Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Get out. Now.

Victoria

The tension in the boutique was palpable as Leo stood beside me, his presence commanding immediate respect—and fear. I watched as the manager’s expression shifted from arrogant dismissal to wide-eyed terror. The transformation was almost comical.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Leo asked, his voice deceptively soft. His hand rested possessively on my lower back, warm and steady.

The manager quickly recovered from his shock, straightening his suit jacket as he attempted to regain control of the situation. "Alpha Moretti, sir, this... woman was causing a disturbance in our establishment. She was deliberately antagonizing my mate and threatening our business."

I bit my lip to stifle a laugh, choosing to remain silent as the manager continued spinning his tale.

"She demanded special treatment and became aggressive when my mate simply suggested a more appropriate size for her frame." He gestured toward me with barely concealed disdain. "When we politely suggested she might be more comfortable shopping elsewhere, she became belligerent."

The manager seemed encouraged by Leo’s silence, growing bolder. "We maintain certain standards for our clientele, as I’m sure you understand, Alpha. We couldn’t have known she was... acquainted with you."

Melissa nodded emphatically beside her mate. "She’s clearly not familiar with proper etiquette in establishments such as ours."

Through all of this, I maintained my silence, meeting Leo’s gaze when he finally looked at me. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes before he turned back to the pair.

To everyone’s surprise, Leo completely ignored the manager’s accusations. Instead, he turned to me, his arm sliding around my waist in a gesture that was unmistakably intimate.

"Did you find something you like, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice warm with affection that made my heart flutter traitorously in my chest.

I couldn’t resist playing along, leaning into his embrace. "I did, actually. Unfortunately, the dress I want happens to be in a store run by people I don’t particularly care for."

I gestured toward the emerald gown I’d been eyeing. "That one caught my eye."

The color drained from both the manager’s and Melissa’s faces as they watched our interaction. The realization of their massive error was dawning on them in real time, and I couldn’t deny the satisfaction it gave me.

"An excellent choice," Leo murmured, his thumb tracing small circles on my hip that sent shivers up my spine.

He turned his attention back to the now-trembling pair. "Let me make something absolutely clear," he said, his voice dropping to that dangerous alpha timbre that seemed to vibrate through the entire room. "This woman you’ve been insulting is Victoria Howlthorne, my chosen Luna."

The word ’mate’ sent a jolt through me that I tried desperately to hide.

"Alpha, we had no idea—" the manager began.

"Silence," Leo commanded, and the word seemed to physically strike the manager. "You claim to be my cousin? Interesting. I wasn’t aware I had family working in this mall."

"It’s—it’s a distant relation, sir," the manager stammered, sweat beading on his forehead.

"How convenient," Leo replied coldly. "Well, ’cousin,’ consider yourself and your mate terminated from this position, effective immediately."

Melissa gasped, clutching her mate’s arm. "You can’t do that!"

Leo’s eyes flashed dangerously. "This is my property. My mall. My pack territory. I can and will do as I see fit."

He stepped closer to the manager, lowering his voice. "If you speak one more disparaging word about my Luna, I’ll ensure you permanently lose the ability to speak at all. Am I understood?"

The alpha power behind his words was so strong that I felt it despite not being the target. The manager visibly shrank, nodding frantically.

"I—I apologize, Luna," he choked out, bowing his head toward me. Then, in a stunning display of cowardice, he rounded on Melissa. "This is all your fault! You and your stupid attitude toward customers!"

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify