Chapter 73
Iris’s POV
The taste of wine lingered on my lips, mixed with the unmistakable
flavor of Sebastien himself. My face burned with humiliation as I
stood frozen, painfully aware of the dozens of eyes watching us. The
whispers started immediately, rippling through the crowd like
wildfire.
“Did you see that? Alpha Grey just kissed his mate!”
“They’re so passionate together!”
“Look at how he claims her in public–relationship goals!”
I wanted to scream that this wasn’t passion–it was possession.
Control. A public marking of territory. My stomach churned with
anger and disgust as I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Sebastien has completely lost his mind,” I thought, my chest tight
with fury. “How dare he force himself on me like that? In front of
everyone!”
I caught Noah’s expression from across the garden–hurt and
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disappointment clouding his usually warm eyes. My heart sank. Noah
didn’t deserve to be caught in this mess, to witness this twisted
display that Sebastien had orchestrated.
Around us, the whispers continued. I noticed several wolves who had previously spread rumors about me looking uncomfortable now, glancing away when my eyes met theirs. Sebastien’s public claim had effectively silenced their gossip, but at what cost to my dignity?
“Isn’t she lucky?” a female wolf nearby murmured. “The way he looks
at her…”
I nearly laughed. Lucky? To be treated like property? To have my boundaries violated for the sake of appearances?
My cheeks burned hotter, a combination of embarrassment and rage making it hard to breathe. I pressed my hand against my mouth, desperately trying to remove the sensation of his lips against mine. I couldn’t stay here, couldn’t keep playing this twisted game.
I glanced at Sebastien, whose cold eyes were fixed on Noah’s retreating form, a satisfied smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. He was enjoying this–the power he held, the way he could mark me as his possession in front of everyone.
“I need to get out of here,” I thought, taking a step back. Without a
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word to Sebastien, I turned and walked quickly toward the mansion,
desperate to find a moment alone.
The whispers followed me as I moved through the crowd, my legs carrying me faster with each step. I heard someone mention how shy and flustered I looked–mistaking my anger for attraction. The entire
scene was nauseating.
I spotted a sign for the restrooms and made a beeline for it, pushing the door open with more force than necessary. The cool, quiet interior was a relief after the suffocating atmosphere outside. I leaned against the marble counter, finally able to breathe.
“What the fuck was that?” I whispered to myself, turning on the faucet. I splashed cold water on my face, careful not to ruin my makeup while trying to wash away the memory of his touch. “Does he think he can just… claim me whenever he wants?”
I grabbed a paper towel and dabbed at my mouth repeatedly, as if I could erase what had happened. “I’ve scrubbed my lips raw and I still feel dirty,” I muttered. My wolf stirred inside me, confused by the conflicting signals–the disgust at being forced, yet the primal recognition of our mate. I pushed those feelings down hard, focusing instead on my anger.
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