Jealousy Alpha's Regret novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78

I paused, turning back to the car where Sebastien still sat, watching

me through the window. A thought occurred to me–one final

statement to make.

I walked back and bent down to his open window, meeting his gaze

steadily. I pulled the diamond ring from my finger, the one he’d

insisted I wear for tonight’s charade.

“Here’s your prop back,” I said, tossing it into the car. “You won’t need

it anymore.”

The flash of genuine shock on his face gave me a brief, savage

satisfaction. For once, the great Sebastien Grey hadn’t anticipated my

move.

I turned and walked away without looking back, the sound of his car

starting up and driving away moments later giving me a hollow sort

of victory.

Standing alone on the mountain road, I took stock of my situation. It

was dark, but not pitch black–the scattered streetlamps provided

enough light for my enhanced vision to navigate. The air was cool

against my bare arms, and I wished I’d grabbed my wrap before my

dramatic exit.

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“It’s not that remote,” I reassured myself, looking around. “My night

vision is good enough. Worst case, I can shift and run back.”

A pair of headlights appeared around the bend behind me, moving

down the mountain road. I instinctively stepped further to the side,

not wanting to look like a stranded hitchhiker. As the car approached,

it slowed, and I tensed, preparing to bolt if necessary.

The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face that made me

freeze in surprise.

“Iris? What are you doing out here alone?” Noah Phillips looked at me

with concerned eyes, his expression a mixture of confusion and

worry.

My mouth opened and closed, embarrassment flooding through me.

Of all the people to find me stranded on a mountain road after fighting with my soon–to–be–ex–husband, it had to be Noah.

“Just… getting some air,” I said lamely, trying to sound casual. “The

night’s beautiful up here.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly not buying my explanation. He

glanced down the empty road, then back to me.

“I saw Sebastien’s car pass me a few minutes ago,” he said carefully.

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“But you weren’t in it. Is everything okay?”

I shrugged, attempting nonchalance. “We had a disagreement about

our travel arrangements.”

Noah looked at me for a long moment, then reached into the back

seat and pulled out a jacket. “Here, you must be freezing. Get in–I’ll

drive you wherever you need to go.”

I hesitated, but the genuine concern in his eyes won me over. Plus,

the thought of walking all the way back to town in these heels was

becoming less appealing by the minute.

“Thanks,” I said, accepting the jacket and slipping into the passenger

seat. Noah’s scent–pine and something citrusy–enveloped me as I put on his jacket, a welcome change from the woodsy, dominant scent of Sebastien that had been overwhelming me all evening.

Noah turned the heater up and pulled back onto the road, not

pressing me for details. The silence between us was comfortable, unlike the charged tension that always filled the space between

Sebastien and me.

We’d been driving for about ten minutes when my phone rang. I pulled it from my purse, heart skipping when I saw Rachel’s name on

the screen.

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“Hey, Rach,” I answered, aware of Noah’s presence beside me.

“Iris! Just checking in on my favorite wolf girl,” Rachel’s cheerful

voice came through. “So, I was thinking–now that the cooling period

was over, we should totally plan that girls‘ trip we talked about! You

know, to celebrate your freedom from Mr. Alpha Broody.”

I winced, glancing sideways at Noah, whose expression remained

carefully neutral despite his enhanced hearing undoubtedly picking

up every word.

“Have you decided if you’re keeping the Grey name or going back to

Stone?” Rachel continued, oblivious to my situation. “Oh, and after

you leave the pack, do you want to stay in Moonshade Bay, or should

we look at places farther away? I know you mentioned-”

“Rachel,” I interrupted, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over

1. me. “It’s been a really long night.”

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