Chapter 10

“Can I talk to you for a second, Osborne?” Alpha Hamilton asked, his tone tight but polite enough for the audience still watching. I nodded once, setting my glass down on the table before rising to my full height. At well over one ninety, I towered over most of the room—something I’ve always considered an advantage. Two guards moved in to lead the way, Alex trailing behind. Bella’s heels clicked rapidly against the marble floor as she hurried after us, her pace betraying her agitation. I didn’t bother looking back. A little drama was far more interesting than dying of boredom in that overstuffed party. We reached a secluded room tucked away from the noise. The guards remained outside. Inside, it was just me, Bella, and Alpha Hamilton. Without waiting for an invitation, I lowered myself into one of the plush chairs like I owned the place. “I know my daughter can be insufferable at times,” Hamilton began, taking a seat himself while Bella sank into the one beside him. “But what you did out there was disrespectful, Osborne.” I tilted my head, feigning confusion. “And what disrespectful thing did I say, Alpha Hamilton? That I’m mated?” “You know very well how my daughter feels about you, and yet you chose to announce something like that for all to hear,” he said, voice edged with warning. My eyes darkened slightly. “And so what?” He pushed to his feet, fury breaking through the carefully measured tone. “You will watch your mouth with me, boy.” His finger jabbed the air toward me. I rose as well, squaring up to him without hesitation. “And so what?” I repeated, slower this time, letting the challenge hang between us. “The alliance between our packs will be tarnished,” he warned, his jaw tight. A short, humorless laugh escaped me. “You flatter yourself, Alpha Hamilton. You’re my father’s friend, not mine. Your pack gains far more from this alliance than ours ever has. So tell me—when it breaks, who will truly lose?” His hand clenched into a fist, and in less than a second, it connected with my face. The blow barely registered—more like an insect bite than an actual punch. I didn’t flinch. He stepped back slightly, the surprise plain on his face. “When I become Alpha after my father,” I said evenly, my voice low but cutting through the room, “the first thing I’ll do is grant your wish. We’ll cut ties with Waterford Pack—permanently.” Bella shot to her feet. “You’re crossing a line, Osborne. Don’t speak to my father like that.” I turned my head sharply toward her, and she instinctively flinched. “And who are you to tell me that?” I asked coldly before shifting my gaze back to Alpha Hamilton. He was already pulling out his phone, clearly dialing my father’s number. With a sigh, I sat and leaned back in my chair, waiting for him to finish. “You need to warn your son, Owen,” he said into the phone, his voice tight with anger. “He dared to threaten me—here, in my own pack and at my own party. I’m calling because I value our friendship, you know that.” His words dripped with fury, but I closed my eyes, blocking him out. Even now, the only image in my mind was Aina. Damn it… even in this mess, she was all I could think about. When I finally opened my eyes, as his voice died down, Alpha Hamilton was staring straight at me. I offered a thin smile and got up. “We’ll discuss business another time. For now, I’ll be taking my leave.” He didn’t respond, but Bella spoke instead, her voice sharp. “So finding your mate has changed you, huh? Osborne, it’s you and me—you don’t understand. Not some stupid mate of yours. You and I, we were—” I cut her off. “We were and are nothing, Bella. Whatever our parents planned, I’m not living by it. And whatever you’ve been fed you should shit it out—because there will never be anything between us.” Without waiting for her reply, I turned and walked away, her voice echoing after me as I left. “What the hell happened in there? Your father’s been calling me nonstop,” Alex demanded, his own phone buzzing in his hand. He didn’t even bother answering. “Just a little misunderstanding,” I replied flatly, offering nothing more as we strode quickly toward the exit. Outside, the cars were already lined up for my departure, and I knew exactly what was waiting for me when I got home. My phone had been ringing too—my mother’s name flashing on the screen. Once we were in the car and moving, I finally answered. “Son, what happened? What did you do?” Her voice was tight with concern. “Nothing, Mom. Just some delusional people who think they can control my life,” I muttered. She exhaled sharply. “Your father says you threatened Alpha Hamilton. Is that true?” I stayed silent for a moment before admitting, “Yes, Mother. I did.” Her voice jumped an octave. “How could you do that?” “He punched me first, Mother,” I said calmly, and Alex’s head snapped toward me in surprise. “What? He punched you? Why?” she asked, and I could hear her anger boiling now. “Because I told them I’ve found my mate.” There was a pause, and I knew she was processing what she’d just heard—likely already informed by my father. “Your father told me, Osborne. Don’t worry. Just come home, and we’ll discuss it properly. He’s furious right now, but I’ll do my best to calm him down,” she said before hanging up. Alex shook his head. “He punched you? Unbelievable. The man’s playing with fire.” I smirked, touching the spot where his fist had landed. Even as a kid, my punches carried more force than his ever could. When we arrived back at my pack’s territory and into the mansion as our cars pulled into the driveway, my father was already waiting outside under the night sky, my mother standing at his side. “Stay in the car" I told Alex as I stepped out of the car. “You better start talking,” he barked, striding toward me with heavy, deliberate steps. I didn’t stop either. I walked straight toward him, meeting his gaze head-on. The anger blazing in his eyes was unmistakable. “What did you go there to do, huh?” he demanded. “Father, I’m not a kid. I’m twenty-four, for crying out loud—I know exactly what the hell I want,” I shot back. “Watch your language when you speak to—” he started, but my mother’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Both of you, enough! Get inside. Now.” We both turned to look at her, and though neither of us liked being ordered around, we obeyed. The maids, guards, and butler kept their heads down as we entered the mansion, the air inside just as tense as it was outside. “Follow me to the office,” my father ordered. I did, with my mother walking right beside us. Once the door was closed, my father didn’t waste time. He faced me directly. “You will reject your mate, Osborne. You’ll beg the Moon Goddess for your stupidity, and you will mate with Bella instead.” I stayed silent. For a second, he looked as though he took my silence for agreement. “No,” I said at last, my voice hard and unyielding. His fury flared instantly, his entire stance shifting as though ready to challenge me. But before a single move was made, my mother stepped between us, her gaze sharp and unwavering. “You will leave him be,” she said, her tone carrying a weight that even my father couldn’t ignore.