I surrendered. Every word from Pollux felt like the strongest hypnosis, pulling me into his office. I didn’t want to be a spectacle for others, with my emotions boiling over as I faced him.
I knew he’s provoking me, and he’s good at it. Not once did I think of confronting him at the cafe earlier, but everything fell apart because his words truly humiliated me in front of everyone. When he mentioned the intimate details of our past, he dragged me back to a time when we surrendered ourselves to each other.
“What are their names?”
I clamped my lips shut, but my heart wavered more than I expected. I shifted my gaze to the window, unwilling to look at Pollux, who seemed even more mesmerizing than before.
On his phone screen, I could see a video of Care and Mia playing on a seesaw in their kindergarten playground. With all the resources the Melucci and Blackmoon dynasties possess, it wasn’t hard for him to find this. One thing puzzled me, though-it slipped into my mind-how was he still able to detect us, despite the protections I had put in place?
“I bet you’re wondering how I found you. Every power has its loopholes, and you should know that,” Pollux said, his voice low and penetrating. “I’m grateful that happened last night. Now, I’m asking you again-what are their names?”
This time, Pollux’s tone grew even deeper, his golden eyes trapping me in place. I gripped the edge of my desk as Pollux began to approach me. Bringing him into this room had been a mistake; the air felt even more stifling with him so close.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he closed the distance between us, standing so close that only the width of the desk separated us. His gaze dropped to my lips, and his thumb traced them in a slow, teasing motion, sending shivers through my body.
“Apollo and Artemis… Melucci. They’re still…”
“Alvise is with them, treating them to ice cream. The boy asked for mint chocolate chip. Absolutely adorable. How could you separate such precious children from their father?”
My heart clenched. It was true-I had made the choice that kept the twins away from their father. My heart pounded faster, but my chest felt tighter. Why did I have to be in this position? Is this the dark side of Pollux I never expected?
“I want to meet them, with or without your permission. Don’t make this difficult, because I don’t handle rejection well.”
“You can’t do this to me, Alpha Pollux.”
“Oh, but I can. We can do anything we want with you,” he replied, his tone unyielding. “I came here because the gap opened. Unfortunately, my mother didn’t tell me who had already… touched you. By the Moon Goddess, I’m truly jealous right now.”
My eyes widened in shock at his admission. Pollux had just confessed his feelings, something he’d never done before. His thumb still lingered on my lips.
“Perhaps I should have a little fun with him, too, since he’s dared to touch what’s mine. Tell me, Luna Godiva, where else has he touched you?”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned my face to the side, moving his hand away. Anger simmered beneath the surface, anger I’d kept buried, but I had every right to be furious here.
“You have toys far better than I do,” I shot back. “She’s beautiful, famous, and… well, the past is hard to let go of, isn’t it? We’re even, Alpha Pollux.”
“You’re wrong. Nothing happened between me and Benedetta. She trapped me, and we didn’t go that far. Is that what you thought all this time?” Pollux pressed his fingers to his temples, his jaw tense. “Damn it! You know, I burned that bridge with her. I don’t tolerate betrayal, Godiva. And you should know, Castor suffered because of this betrayal, too.”
I felt my legs go weak. I hadn’t expected things to have unfolded as Pollux said. Tears fell before I even realized, and my chest felt as if it was being crushed, making it hard to breathe.
I didn’t know what to do. Silence seemed like the only answer. Then Pollux showed me security footage of Benedetta planning it all.
I collapsed to the floor, overwhelmed by a storm of emotions-sadness, anger, disappointment-all tangled together, my hands covering my face. My throat felt tight, as if judging the choices I made five years ago.
“You created a shield so neither Castor nor I could find you. Not even my mother’s magic could break through. I owe thanks to the man who opened that gap. The bond between us can’t be severed so easily, no matter how many layers you put up. Now, my question: has he touched you?”
“I… I didn’t give myself to him, even though it was hard to resist. Declan has been nothing but kind to us.”
“It all makes sense now.”
I lifted my head, unsure of what Pollux meant by his last words. I wiped away my tears, waiting for him to continue.
“I just wanted honesty from you. I’ve always thought of you as someone who doesn’t let things become drawn-out drama. That’s what I admired-you’re level-headed. But you were too quick to make assumptions without seeking the truth first.”
“I…”
“I’m the one at fault here, but this experience has taught me to value my mate. I’m sorry if I hurt you in the past. I hope you won’t reject us because of that man. He’s the reason we’re meeting again. I won’t kill him, if that eases your mind.”
“Where’s Alpha Castor? I need to apologize to him.”
“You haven’t apologized to me yet. He’s busy with the Alliance Alphas.”
“You cut me off just as I was about to apologize!” I snapped, breathless and still tearful. “Damn it!”
“You know the consequences of cursing at me, Luna.” Pollux’s voice turned menacing, making my tears stop instantly.
“I’m not as weak as I used to be, Alpha. That’s only in your mind.”
“Are you challenging me?”
I ignored him, busying myself with tidying up my work on the desk, pretending he wasn’t there. Tomorrow, we’d go on vacation, and I planned to close the cafe early. I stacked the documents neatly, focusing on anything but him.
Without warning, Pollux seized my hand, gripping it tightly and pulling me toward him. He pressed me against the wall, his solid frame trapping me, our bodies just inches apart.
“How did he kiss you?”
I couldn’t fathom Pollux’s way of thinking. If he was jealous, why ask for details? It was absurd.
“Our lips touched, obviously. My lips responded to him, and we…”
“Damn it!”
Pollux’s lips crashed onto mine, his kiss filled with fury. Every movement of his lips on mine was insistent, forceful. Instead of resisting, I matched his passion, my fingers threading through his thick hair, reigniting a buried desire.
As he broke the kiss, I gasped, whispering, “Alpha Pollux, I’m sorry… my body belongs only to you.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that. So, shall we… right here?”