A few hours later, I landed squarely at Bluewater Corporation’s headquarters. While I’d been abroad, I’d taken the time to get a pilot’s license—and I wasn’t half bad at it. Jackson had known early on that I was coming back; he’d been making noise about throwing me a welcome-home banquet. I didn’t have the time or patience for that. Instead, I grabbed a car and drove straight to Eclipse Corporation, wanting to give Aiden a surprise. But when I pushed open the door to his office, the scene that met me nearly stopped my heart. Geraldine, Aiden’s first love, sat beside him with her hand hooked around his arm, rocking it back and forth as she playfully whined. I froze in place, staring at the two of them, unable to get a single word out. I hadn’t expected it, that woman I’d worried about all along, she’d finally shown up. “Aiden, what a surprise you’ve given me,” I said coldly. A flash of surprise crossed his face when he saw me. “You’re back?” I furrowed my brows, slowly pulling myself together from the shock. From the look of it, Aiden’s reaction with Geraldine wasn’t one of affection; it was the opposite. He seemed irritated, almost desperate to shake her off. I drew in a long breath before letting out a smile. “That’s right. I came back to see how you sneak around behind my back with a little temptress.” “Raelyn, she means nothing to me,” Aiden replied evenly. Then he turned to Geraldine and dismissed her flatly, “You should leave. Don’t make me say it twice.” “Come on, don’t be in such a rush to kick her out. She came all this way, it’s only polite to treat her decently. Besides, it’s Geraldine; it’s not like I don’t know who she is.” I quickly stopped him. Walk away? Not that easily. Geraldine rose, a delicate smile on her lips, gazing at me with an innocent air. “Hello, I’m Geraldine.” She extended her hand with practiced grace, the perfect picture of refinement. I didn’t even glance at it; I let out a sharp laugh. “Ms. Geraldine, so polite and proper—yet somehow you’ve stooped to throwing yourself at someone else’s boyfriend?”Geraldine’s expression hardly wavered, though there was a flicker of wounded fragility. “Ms. Beck, I know you and Aiden are together, but right now, Aiden and I are good friends. Surely you’re not jealous of that?” Friends? What kind of “friend” hangs on someone’s arm, pouting and begging for attention? I had no interest in dragging her through the mud, but watching her play the innocent made me want to laugh. “Friends today; little sister tomorrow; sweetheart the next. That’s how every melodrama goes. Ms. Geraldine, you’ve got the act down pat.” Geraldine’s POV: The angrier Raelyn grew, the more satisfaction I felt. I’d only been gone a few years, and already another woman had appeared at Aiden’s side. How could I possibly accept that calmly? But I was the Dark Pack’s eldest daughter; I couldn’t lash out the way Raelyn did. I had to fight softness with softness—to show Aiden I was the gentle, understanding one, the mate who truly suited him. “Ms. Beck, I know you’re upset, but if you can’t even accept the relationship we have now, then how can you possibly be fit to be Aiden’s mate?” “Aiden, I don’t want her words. I want to hear yours,” Raelyn said, turning to him. Aiden didn’t look at me. His voice was flat. “With her, I’m not even friends.” I bit down hard on my lip, tears welling in my eyes as I stared at him. “Aiden, am I really that worthless to you?” He didn’t answer, which was answer enough. The pain and rage hit me at once, tears spilling down my cheeks. “Aiden, I can endure everything she’s said—but not you misunderstanding me. You’ve been with me long enough; you should know the kind of person I am…” “Abandoning love for the sake of ambition—that’s the kind of person you are.” His voice was colder than ice. Then he moved slowly toward Raelyn, softening his tone as he asked, “Are you tired?” Watching him show tenderness to Raelyn right in front of me shattered something inside. But I had no choice; I had to endure it all if I wanted any chance of winning Aiden back. “Not tired—but talking to this little wench is exhausting,” Raelyn said, sticking out her tongue in a playful, teasing way. “Come on, I’ll take you to dinner.” Not once did his gaze land on me. I couldn’t help myself, I stepped forward. “Where are you going? Andrix just mentioned getting together; why don’t we—” Every second of them alone together felt unbearable. Raelyn turned to him with a laugh. “Aiden, that wench wants to join us for dinner. What do you think—should we bring her along?” He draped his jacket over Raelyn’s shoulders and said calmly, “I don’t like pretenders.” With that, he wrapped an arm around her and led her out. I stared at their backs, a burning hatred rising inside me. If only I could grow claws right now and tear Raelyn’s pretty face to shreds—turn her into the ugliest creature alive so she could never lure Aiden again. My phone rang. Glancing at the name flashing on the screen, I let the corner of my mouth curl upward. Raelyn, your triumph is only temporary. Soon enough, you’ll understand who the true mistress of Eclipse Pack is meant to be.