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Maeve kept her eyes tightly shut as soon as she heard Gideon step into the room, deliberately pretending to be asleep.
“Maeve?” Gideon called softly. She remained still, unwilling to respond or engage with him.
“Maeve, are you awake?” he tried again. Still, she gave no sign of waking.
With a scoff, Gideon muttered, “She must be asleep.”
Maeve sensed he was speaking on the phone.
“Can you pick up a necklace from that inexpensive store for me? I need something to calm Maeve down. I think she’s feeling jealous about Wren,” he whispered, careful not to wake her.
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The voice on the other end replied, and Gideon answered, “No, she doesn’t know anything about the ceremony. All she’s heard is that Wren and I got close during the conference.”
Then he scoffed again. “Don’t bother with the other store; their necklaces are pricier and higher quality. Wren loves that place, but I’m not spending that kind of money on Maeve,” he said with a short laugh. “Just find something flashy enough to distract her. She always falls for that kind of thing.”
Maeve clenched her teeth beneath the blanket, fighting back the urge to scream out loud.
Gideon chuckled again. “To be honest, I don’t know why I’ve kept her around this long. She’s useful, loyal, and a good healer, sure. But she’s unbearably dull.”
A pause followed.
“Yeah Wren’s the one forma Ob
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powerful bloodline and makes me look like the Alpha I’m supposed to be. Maeve’s just… obedient.”
The word “obedient” scorched Maeve’s chest like burning acid.
“She doesn’t resist, Gideon continued. “That’s why she’s perfect for now. There’s no drama and no tantrums. She regards whatever I said as a guideine.”
Tears welled up in Maeve’s eyes. She fought hard not to break down.
Gideon yawned. “Alright, pick out the necklace for me, and draft one of those sincere notes you usually help me with. I’ll leave it on her nightstand tonight. She’ll likely wake up tomorrow convinced I’m the most thoughtful mate ever. I need her in the best mood to represent me at the conference next week.”
Maeve sneered inwardly. This explained why he was suddenly trying to placato hor-
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something had clearly ruffled him. He never cared enough before to make an effort.
Laughter came from the other end of the call.
“That’s how it’s done. Occasionally, I make little gestures to melt her and make her forget the past, Gideon said with a mocking laugh.
Maeve unconsciously drew a deep breath. Then Gideon went silent.
“Wait.” His voice dropped to a whisper, almost inaudible. “I think she moved.”
She froze, controlling her breathing to remain calm. She steadied her heart and kept her face blank to continue pretending sleep.
Gideon ended the call and moved toward her quietly. She recognized his faint scent–once comforting but now bitter to her nose.
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Though she wanted to scream and confront his smug expression with the ugly truths she knew, she remained perfectly still.
After a moment, Gideon chuckled softly in relief. “Still asleep, he muttered. “Perfect.”
He slid into bed beside her and soon drifted off to sleep.
Maeve waited until she was certain he was deeply asleep before letting out a slow
breath.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking her pillow as she replayed his cruel words over and over.
She had sacrificed so much for him, yet he only saw her as a tool. The Lunaris Apothecarium had recognized her talents and offered her a prestigious position, but she turned it down to stay by her mate’s side and help grow his pack.
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After his father’s death, Gideon sank into depression, and the Pack began to crumble. Maeve had held everything together, staying loyal through it all. He had promised to
mark her as his Luna–but it was all a lie. He repaid her devotion by secretly planning his mating ceremony with Beila, treating Maeve as if she were nothing.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Maxwell. A faint smile crossed her lips, and for a brief moment, the pain eased.
