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Valerie was uneasy with the demand and tried to find another distraction. Alpha wolves were horny creatures, so it was remarkable that Alpha Denzel always controlled himself around her or any other she-wolf.

The only problem with this level of self-control was the fact that if given the chance, Alpha Denzel would not stop. He might take everything he promised not to take without knowing. Worse, he would wake up with regrets.

"Don’t you want to know about Ashley anymore?" She asked before regretting it, as she remembered not having confessed that she lied about being the woman in the video. That was Ashley, and she wondered how Alpha Denzel would feel about it.

Alpha Denzel was interested in the subject because of what Ashley did to Scarlet. It was obvious that he did it for Valerie. Any lover of Valerie automatically caught Alpha Denzel’s attention.

"Since you mentioned it, I would not refuse the offer." He pulled his hands away, taking away her unease.

"Ashley was quite wild," Valerie began to explain, having Alpha Denzel’s full attention. "She never enjoyed life in the pack as much as she did in Las Vegas. She was the woman you met at the club, not me."

Valerie could swear that she saw something strange in Alpha Denzel’s eyes. "You mean you don’t have memory loss?" He asked seriously, heaviness, pain, regret, and bitterness filling his heart.

Valerie shook her head. "It was just an excuse to find a way to apologize on her behalf. Ashley has a strong resistance to men, and she uses her tongue very well. You should not be upset for the mean things she said to you."

Alpha Denzel was already rising to his feet, making her confused as he said, "You should have told me this. Why did you hide it from me?" There was no amusement in his tone like before.

Valerie was grossly disappointed by his strange reaction and did not hold back, lashing out. "You are the one who kept punishing me for something I did not know about. You wanted me to remember what did not exist for me."

Unknown to her, every word she spoke pierced his heart like knife stabs. He was not shedding responsibilities but was just too guilty to stay.

Valerie could not stop defending herself, thinking he was accusing her or was upset with her. She feared he might find and hurt Ashley.

"If Alessia had not shown me the video, I would not have known. I feared that if I told you it was Ashley, you might look for her to punish her since you already loathed me."

Alpha Denzel never owed anyone, and yet, he felt as if he owed her. The most difficult part was his inability to explain it to her in clear terms. "You don’t understand. It’s not about Ashley or you. It’s me."

Alpha Denzel did not explain further and hastened to the door.

Valerie wanted to follow him to explain further.

She wanted to be certain that he was not going to look for Ashley and harm her, but as soon as she stood to her feet, fatigue overwhelmed her, and she fell back on the bed.

She had not slept for almost 24 hours, so it was indeed taking a toll on her.

Gone were the days when she could lose sleep for even a week and not feel so tired. Should she trust Alpha Denzel’s words and have hope that she would have her wolf again? She fell asleep at the thought.

By the time she woke up, the aroma of lunch wafted through her nostrils. Her eyes opened slowly to see Alessia sitting beside her on the bed, stroking her hair gently. The food was on the nightstand.

Valerie smiled, happy to see Alessia, but she was in her training pants. "Aless, is it time for training already?" Valerie eagerly lifted herself from the bed. Alpha Denzel must have excused her from training today, but she had no intention of taking the offer.

Alessia had a calm smile on her face. She had not found her mate yet and hoped she would not go through the emotional trauma Alpha Denzel and Valerie faced.

She welcomed the traditional bond where both parties accept and mark each other, then live lovingly and protecting each other.

If faced with something like this, she was not sure she would have the strength to overcome it. Alpha Denzel was every woman’s dream, but only if they knew the complexity of his emotions. It required a mature and understanding woman to tame that beast of his.

"Training is over, Val, eat and shower. We have to go shopping. Alpha Denzel said there is a lot for you to do."

Everything about the argument flooded Valerie’s memory, and she could not feel at peace. Why was Alpha Denzel suddenly avoiding her when he was all over her before? Did he not punish her enough in Ashley’s place? For what reason was he so upset with her again?

"Where is he? He ran off last night. I would not eat until I see him," Valerie said seriously, Alessia was frustrated.

After Alpha Denzel went to disturb her sleep last night, Valerie was also putting her in a fix. "But he is not ready to see you."

Valerie laughed self-deprecatingly. He wanted to go to a place with her but did not want to see her. She hoped it wasn’t what she was thinking. "Then how are we supposed to go to all those places together?"

"He arranged for Burke to drive you," Alessia calmly explained. Adding, "He doesn’t want to be in the same car with you."

Valerie smiled bitterly. She was just beginning to trust him, and now, this happened. "He promised to not get mad."

Alessia realized that Valerie had a wrong understanding of everything. "Val, you misunderstand him. He can’t face you because he’s ashamed. That is just how he is," Alessia said seriously. Alpha Denzel loved perfection. It hurt him that he got it wrong with Adira and now, Valerie.

Valerie could still not understand his reason for feeling that way.

"I don’t get it. I demand an answer, not from you but from him.

I would not eat, and I would not go shopping.

I would not step out of this room if he doesn’t come to finish what he started.

Tell him just that," she retorted sharply.