Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 180

Chapter 180: Chapter 180 The Alpha’s Silence Is a Weapon

Silvano

I stood in the shadow-draped study, smoke curling from between my fingers as Maria’s words hung in the air like a poisonous fog. The scent of Freya had drifted into the room moments earlier—then disappeared. Had she overheard us? A knot formed in my gut at the thought.

"I know what kind of woman I want," I growled, cutting Maria off before she could say another word about Aurora. The family matchmaker had been pushing suitable Alpha females at me for years, never accepting that I had already found my Luna, my mate.

Maria frowned. "But—" Whatever she intended to say died on her lips when she caught my expression. "You’re so protective of her, won’t even let me say a word. Fine, I’ll stop talking, okay?"

I turned away, staring out the window into the darkness of our territory. The moon hung heavy above the treeline, a silver reminder of the Goddess who had blessed—or perhaps cursed—me with this bond to a woman whose wolf spirit called to mine like no other. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Oh right," Maria suddenly remembered, her voice laced with barely concealed disdain. "I heard Freya submitted her resignation and is planning to leave the company?"

I felt my jaw tighten. "The day before yesterday, Jake mentioned she made a mistake," I replied, keeping my voice carefully neutral.

The words tasted bitter on my tongue. The truth was far more complicated, but explaining it to Maria would only make matters worse. Some pack politics were better handled in silence.

Maria laughed—a sharp, cruel sound that grated against my already frayed nerves. "So that’s what happened. When she mentioned this earlier, she made it sound like she resigned on her own. I thought... with her clingy nature, always sticking to you like glue, how could she willingly resign? So she was actually fired, haha."

I remained silent, refusing to dignify her mockery with a response. My wolf stirred restlessly within me, urging me to defend our mate’s honor. But I couldn’t—not yet. There were too many pieces still in play, too many secrets that needed to remain buried.

After Maria finally left, I remained in the study, pouring myself a finger of whiskey. The amber liquid burned pleasantly as it went down, dulling the edges of my frustration.

York appeared in the doorway, his expression troubled. "Silvano, I just saw Luna Freya upstairs. She seemed upset."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Did she say anything?"

"No," York replied, concern evident in his voice. "But she didn’t look well."

My younger cousin had always had a soft spot for Freya.

"She’ll be fine," I said, more harshly than I intended.

York frowned, running a hand through his dark hair in a gesture so similar to our father’s that it made my chest ache. "You know, she’s such a good person. You’ll realize that someday. Don’t push her too far."

I shot him a warning look. "You don’t understand the situation."

"Maybe I understand better than you think," he countered, then shook his head. "I’m getting a drink. Goodnight, brother."

After he left, I remained rooted in place, my thoughts a tangled mess. The phone call from Aurora earlier had complicated things further. There was trouble brewing at the northern border of our territory, and I needed to handle it personally.

When I finally made my way upstairs, I paused outside our bedroom door, steeling myself for another stilted conversation with the woman who used to light up when I entered a room.

Inside, I found Freya lying in bed, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting shadows across her face. Her eyes opened when I entered, meeting mine with none of the warmth they once held.

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