Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 47

Beta Ash's POV

I didn’t waste any time reporting to Enzo. It wasn’t just my duty as Beta; it was the only way to keep Irene from spinning her own version of events. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that Irene thrives on twisting truths into daggers.

By the time I walked into Enzo’s study, I had already replayed the horse race and that damned kiss in my head a hundred times. I hated every second of it. Not because it embarrassed me—hell, I’ve been embarrassed in worse ways—but because it left me with this weird taste in my mouth. A mixture of annoyance, guilt, and… something I couldn’t even name.

Enzo was leaning over his desk, going through maps and reports when I stepped in. He didn’t even look up when I cleared my throat.

“Talk,” he said simply, like I was another report waiting to be filed.

“Irene,” I started, tossing the words out like they were poison, “is back. And she’s already making a scene.”

That made him look up. “What did she do this time?”

I dragged my hand down my face and took a seat opposite him. “First, she demanded to see you. I told her you were busy and that you weren’t interested in entertaining her. Then, because I have the patience of a saint and apparently a death wish, I agreed to a horse race with her.”

Enzo raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching slightly. “You raced Irene?”

“Yeah. Bad decision number one. She’s still the same arrogant rider she used to be. Only difference is, her horse nearly threw her off mid-race.”

Enzo’s face hardened. “Is she hurt?”

“Sprained ankle, minor scratches. Nothing life-threatening.”

“And?” he asked, because he knew I wasn’t finished.

I sighed. “And she kissed me.”

That got him. His head snapped up, his eyes narrowing into sharp daggers. “She what?”

“Don’t give me that look,” I muttered. “I didn’t kiss her back. She made a move; I stopped it.”

“You should’ve stopped it before it started,” he said coldly, but his tone wasn’t entirely directed at me. It was the tone Enzo used when he was already plotting how to rip someone’s head off—usually figuratively, but with him, you could never be too sure.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting her to throw herself at me after nearly falling off her horse,” I said defensively. “I was wrapping her ankle, Enzo. I wasn’t seducing her.”

Enzo exhaled sharply and leaned back in his chair. He looked tired, but not the good kind of tired. The kind that came from dealing with headaches like Irene.

“She’s testing boundaries,” he said. “And now she thinks she can use you to get closer to me.”

I frowned. “She’s wasting her time. I have zero interest.”

“She doesn’t care about your interest,” he replied. “She cares about power. Aligning with me—or anyone close to me—feeds her ego.”

“Well, she’s going to choke on her own ego if she tries that again,” I muttered under my breath.

Before Enzo could respond, the door creaked open, and Atlas walked in with his usual grin plastered on his face. He didn’t even knock. He never did.

“Did I just hear something about Irene throwing herself at Ash?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe like he’d been waiting his whole life for this kind of gossip.

“Atlas,” Enzo warned, but Atlas ignored him.

“You let Irene kiss you?” Atlas teased, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Damn, Ash, I knew you had questionable taste, but this is next-level.”

“I didn’t let her,” I snapped. “She kissed me. There’s a difference.”

“Oh, sure,” Atlas grinned. “Did you at least enjoy it?”

“No,” I said firmly.

Atlas leaned forward, pretending to study me like a detective. “You’re lying. You’ve got that look on your face.”

“What look?” I asked, annoyed.

“The look of a man who’s caught between guilt and bragging rights.”

I groaned and stood up. “You’re insufferable.”

Atlas smirked and crossed his arms. “So… does this mean you’ve got a new bitch now? Should I start calling Irene ‘Beta’s pet’? Oh, this is going to be good.”

Enzo shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. “Atlas.”

“What? I’m just making conversation,” Atlas said innocently, though his grin gave him away. “You can’t tell me this isn’t entertaining.”

“It’s not,” I growled. “And for the record, if Irene is anyone’s headache, it’s yours. I’m not touching that disaster.”

Atlas laughed. “Oh, come on. Admit it. You like them a little wild.”

“I like them sane,” I retorted. “Something Irene will never be.”

Enzo pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly done with both of us. “Atlas, don’t you have patrol reports to review?”

“Nope,” Atlas said cheerfully. “Kale’s covering for me. I figured this was more fun.”

“Get out,” Enzo said flatly.

Atlas held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. Don’t kill me, Alpha. I’ll leave you and your Beta lover boy to talk strategy.”

I glared at him, but he just laughed his way out of the room.

“Why do we keep him around?” I muttered once the door closed.

“Because he’s good at his job,” Enzo replied dryly. “Even if he acts like a clown half the time.”

I sighed and dropped back into the chair. “Look, I don’t know what Irene’s endgame is, but she’s going to cause trouble if we don’t shut it down now.”

“We’ll shut it down,” Enzo said, his tone final. “Stay away from her, Ash. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Gladly,” I muttered. “Last thing I need is that woman spinning rumors.”

Enzo gave me a long look. “You’re sure you didn’t encourage her?”

I gave him a deadpan stare. “Do I look suicidal?”

He smirked slightly, but his eyes didn’t lose their edge. “Good. Because I don’t need that drama complicating things right now.”

I leaned back, letting the tension in my shoulders fade just a little. “So what’s the plan? Pretend she doesn’t exist?”

“No,” Enzo said. “I’ll make it clear to her—and her family—that this pack isn’t a place for her games. If she steps out of line again, she won’t like the consequences.”

“Harsh,” I said, though I didn’t disagree.

“Necessary,” he replied.

I stood up, feeling the weight of the day settling in. “Fine. I’ll keep my distance. But you owe me for this. I mean it. You owe me.”

“Noted,” Enzo said, already turning back to his paperwork. “Now go find something useful to do before Atlas comes back and starts another round of teasing.”

“Don’t remind me,” I muttered as I walked out.

Atlas was leaning against the hallway wall like he’d been waiting for me. “So,” he started, smirking. “How’s your new girlfriend?”

I stopped walking and glared at him. “Atlas. I swear, if you don’t shut that mouth of yours—”

“You’ll what?” he teased, falling into step beside me. “Race me? Because I saw Irene ride earlier, and I have to say, you two looked real cozy.”

“You saw that?”

“Of course I did. I see everything. It’s part of my charm.”

“You’re impossible.”

“And you’re grumpy. Lighten up, Ash. It’s not every day you get kissed by someone who could start a political war.”

“Do you ever think before you speak?” I asked.

“Nope,” he grinned. “That’s what makes me fun.”

I shook my head and picked up my pace. “You’re not fun. You’re a menace.”

“And you love me for it.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

Atlas chuckled, clearly satisfied with himself. “You know, if you’re not careful, Irene’s going to make this way worse. She’s the type who thrives on attention. The more you avoid her, the harder she’ll try.”

“Then I’ll avoid her harder,” I muttered.

“Wow. Brilliant plan. You should write that down somewhere.”

I stopped and looked at him. “Atlas, I’m this close to throwing you into the stables.”

He grinned wider. “Kinky.”

I groaned and kept walking. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

He wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t going to admit it. Not today.