Chapter 82
Chapter 82:
Azalea, bless her brave but foolish heart, didn’t back down. “Yes. The contract is for a year, Dad. Adella needs to keep her options open. Which is why,” she turned to me, a bright smile fixed on her face, “I’m taking her to the Pack’s art gallery opening tonight. And I invited Dr. Liam Barber as her plus-one p>
The air instantly tasted of ozone and crushed cedar — the scent of a storm about to break.
“Liam,” Dallas said the name as if it were a curse. “The Pack Doctor p>
“He’s sweet, he’s single, and he’s not…” Azalea waved a hand vaguely in Dallas’s direction, “complicated. He likes you, Adella p>
My heart hammered against my ribs. I could feel waves of possessiveness rolling off Dallas like heat from a furnace. His wolf — that ancient Lycan beast — was surfacing, flooding the room with a heavy, predatory intent.
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯
“There is no backup plan,” Dallas growled. He didn’t shout, but the power in his voice vibrated through the floorboards. He rose slowly, eyes flashing a brilliant, molten gold. “Adella is not going anywhere with Dr. Barber p>
“You can’t keep her locked up!” Azalea argued, hands on her hips. “It’s just an art gallery, Dallas p>
“She is busy,” Dallas said, his gaze sliding to me. It wasn’t a question — it was a wall. “We have to review her portfolio tonight. If she wants that job at S&D on her own merit, she needs to be prepared p>
I stared at him. We had made no such plans. He was lying, effortlessly and smoothly, to cut another man out of the equation.
“Adella?” Azalea looked at me, waiting for me to push back. “Tell him you’re coming p>
I looked at Dallas. His face was a mask of stone, but his eyes were burning. Mine, they seemed to say. Defy me, and see what happens to your doctor.
The threat hung heavy in the air. If I pushed this — if I went with Liam — Dallas wouldn’t simply be angry. He would be destructive. And I wasn’t ready to be the cause of bloodshed.
“I…” I swallowed hard, the taste of capitulation bitter on my tongue. “I really do need to work on my portfolio, Azalea. S&D is important to me p>
Azalea’s mouth fell open. She looked from me to Dallas, shaking her head in disbelief. “Unbelievable. You’re letting him do it again p>
“I’m prioritizing my career,” I lied, my voice trembling slightly.
Dallas’s expression didn’t change, but the oppressive weight in the room lifted just a fraction. He had won. We both knew it.
“Fine,” Azalea snapped, grabbing her purse. “Have fun in your golden cage, Adella. I’m going.” She stormed out, the elevator doors sliding shut with a finality that echoed through the large room.
I was left alone with him. The silence returned — but now it was the silence of a courtroom after the verdict had been read.
“Eat your breakfast, Adella,” Dallas said softly, picking up his tablet as if nothing had happened. “You’ll need your energy for tonight p>