The Alpha's Villainess Wife-Chapter 46: A Test

"That’s what I don’t understand."

The distressed look in Malakai’s eyes worsened. "For some reason, it felt like it wasn’t enough. I wanted to have her close, so close more than I’ve ever had anything. Caius, I felt like some sort of beast like if I didn’t get her away from me, I was going to lose my mind."

Caius stared at him. He was clueless. While he knew Malakai was a supreme alpha—what any standard alpha would wish to be, he wouldn’t say he understood the extent of what he was.

Even if he didn’t want to admit it, supreme alphas were dangerous. The last one that had existed before Malakai had to be killed off by the alpha of the pack because of the danger he posed. That was why he feared anyone finding out Malakai was one—they could kill him even if he wasn’t dangerous.

Malakai wasn’t. Not for once since thirty years of his life.

"Calm down."

"I can’t." Malakai shook his head at him. "Caius, the last thing I want to do is hurt her. I don’t want to hurt Eve."

"And you are not going to."

Caius chuckled. "Fuck, you are behaving like you’re something monstrous. You are still a werewolf, like every one of us—the goddess’s creation. So what if you’re not a standard alpha? You are not some kind of beast, you won’t hurt anyone, and certainly not Eve, because you care for her. There is nothing wrong with you, so calm down."

Malakai tried to, but he shook his head at him. "You don’t get it. Caius, I felt myself losing control of my wolf. You know that it is impossible for an alpha to lose control of their wolf!"

"Do you still feel that way?"

"What do you think? I can’t even control my pheromones."

"Is that why there is no one in the bar?"

"Yes. It could kill them. My pheromones could be toxic, depending on the situation and you know that."

Caius brushed his palm down his face. "How about this? Give your wife some space for the next few days?"

"Meaning?" Malakai eyed him.

"To make sure you don’t hurt her, give her some distance for a few days until you feel in control again. What do you think?"

He didn’t answer, but instead downed the rest of the drinks in the glass cup and stood up from the stool. Caius watched as he began storming off to the door to leave.

"Malakai!"

He didn’t answer him.

....

Malakai walked through the door of the room. He didn’t pause as he tossed his jacket aside on the sofa and approached the bed where Eve was, fast asleep.

He loomed above her small frame, fingers gripping the sheet on either side of her head. His breathing was coming out in heavy puffs and under the soft light of the lantern next to the bed, his elongated canine was illuminated, bright and sharp.

It itched, every part of him felt discomforted. He wanted to bite her, to just...

Malakai brushed back the hair that had poured over his forehead and buried his face in her neck. Eve turned, groaning in her sleep.

Her scent, it felt so comforting, as if soothing whatever was going wrong with him. But it wasn’t really helping, because he’d pulled back and got off the bed, taking quick steps back until he was a heavy distance away from her.

His fingers roughly pulled through his hair and he moved back and forth, halting to brush a palm down his face.

His eyes were fluctuating between golden and black, so continuously, he slammed the door of the room shut and left, storming over to the guest room, far enough for him.

He needed to be away from Eve as much as possible. It was just as Caius had said, or else he might just end up hurting Eve in the process of calming whatever was going on between him and his wolf.

Closing the door, he tore off his shirt, the button darting around the room—one of which broke the vase inside the room. But he didn’t care. He instead beelined for the bathroom and went into the cubicle to turn on the shower.

Malakai got under the and stood as still as a statue, head lowered and hands pressed to the marble wall.

———

Patro sat in the living room of his suite, legs crossed and a glass of wine on his left hand. He had his full attention on the screen of the TV, watching the clip that had been broadcast earlier by those he’d had pester Malakai and Eve.

He wanted her to fall into his trap, yes, but not like this.

For some reason, her response to the reporters made him anything but happy.

She chose Malakai over him?

He should move on?

She’s ambitious?

It was infuriating. Malakai was not better than him in any way, so there was nothing to choose.

A dry laugh bubbled out of him and he chucked down the rest of his wine before abruptly sending the glass cup flying across into the wall. He watched it shatter to the floor and balled his hands into fists, frustration boiling inside of him.

Nothing was going as he planned. Eve had been clever—oh, she was clever choosing to stand with a man like Malakai Basti, because was his presence in this entire game giving him a bit of a hard time? Yes, yes it was.

Still, Patro smiled.

All he had to do was match up with Eve’s stubbornness and he knew just how to do it. How far can he push her until she breaks under this entire scandal like he wanted her to?

Picking up his phone, he called.

"Elowen. Hi."

[M-mr. Zolotov]

"Oh, please calm down my dear Elowen. Your voice is shivering like I’m some kind of monster. Do you think I am?"

[Mr. Zolotov, my current condition has nothing to do with you. M-may I ask why you’ve called me?]

"Oh! Oh, yes, I do have something that I would like you to do for me," Patro mumbled with excitement in his tone as he sprung up from the sofa. "You know you do have a talent for writing the best of the stories out there, right?"

[I don’t understand]

"You’ve managed to write quite the engaging stories since my scandal began, and I’m impressed, really." He chuckled. "It’s just that I’m going to need you to use those skills one more time."

[What do you mean?]

"Eve, I need more written on her. Give it your all."

[Mr. Zolotov, I can’t do that—]

"But you will, Elowen. You’re like a chess piece to me and I control you. I’m sure you know what happens when you get this stubborn. Just do what I want you to do and there won’t be a problem."

There was a few long seconds of silence on the other side of the phone. [What do you want...exactly?]

"Give it about two days, let things quiet down because I do need Eve to think that It’s over—that I’ve Let her off the hook. Then after that, I want you to write about her again, and get the media’s attention back on her."

"I’d like to see how she fights it this time around—how quickly she can save herself."