Chapter 35

Scarlett's POV The last person I expected to see at the banquet was Alpha Kade. It had been months since I'd last seen him, but the memory was sharp and unpleasant—like the taste of blood in the back of my throat. Every prior encounter with him had been a careful dance. He always looked at me like I was a challenge he couldn't wait to claim: the kind of man who didn't take no for an answer, who thought boundaries were just obstacles to wear down over time. And now, there he was, standing near one of the tall arched fountains, a glass of amber liquor in his hand, his sharp eyes scanning the garden like a predator assessing the herd. It was such a disgusting feeling. When his gaze landed on me, his brows lifted and the familiar smirk curled over his lips. "Well, well," he drawled, setting down his glass and making his way toward me with the smooth confidence of a man who believed the entire universe bent around him. "Scarlett, I didn't expect to see you here. What a coincidence." The loo