Goodbye Alpha, I'm Done - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

I yanked my hand away, glaring at him. "By forcing me to go to your mother's birthday party?" I hissed, my temper flaring. "Kieran, that's not making up for anything. That's just you trying to control me, like you always have."
His eyebrows drew together, and he shook his head. "No, no, that's not what I mean at all," he rushed to explain. "I just want you there with me, to celebrate with our pack. Please, Selena, reconsider. Come to the party with me."
I fell silent, my wolf, Skylar's voice echoing in my mind.
"Don't fall for his charm, Selena. Stand your ground."
Taking a deep breath, I lifted my chin, meeting his expectant gaze. "Okay fine then. You can go wait in the car while I get ready."
His face lit up and he smiled widely, reaching out to cup my cheek. "That's my girl. I knew you'd come around."
I resisted the urge to recoil from his touch, instead offering him a tight-lipped smile. "Just go wait in the car, Kieran,"
As he turned and made his way back to the waiting limo, I let out a shaky breath, and got back into the house.
"What are you doing, Selena?" Skylar's voice echoed in my mind in a concerned tone.
I assured my wolf that I got it under control. With quick light steps, I made my way to my bedroom.
After a long while, I stood before the mirror, scrutinizing my reflection with a critical eye. The short, scarlet dress hugged my curves in all the right places, accentuating my hourglass figure. Of course I wasn’t going to be wearing the gift Kieran brought me.
With a steady hand, I applied my makeup, painting my lips with a deep crimson hue that complemented the fiery tone of the fabric.
I was aware Kieran was waiting for me outside, no doubt growing impatient, but I couldn't afford to rush. Everything had to be perfect – the makeup, the hair, the outfit – if I was to pull off this deception without a hitch.
I had my black hair curled with a curling iron in loose waves and held it in place with pins.By the time I was done, it was exactly time for Kieran's mother's birthday party. In fact, we were even fifteen minutes late.
"Perfect," I thought to myself, grabbing my purse and the package containing the dress Kieran had gifted me.
As I stepped outside, I spotted Kieran leaning against the car, scrolling through his phone. The moment he heard my approach, he turned, his expression shifting from one of impatience to surprise as he took in my appearance. I couldn't help but feel a thrill of satisfaction at the way his eyes widened, his gaze sweeping over my form.
"Selena?" he breathed, pushing himself off the car and striding towards me. "What – what is the meaning of this? What the heck are you wearing?"
I didn't answer, instead keeping my expression neutral as I walked straight up to him. Without a word, I held out the package, letting it drop from my hands and into the large, dirty trash bin that sat at the curb.
His pupils seemed to shrink, his jaw tightening with rage. "What the hell did you do that for?" he growled, his voice laced with fury. "Do you have any idea how much that dress cost?"
I smiled coldly, unconcerned by his outburst. "I didn't tell you to get me a stupid dress, Kieran," I replied, my tone dripping with disdain. "From now on, you can direct all your little gifts to your mistress, Nina."
Kieran's expression morphed into one of exasperation, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Nina is not my mistress, for crying out loud!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch.
I simply shrugged,staring at him deep in the eye. "I don't care what she is to you. I'm done with you wasting my time."
I turned to leave, but he reached out and grabbed my arm, yanking me back. "Oh, no, you don't," he snarled, his grip tight. "I've been standing here waiting for more than an hour, and I'm already late to my own mother's birthday party. You're not just going to walk away like nothing happened."
I snatched my arm away from his grasp in irritation. "You're one stubborn alpha, aren't you, Kieran?" I hissed.
"Didn't I tell you to sit and wait in your car? Why did you have to stand out here like a lovesick puppy?"
Kieran's expression darkened, and I could see the vein in his forehead throbbing with barely contained rage. "Because I was waiting for you, Selena," he snarled, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "And now you've just wasted an hour of my time, not to mention ruined a perfectly dress that I had specially made for you."
I let out a derisive laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. "Kieran, I never asked you to get me that dress. And I certainly didn't agree to come to your mother's party, no matter how much you begged."
His eyes turned darker. "My mother doesn't tolerate tardiness, and because of your little stunt, I’m fucking late. Go inside and change to something else so you can look presentable for the party. That dress is way too short and I can’t have other men ogling at my property."
Kieran still thought I was his property and that infuriated me more than anything else. There he was, trying to control what I wore again just like he had been doing for five solid years! I had to resist the urge to give him a neat slap on his face to remind him I wasn’t obeying any of his shitty orders ever again. But he was an Alpha, and way stronger than me. If he hurt me, it could take a while before my wolf healed me.
I stared at him with a cold expression. "No. I'm not going anywhere with you and I’m definitely not changing my dress. Now, you have to reject me from your pack officially. Reject me right now!"