Chapter 167

[Evelyn’s POV]

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as I stared back at Alexander gaping and at a loss for words.

Was he being serious right now?!

I hadn’t missed the glaring look in his eyes as I searched his face for any sort of indicator that he was joking. He wasn’t.

A disturbing sensation of raw anger and absolute fury flared through me. I shot up from the chair and slammed my hands down on his desk.

“And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?” I hissed.

Alexander narrowed his eyes and kept his stoic disposition locked. He folded his arms over his chest and raised a single brow.

“I saw the way the two of you were interacting before,” he noted tightly.

My brows furrowed as the rest of my face twisted into a look of utter bewilderment.

“And?” I prompted. “He was telling me about Edward’s health records.”

“That’s not all that was happening,” he remarked coldly.

I narrowed my eyes. “Well, then please enlighten me as to what else you saw happening.”

A low, formidable growl sounded from his chest.

“Don’t test me, Evelyn,” he bit out. “That guy looked as though he was seconds away from reaching across the table and touching you.”

“What?”

Was I sitting at the same table he was talking about? Hell, was I even sitting with the same guy??

Henry was everything a doctor should be. He was respectable, explanative, and sympathetic...

Suddenly, it hit me. I remembered the way Alexander glared at Henry upon meeting him. His initial demeanor of skepticism was natural to him; however, I’d noticed the subtle way he’d sized Henry up and glowered.

Alexander is...jealous.

I couldn’t believe nor understand why on earth he would feel that way. Seriously, how could someone like him possibly feel anything remotely close to jealousy?

Alexander had everything–was everything. He had the success, the handsome good looks, physical physic that rivaled an Olympian, and the constant respect from the pack and the public...

Yes, Henry was young and attractive. But there was no reason why I should have seen him in any particular light other than being ‘professional’.

I gently shook my head. “You’re being ridiculous, Alexander,” I muttered.

“Oh, so I’m not supposed to get annoyed over the fact that some random guy is able to make my Luna laugh and smile when she won’t even spare me a fucking passing glance?!”

“I was being polite.”

“You were willing to remove the mask for him,” he snarled accusingly.

My heart thumped in my chest while swallowed past the lump in my throat. “He’s a doctor, he wanted to give his professional opinion—”

“I am your husband! Do my thoughts and opinions not count for anything?” He stood up from his desk and slowly came around to stand in front of me. “Ever since I got you back here, it’s like everything has changed.”

“Of course, everything has changed!” I shouted back.

“What has changed then? Tell me!”

I felt my voice crack toward the end. “Me!! I’ve changed!” I cried out. “I don’t feel like myself anymore and it’s killing me. It’s bad enough that I keep suffering from nightmares. But now I get up every day and deal with the awful mess that Fiona left behind.”

“Why do you keep pushing me away?” he asked, pleadingly.

“Because I’m trying to preserve what’s left of our marriage and your visual of me,” I admitted. “I don’t want you to see me how I am now and...R-Realize that you don’t want or need me anymore.”

I was so tired of having those same bitter tears fill my eyes. I was so tired of crying.

Alexander bore a look as though I had just slapped him clear across the face. His jaw set as if he was fighting back his own wave of emotion.

“Evelyn,” he whispered. His voice sounded so strained and hoarse. “How could you think that?”

“It’s a mixture of things I guess,” I sniffled. I brought my arms up to wrap around myself, longing to feel some semblance of security. “I’ve always felt insecure, knowing the fact that you and Rena used to be together.”

Alexander opened his mouth to argue but I swiftly cut him off with a raised hand.

“I learned to push it to the back of my mind. However, during my time when I was restrained in that godforsaken house, Fiona mentioned something to me that really, really bothered me.”

His eyes blazed with indignation. “Why would you ever listen to anything she had to say? She was just trying to get into your head and screw with you.”

“I thought that too but I can’t shake off the feeling that she may have been right,” I said.

“Right about what?” he spat.

“She said, ‘If you think about it, Alexander never even needed a wife. He was doing just fine on his own until you came along and fucked everything up for everyone’. I didn't want to believe it. But the more I let the thought run through my head, the less I was able to prove her wrong.”

This time, Alexander was the one who avoided my gaze. He lowered his head and repeatedly opened his mouth only for him to close it again and again.

“She’s right, isn’t she?” I asked quietly. “You never needed or wanted a wife...”

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “It’s true.”

It shouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did. I hated the irritable ache in my chest just knowing the truth. My heart was hammering wildly. I felt like I’d reached my breaking point.

“Why did you agree to the marriage, Alexander?”

The corner of his mouth twisted into a bitter self-hating sneer.

“The Alpha King had been on my case about it for months. Ever since the car accident, which I knew he was somehow a part of, forced him to reconsider other ways to subdue my actions and plans.” His expression began to soften. “When I saw you that day, you were so determined to make this marriage work. I couldn’t fathom why. Even with the ridiculous act I was putting on, you still wanted to stay. I mainly said yes because I needed to get Gregory off my back. But I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t because you intrigued me.”

I frowned. “Intrigued you?”

A boyish smile curved his mouth. “Yes,” he chuckled. “I admit that I never saw the need for a Luna. As far as I was aware, I had everything under control and the last thing I wanted was for some stranger to waltz in and try to cause problems. But you didn’t. You came in and made everything better. Your kindness and compassion for others is unmatched. It was everything that I didn’t realize I was missing.”

A single tear slipped from my eye. Oddly enough, it wasn’t backed by pain or anguish.

Alexander reached out to tuck a thick lock of hair behind my ear.

“Do you have any idea of how terrifying it was to find you strapped to that table, covered in blood, and on the very edge of death?” he asked. “I came too close to losing you, Evelyn. I am not going to sit back and let those monsters ultimately win by destroying the best thing in my life and the woman I love along with it.”