Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73

The rejection hit like a bucket of ice water. I tried again, pressing closer, threading my fingers through his. “The night always makes me

feel so vulnerable,” I whispered, letting a slight tremble enter my voice. “I’m really afraid to be alone.”

Bullshit. I’d never been afraid of anything in my life. But men like Drake responded to weakness, or so my mother had taught me.

Drake stepped back, creating distance between us. The rejection stung like a slap. Without a word, he pulled out his phone and made a

quick call. Moments later, a security guard from the lobby appeared.

What the actual fuck? My carefully constructed facade cracked slightly as rage bubbled beneath the surface.

“Please escort Ms. Horton to her apartment and ensure she gets in safely,” Drake instructed, already turning to leave.

Humiliation burned through me as I watched him walk away. I wanted to call after him, to demand he come back, to scream that no one

walks away from Vera Horton, but pride kept my mouth shut. The security guard waited patiently, his expression carefully neutral as I

stepped into my apartment alone.

As the door closed behind me, I leaned against it, anger and embarrassment warring inside me. This was Elsa’s fault somehow. It had to

1. That bitch had poisoned him against me. I’d have to try harder, be smarter. Next time, Drake wouldn’t be able to resist.

Drake

The moment I got back in my car, I loosened my tie with an aggressive tug, nearly ripping the expensive silk. The scent of Vera’s perfume

lingered in the confined space, cloying and artificial, making me want to gag. Nothing like Elsa’s natural honeysuckle and vanilla that

seemed to seep into my very bones and drive me fucking crazy with want.

Shit. Why was I thinking about Elsa again?

I rolled down the window, letting the cool night air clear my head. But instead of Vera’s desperate advances, my mind kept returning to

Elsa at gathering tonight-the silver-white dress that hugged her curves, the way she’d held her head high even when my father

questioned her. The quiet dignity she maintained despite everything. The memory of her body against mine made my wolf stir restlessly.

Vera’s calculated moves tonight had left me cold. The deliberate stumble with her keys, the rehearsed vulnerability in her voice-all of it

felt like a performance. Like a fucking audition for a role she wasn’t even suited for.

With Elsa, even our arguments had been real. Raw. Honest. When she was pissed, she didn’t hide it behind some simpering facade. And when she wanted me, her whole body betrayed her, no matter how much her mind fought against it.

Fuck, I needed a drink. Several, actually.

I punched in Eric Wolf’s number, one of the few people who wouldn’t judge me tonight.

“Moonlight Bar. Twenty minutes,” was all I said before hanging up, not waiting for his response. Being Alpha had its privileges-people

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answered when you called, showed up when you demanded.

The private booth at the back of Moonlight Bar offered blessed privacy. I was already on my second whiskey when Eric slid into the seat across from me. Eric was one of my oldest pack friends, a Black Obsidian wolf with a reputation for straight talk and questionable loyalty in his marriage-making him perfect for nights like this when I needed honesty without judgment.

“You look like shit,” he observed cheerfully, signaling the waitress for his usual bourbon.

“Thanks,” I muttered, draining my glass. “Just what I needed to hear.”

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