THE SUBSTITUTE LUNA (IRIS and DRACO) novel Chapter 32

BETA ROMAN.

“Did I see it right? Did she kiss you?” I couldn’t help asking as soon as Iris left the Alpha’s office.

“I don’t think I asked you to come here today.” The Alpha said, instead of answering my question. He walked toward his liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle of bourbon before pouring it into an empty glass.

“Draco, I’m talking as a friend here.”

“I don’t have friends.”

“Fine.” I let out a sigh. I should have expected that response. “I’m talking as a person here. Man to man. If you intend to break Iris just because she’s Felicity’s sister…”

“That’s none of your business.” He cut me off right away.

“Everything is not my business, but you’re making me do jobs I don’t even understand why I have to do them.”

“I told you you could fucking resign if you’re going to complain about everything.” He said before sipping his drink.

“When did I ever complain?”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing right now?”

“Draco,”

“Alpha Draco!” He snapped at me as he set his glass on the table with a loud bang.

“Alpha Draco!” I repeated. I was restraining myself from having an outburst, as I knew I would always be the one at the losing end. “You know I will do anything for you, but can you leave that girl alone? You’ve seen…”

I was not done with my words yet when he made his way toward me, grabbing my collar and pulling it upward. “Don’t fucking tell me you want her?” He growled as his eyes dilated.

“I don’t! You know fairly well that if I desire any of the women you take home, I will tell you! But this girl is too innocent for any of your plans. Didn’t you see how she was living before you took her home? You can’t be worse than Constantine!”

He let out a laugh as he pushed me back before walking toward the window, leaning his palms on the upper frame as he looked out. “Do I fucking care what you or the others think of me?”

“Alpha, at least please let me know what your plans are. The last time you kept me out of the loop, we ended up with many dead men, and most of them were our seasoned security. And you threw us into a royal game where we could have ended up dead with all those creatures we met.”

“We didn’t even get to join the most dangerous task.” He scoffed.

“Thanks to me.” I scoffed back. “If I didn’t win the rounds for the Beta players, we could have both ended up dead.”

“You mean, thanks to Felicity and her scheme to throw her pregnancy announcement in my face. So no, it wasn’t you that made us win that round.”

I swallowed. As much as I wanted to contradict that, I knew the Alpha was right. Some of my answers were wild guesses, but for some reason, I still won that round, which gave us immunity to one of the hardest challenges in that Royal Games.

They surely tampered with the result so Alpha Draco could end up sitting with the Royal Family when Felicity’s pregnancy announcement was made.

“Yes, Alpha. I will go around the territory tomorrow. I want you to come with me.”

She nodded again. “Do I need to wear certain clothes?”

“Whatever you are comfortable with. But I prefer a dress. Not too short, though.”

“Got it!” She beamed at him and gave him a playful salute. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would doubt that she was acting so carefree in front of the Alpha and that he was not scowling at her for acting that way.

“I’ll go now. See you at lunch, Alpha.”

The Alpha didn’t reply but nodded his head, a smile still on his face as he watched her leave his room without even glancing at me.

I had no idea what to think. It was either that the Alpha was putting on an act to make her continue to believe his every word, or he was totally smitten with her.

“You like her,” I uttered as the door closed and we were left alone. I wish I knew what to do so the Alpha would share his thoughts with me.

“I don’t need your opinion,” he said in a cold tone as he sipped the remainder of his bourbon.

The scowl was back on his face, as if he hadn’t been smiling just a few seconds ago. And this was what I was fearing, that my intuition was right—that Iris was just a pawn in a game he wanted to play.