Zara

We reached our destination, stealing glances the entire way. Neither of us could look away. Getting out of the car, while Caysir held the door for me, I smoothed my velvet dress, it felt so soft to the touch.

Alpha Kane straightened his coat and tie. Judging by his expression as he held the tie in his hand, I could tell he didn’t like wearing it. I concluded he didn’t even know how to tie one.

Extending his hand to me, Alpha Kane asked softly. "Shall we go?"

I placed my hand in his large one, and his fingers instinctively intertwined with mine.

"Let’s go."

We entered the luxurious residence of Azbial Vittal, the organizer of this event.

Luxury and modernity blended harmoniously in the design of his pearly white villa. By day, those expansive gardens must have been a spectacular sight. A winding path led to the main entrance, framed by bonsai trees that must have cost millions of dollars. This man was incredibly wealthy.

"Stay close to me, Zara," Alpha Kane whispered slowly under his breath, loud enough for only me to hear. I nodded as one of the security officers asked for our invitation, and another inspected us for electrical appliances.

Alpha Kane’s gaze sharpened as he examined me, his face frozen like a million-year-old fossil.

I handed him the electronic card I’d received earlier, he swiped it at the scanner, and nodded for us to proceed through the glass door.

We were hands-free; phones were prohibited at this event.

I took in the grandeur of his home as I descended the marble staircase, seemingly inlaid with golden patterns.

The chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling created the impression of frozen starlight. The walls shimmered with delicate gold leaf patterns etched into them, the doorways, and even the tall columns.

The host approached us, and I leaned over and whispered in Alpha Kane’s ear, pointing to the woman behind him.

"This is his wife, Hukara Vittal."

I discovered that he tended to forget the names of women who didn’t impress him, or, worse, their existence.

"Thank you," Alpha Kane murmured, leading me to him and squeezing my hand in gratitude.

"Mr Sterling, it’s good to see you. I see you look well." Azbial extended his hand and shook his.

"My pleasure, thank you for the invitation." Alpha Kane thanked him.

We thanked them again and moved on.

"She didn’t seem pleased to see me," I remarked when we had reached a safe distance.

"Typical behavior of these noble girls. They mostly marry old men and then look for easy sex with younger men," Alpha Kane explained. Although I was already familiar with this sick mentality, having seen many like it, it still disgusted me.

"Well, she won’t get anything from my wolf." I patted Alpha’s thick arm and watched him tense as his fearful gaze found me.

"Just playing his part," I quickly added, seeing him turn into a statue at my words.

Alpha Kane seemed to relax a little as I glanced around.

Guests were scattered throughout the hall, some seated around long banquet tables draped in champagne-colored satin.

We headed toward them.

Golden platters laden with delicacies , glistening oysters on stands of crispy fish... We were greeted by crisp ice, towers of golden macarons, and tiers of glazed pastries dusted with edible gold.

Waiters in crisp white tailcoats made their way through the crowd, balancing slender flutes of sparkling champagne, the pale gold sparkles reflecting with every movement.

Alpha Kane took two glasses and handed one to me. I graciously accepted them and took a small sip, watching the man from under the rim.

The place was filled with humans, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Alpha Kane. His commanding aura and fitted suit made him stand out from the other onlookers.

New people approached us; I recognized some from photographs, Alpha Kane introduced me to others, and I reminded him of others.

We worked well as a team.

Several couples twirled on the dance floor to the rich melodies of a string quartet, their jewelry sparkling like a scattering of stars against a backdrop of shimmering dresses and exquisitely tailored suits.

Laughter and the clinking of crystal filled the air, mingling with the light scent of sage and pine emanating from scented candles flickering in gilded candelabras.

Many curious glances were directed at us, a few even whispered, but no one seemed hostile. Everyone was amazed that Alpha Kane had brought a girlfriend.

Another board member greeted us with open arms and a charming smile. This man was in his late thirties.

"Now that’s a sight I don’t see every day," he remarked humorously, seeing me holding his hand. "Billionaire Kane Sterling has a girlfriend."

"Hello! Larry," Alpha greeted him casually; it seemed they were both addressing each other by name. He was accompanied by a woman in a pink pleated dress.

Larry Hughes had a longtime girlfriend, Masjah Kalum. Since they weren’t married, she had a different last name.

"Masjah Kalum," I muttered under my breath so Alpha Kane could remember her name.

"Miss Kalum." Alpha Kane nodded respectfully.

"Sterling, it’s nice to see you have a lady with you." She beamed at us both and extended her hand. She didn’t seem jealous and was the nicest-looking person I’d met today.

I shook her hand with a kind smile.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Kalum."

"Likewise, my dear."

"Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to thaw his frozen heart?" Mr. Hughes asked me with a grin, and I had to purse my lips to keep from bursting into laughter. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Alpha Kane shook his head in disbelief, and Masja giggled.

"It took a while, but he’s not so bad once the ice melts; his heart is pretty sticky." I tapped Alpha Kane on the chest.

They both laughed again.

"I like her; I can see why you chose her," Masja declared, and her partner seemed to agree.

A waiter approached us and informed the men that they should proceed to the meeting room. The board of directors was to be briefed on the company’s progress and the proposal Alpha Kane had in mind.

Alpha Kane leaned toward me, pressed his warm lips to my temple, and murmured,

"I’ll be back soon. Stay here; if you need anything, come out." "Olfi and Caysir are nearby." His hand gently squeezed my waist, and I felt my heart flutter like a delicate butterfly wing.

"Good."

Alpha Kane and Mr. Hughes left, and Masja offered to sit with me.