The Breaking Point of Mate: Giving Up on My Alpha novel Chapter 72

Melanie’s POV

Elmer watched the group disappear down the hallway, surrounded by their sycophants. He let out a dry, frustrated laugh. “Man, they treated you like you were invisible.”

I looked down, a self–deprecating smile tugging at my heart, but my voice stayed level. “It’s fine. Let’s head in. We shouldn’t keep the client waiting.”

“Let’s go.”

That evening, I buried myself in a world of algorithms, trying to escape reality.

Around seven, Moira called right on cue, asking when I’d be heading back to see her.

Technically, I should’ve been there, but my brain was on fire with ideas for the new project.

“Sorry, Grandma. I’m pulling overtime. It’s going to be a late one,” I said, hesitating.

Moira let out a heavy sigh on the other end. “Archer’s busy, you’re busy, too… if you two keep this up, how is that mating ever supposed to heal?”

Archer’s working late too?

I gripped my phone, whispering, “I’m sorry, Grandma…”

“It’s okay, dear. Just don’t work on an empty stomach.”

“I won’t.”

I hung up and ate a slice of cold pizza for dinner.

It wasn’t until nearly ten that I finally rubbed my aching eyes and left the office.

I’d called for a driver half an hour ago, but when I got downstairs, it wasn’t the usual grey Jeep waiting under the streetlight. It was Archer’s flashy black Bentley.

Archer sat in the back, his silhouette blurred by the shadows, the cherry of a cigarette glowing in the dark.

Seeing me freeze, he slowly rolled down the window. The chilly pine scent of a high–tier Alpha exploded into the night air. Grandmother insisted I pick you up.” 1

I didn’t make a scene. I walked around and climbed in, carefully avoiding the side of the car that had smelled like Camille that morning.

The car merged smoothly into the neon flow of L.A. traffic.

Silence grew like a weed in the cramped space. He was busy answering emails, his eyes never straying toward me

I finally broke the thick tension. “Did they agree?”

I was asking about making Camille’s uncle move out of the villa.

Camille’s face at lunch told me she’d folded, but I needed to hear the words.

Archer kept his eyes on the screen. His voice was low. “They agreed ”

“Then…” I held my breath, my fingernails digging into my palms. “I want to buy that house. Can I?”

It was the only way to kill the problem for good.

1/3

Chapter 72

+30 Bonus

His fingers paused on the screen. He turned his head, and for a heartbeat, those deep, abyssal eyes stole the air right out of my lungs. “Fine.”

I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders. The tension in my spine finally snapped. “Thank you”

He gave a non–committal grunt and looked away.

When we got back to the estate, Moira was waiting in the living room wrapped in a cashmere shawl.

Seeing us walk in together, the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out, and she finally went to bed.

Upstairs, I took a few quick calls from Chad and Elmer.

By the time I walked into the master bedroom, Archer had already showered and was leaning against the headboard reading a

book.

He glanced up at me–a look as brief as a passing breeze–before going back to the page.

I ducked into the bathroom to wash away the day.

Standing at the mirror, I dabbed on some cold lotion, my eyes tracing his reflection in the glass.

I was used to the pain of his neglect; I could handle that like a lone wolf.

But now, he’d actually used his Alpha authority to back me up. This sudden “peace,” wrapped in a fake layer of warmth, made my wolf feel more awkward and restless than ever.

But I knew this didn’t change anything.

Our mating was already a map of cracks.

I climbed into bed, making myself as small as possible under the covers, trying not to disturb the heavy Alpha pressure in the air.

A second later, Archer snapped his book shut.

Then, he reached over and killed the light.

The movements were so fluid, so synchronized, that I had the ridiculous thought that he’d been waiting for me–waiting for this tired she–wolf to finally crawl into the den so he could end the day.

The wolf inside me felt her heart skip a beat.

I had to fight the instinct to lower my head in submission.

I closed my eyes and let that familiar, chilly pine scent wrap around me like a net

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify