Chapter 257: 0257

Callista POV

I let out a frustrated sigh as I stared at the blood on the sheets, then at the girl still curled up naked in the corner, sobbing quietly.

God, the sound was like nails on a chalkboard.

She was a complete mess. Her hair was tangled, her face blotchy, and her shoulders shook with every pathetic little whimper that escaped her lips. She looked utterly miserable, which was exactly what she was: a poor, unimportant nobody who had been plucked from obscurity and given a night she would never forget.

And yet here she was, fucking crying. As if she’d been wronged. As if she were the victim here.

Seriously, what the hell did she expect?

The realization only made my anger flare hotter. Since Jaxen was currently in the shower, I didn’t have to bother putting on my sweet, innocent act anymore. I was done pretending to give a damn about her feelings.

“Enough,” I said flatly.

She didn’t stop.

“I said enough,” I repeated, my voice sharper this time.

But she just kept sobbing, her thin shoulders shaking as she buried her face in her hands. I stared at her for another moment, growing increasingly irritated by the ridiculous display. That was it. My patience had finally run out.

“Can you just fucking shut up?!” I snarled.

She flinched as if I’d physically struck her, her head snapping up as her wide, tear-filled eyes met mine. There was genuine fear in them, and I couldn’t help the little thrill of satisfaction that settled in my chest.

Finally. At least she’d stopped pretending she had something to complain about.

“You knew what you signed up for, didn’t you?” I demanded, rising to my feet and smoothing my dress over my belly. “What did you think would happen when an Alpha invites you to his bed? Cuddles and sunshine?” I let out a harsh, humorless laugh. “Fuck, you are such a fool.”

As I approached her, she trembled even harder, quickly wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, perhaps plead with me or apologize, but no words came out.

She just sat there, naked and shivering on the floor, staring up at me like I was some kind of monster.

Maybe I was. But honestly, I didn’t give a single fuck.

I walked over to the heavy wooden cupboard, opened a drawer, and pulled out a thick bundle of cash. It was probably more money than this girl had ever seen in her entire life. I didn’t bother counting it. I simply walked back and tossed it at her feet, letting the crisp bills scatter across the cold floor.

“Here,” I said coldly. “This is exactly what I promised you. I’m sure you’ve never held this much money in your entire life.”

She stared at the scattered bills, her eyes wide with disbelief and her lower lip trembling.

“So you should be grateful,” I continued, my voice dripping with contempt. “Grateful that an Alpha even considered you worthy of his attention long enough to pay you for satisfying his needs in bed.”

I took another step toward her, and she flinched, curling in on herself like a cornered animal.

“Tell anyone about what happened here,” I warned, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper, “and you’re dead.”

Her breath caught in her throat.

She stared at me, clearly struggling to reconcile the sweet, innocent woman who had approached her at a quiet café a few days ago and convinced her to sleep with her husband with the ruthless Luna now standing before her, threatening to kill her.

But I was a Luna, and Jaxen was an Alpha with the High Council backing him. Who was she? Nobody.

She seemed to understand that well enough. She nodded frantically, tears still streaming down her pale cheeks.

“Now get dressed,” I ordered. “And get out of my sight.”

She scrambled to obey, her movements frantic and clumsy.

Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely pull her dress over her head. She didn’t even bother putting on her underwear. She simply grabbed her clothes and hurriedly put them on, not caring whether they were inside out or backward.

I watched her the entire time, my arms crossed over my chest and my expression cold. She could barely look at me, and honestly, I found her pathetic. The way she trembled over a little money was almost laughable.

When she was finally dressed, she bent down and gathered the scattered cash with shaking hands. She lowered her head, tears still running down her cheeks, and whispered, “Thank you for your generosity, Luna Callista…”

I scoffed, waving my hand dismissively. I had no interest in hearing her gratitude. I’d paid her to do a job, and she’d done it. That was all there was to it.

She didn’t wait for me to say anything else. She practically ran to the door, yanked it open, and disappeared into the hallway, clearly desperate to get away from me.

The moment the door slammed shut, the bathroom door clicked open, and Jaxen stepped out, still wet from his shower, with a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. Water trickled down his chest and shoulders, glistening under the dim light as he ran a hand through his damp hair.

“She left already?” he asked, glancing toward the door. There was a noticeable disappointment in his voice.

I immediately put on a warm smile and turned to him, hiding the irritation that had been building inside me. “Yeah, it’s already late,” I said sweetly. “Besides, you were pretty rough on her tonight. It’s probably for the best that she left.”

Jaxen let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders rising and falling as he shook his head. “Too bad. I wanted to go one more round.”

I smiled, though I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. Of course he did. Apparently, he still hadn’t had enough.

I crossed the room and reached for the small towel in his hand, gently taking it from him before beginning to dry his hair. I ran the towel over his damp hair, careful and affectionate, just as any devoted wife would be. It was almost amusing how easily I could slip into the role.

Jaxen gave me a brief, tender smile before wrapping one arm around my waist and pulling me closer. His other hand came up to cup my face, his thumb brushing against my cheek. For a moment, he simply looked at me, but then his gaze dropped to my mouth. His brow creased as his thumb brushed over my bruised, swollen lip.

“I guess I was rough on you too,” he murmured. “I’m sorry, Lorelei… Callista.”