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CJ snorted, like he was in on the joke, but froze as we all glared at him.

“Well. I’m glad Tully came to her senses, but I can’t accept this offer. Do you understand the demand for these scent wipes? All natural with no side effects. There is nothing like it on the market. I’m not giving her eighty percent of the company I built,” CJ complained.

“With Tully’s intellectual property.”

The contract wasn’t anything but a red cape to a bull. Designed to enrage and draw him in, but CJ didn’t know that. His scent rose like a storm and battered us all. I hoped he would drown himself with his own words.

“A moldy formula she never would have capitalized on.”

“You didn’t give her much choice, did you?”

“Everything between us was consensual.” CJ’s lip quirked. “How do you like the little whimper she makes when you slide deep inside her?”

He was a dead alpha.Dead. A growl escaped me from a primal part inside me.

“She whimpered for you. She screams for us,” Pan shot back.

CJ cleared his throat.

“Did your brothers know what you had planned? How you preyed on a grieving young omega and created a company on a lie?” Lloyd said.

CJ threw his hands up. “That’s rich. It wasn’t a lie. I put blood, sweat, and tears into the first prototype. Sure, the formula originated from Tully’s family, but I made it what it is today.”

“You used Tully’s body, her heart, her legacy for your own devious means. If she had a fortune, you would have taken that too, instead of settling for Seph Campion.”

CJ rolled his eyes. “You’re just jealous I got Tully first.”

“You don’t fucking get it, do you?” Ajax snapped. “Do you even care about Seph at all?”

CJ waved us off. His neck was flushed. “She has my brothers, and they truly love her. What does it matter how I feel? But I’m not here to discuss my pack. I thought I was here to strike a deal.”

“It matters,” I roared, losing my temper. “Because I didn’t lie and sweet talk a beta into investing thousands of dollars while simultaneously fucking her best friend. You’re a leech and a disgusting pig of an alpha.”

“It’s business, Walden.” CJ clenched his jaw. “Don’t tell me you haven’t done unscrupulous things to get what you want.”

I lied to Tully with selfish intentions and that felt bad enough. Making the same choices as CJ never occurred to me, and I would never again hurt those I loved to achieve my goals. Hurting CJ was another thing. I wasn’t an evil man, or a ruthless one. I was a workaholic with a penchant for custom suits and spreadsheets. But I’d transform myself to avenge Tully.

“I want you to know this—” I gestured between us. “Isn’t business, it’s personal. And when I’m done ruining your entire life? I want you to know it was Baylark Pack.”

“What’re you going to do?” CJ scoffed. “Punch me? I’ll sue you for assault. Good luck with your political career.”

I nodded at Lloyd and his hand moved under the table. Adrenaline didn’t make me tremble. I was friends with the rush that flooded my veins. A calm settled over me.

“We don’t need to resort to violence, CJ, just underhandedness,” Ajax explained.

The door opened and CJ spun around in surprise as his pack filed in. Neil and Tomas flanked Seph, who was pale and shaking.

“W-what are you doing here?” CJ asked, and his face flitting from panic to charm would have been more fascinating if I didn’t despise him.

“We were listening next door. Is it true?”

“I don’t—” CJ glared at us, his hands waving in a placating manner.

“You lied about everything, Chase.Everything.I don’t even recognize you.” Tears flooded Seph’s betrayed gaze.

“It’s nothing but a tactic, darling. They want to paint me in a poor light because I love you so much. Tully is jealous and has been feeding them lies.” He reached for Seph but she cringed out of reach, into the shield of Neil and Tomas.

“Don’t touch her,” Neil ground out.