31

Just as Alpha Steele left Luna Celeste's room, Ava entered. The Luna who's initially in thought shook it off and smiled, seeing Ava who looked worried and didn't try to hide it.

"Ma'am," she bowed, not planning to move away from the spot she's standing at the door.

The Luna immediately catch onto the reason but didn't speak about it. "He's gone now. A maid will be here soon to take you to your room."

Rather than nodding, she inquired. "Luna Celeste, you never told me the Alpha has a mate. It was a surprise coming across her at…" At this stage, she paused, torn between speaking about the Lycan princess evesdropping or looking past it.

"...at the door on my way out." Not the Samaritan type, Ava didn't chosed the latter.

"Wait, she was at the door throughout, evesdropping?" It wasn't a question, it just surprised the Luna since she hasn't seen the Alexia in question today.

When Ava nodded, she found herself nod too.

"That's better. The fact she heared things herself and I won't have to go tell her myself tomorrow and go through all the trouble. I'm sure she got the message. Now, what are looking so worried about?"

"Nothing, Luna." Ava lied through her tongue. She just arrived and it's too early being all obsessive.

The maid came in and together, she's led to a room just prepared for her.

***
Sloane walked tiredly out of her customer's room, slinging the arm of her dress back up her shoulder. She has her footwear in her hands, walking back to the brothel where she's supposed to return to after the night's work.

"You are just coming? Oh, I see." Marcus was seen standing at the way as she approached. He has his arms crossed over his chest, looking kind of pissed.

But Sloane hissed, forcing her way in beside him, "I didn't know you've started monitoring me around. May I ask the reason for the sudden concern?"

His nose almost flared, but he followed her, keeping his anger measured.

"You left at 7pm and was supposed to be back at 8. The last time that I checked, it was only a matter of one your. You can check the time and look at when you're just coming home. 10pm, damn it, Sloane!"

She entered and made to shut the door to her room to his face but he held the knob from outside.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I'm shutting the door to your face in case it's so hard to see. I don't want to see your face tonight, Marcus. Clear enough." She retorted, trying hard to close the door on him but his force proved harder.

"I don't know what you mean by that but I am not a fool and as your mate, I think… no, I rephrase, I have the right to ask you where you went to when the deal was only for an hour. Don't tell me you went to warm another man's bed, huh? Free?!"

His exclamation sounded pretty much funny to Sloane. She wondered why he was sounding so horrified, and what exactly has him so surprised. And then again, she wondered if he's for real or just practically shameless.

"You're asking me if for free? Even if it's for free, should you mind, Marcus?" She laughed, flinging the door open and coming out face his, done with the hide and seek she was at first trying to play since she didn't want an argument, and came to the brothel tired. However, now, she's without a choice.

"Let me refresh your brain, my dear mate. Even though we are mates and it's been for years now, you should feel some pity for me even if you don't for yourself. I have been so content staying with you still, even though we're still at the brothel and you ought to have found an apartment for us immediately we marked each other four years back. But what did you do?

Not only did you keep me here all this while but you've been making me continue this sex worker job like I don't mean anything to do and am a nobody. I understand any other person can deserve such cruelty but your mate? No, that's the worse you shouldn't do. Now you're asking me so shamelessly if I went to warm another additional man's bed?" She scoffed at the end, flipping a wayward strand of her hair away as fast as it came to disturb the matter at hand.

"You're not someone worthy to be my mate, now I know. You have no pity for me. Seven times in a week without a day off you'd watch me leave for another man's house. Why? How much is freedom that you can't buy for me? Your mate?!" She yelled, her eyes flying around as she got angry.

Hee utterance shocked Marcus so much to the core that he almost lost his balance. He didn't believe this is Sloane protesting against what she's always loved doing. Wasn't she enjoying it, the pay and all? Is she for real?

"You don't want to do this anymore? Right. I understand. If you've forgotten, remember I've been just a mere guard here and many are out there seeking for the same position you've grown enough wings to now wants to throw away!" He spoke calmly, but his voice still managed to boom higher than meant.

"So this job outfht to be my pride? I'm trying to understand so please make me. A good mate shouldn't be like you. Think again and see we shouldn't be here and should have gone to be on our way way long ago. But here you are without a little ounce of pride asking me whether I sent to another man's place other than the one assigned." She cocked a brow at him in disbelief, "So what if I had? Should you even be asking me? Should I call it jealousy or greed because I did went to them for free and didn't bring the money for those to the brothel?"

Marcus fell into silence. Guilt begining to eat him up. She's right. He hasn't exactly being a good mate to her, and he deserves the ridicule but onset she should know this was the role they bought signed up for.

She shouldn't be wanting the costly rainbows all of a sudden.

"That was what I thought." Sloane smiled hurtly to herself, satisfied at his current expression and glad to have the upper hand.

She entered but he followed her in and this time she didn't try to chase him away.

"Remember, Sloane. Remember how I chosed you over Alexia and now you shouldn't be going against me now, out of the blue." He said.

She reached their small-almost-tiny bed and flopped on it, bouncing her legs up and down while playing with her cheap manicured nails.

"If the truth is going against you then I think you're right, but where you got it all wrong is the 'Alexia' word. You chosed me over Alexia and you think that's new? Of course that's what any man in his right senses would do because I am forever better than her in both beauty and appearance. I didn't force you to go for me did I?" She matched his gaze in a defiant challenge. "Although, it would have been even better if you went with her. That had save me the hardship am going through now."

Hee last two statement wasn't surpring. That's the sudden change that came over Sloane recently.

And that he decided that pour out his mind about, "Considering you've been doing this job of a thing since we even became mates, I don't see any reason why you would want to change lanes now except there's now another person somewhere."

She stood up and went through the dusty drawer for some tissue in which she cleaned her face imaginary tears with, whilst he watched, confused about what's going on.

When done, she threw the tissue aside and watched it fall plainly to the ground before bursting into a laughing fit.

"Now that am done crying, let me reply you." She began to walk closer to him, her lips titled aside into a smirk.

"Yes, I unfortunately have someone somewhere. Somewhere in my mind. Someone of a high position that I am going to leave you for soon if you don't start acting like a man. Sorted?" Her smirk grew bigger seeing his confused face which soon turned a big red with fury.