me, her Alpha—as though I were nothing more than a mistake she couldn't wait to erase. My wolf snarled restlessly beneath my skin, demanding I claim her, make her understand who she belonged to. But instead of submission, I had tasted her defiance. And then she ran. No one ran from me. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel until the leather creaked, my jaw clenched so hard it ached. She thought she could slip out of my grasp, vanish into the city, hide behind flimsy excuses and borrowed courage. But she didn't understand—I wouldn't allow it. The sharp trill of Harper's phone snapped my focus. Without thinking, I snatched it out of her hands, ignoring her startled cry and the way the car swerved for half a second. My patience was already worn razor thin. Her protests barely registered as I unlocked the screen and scrolled. I didn'