Chapter 8 Red Rose

　　Archie’s POV 　　What on earth was Alisha up to? Why hadn't she replied to me? I couldn't bear the waiting any longer, so I decided to call her directly. Much to my dismay, her phone was powered off. Frustration consumed me, and in a fit of anger, I threw my phone onto the desk. 　　"Boy, cool down. I understand you're upset and hurting, but venting your anger on your phone is pointless. Take a moment to reflect on yourself," my wolf's voice echoed in my mind. 　　"Come on! What is there to reflect on? I can see right through her. She's just looking for an excuse to come back," I retorted. 　　"What? Your wife rejected you. Don't forget that," my wolf countered. 　　"No! It's just her way of seeking attention. I admit I've been too busy lately, and it might have made her unhappy," I reasoned. 　　"Buddy, I think you're being too optimistic. Judging by her attitude this morning, you should be saying more sweet words to win her back as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might end up being dumped," my wolf cautioned. 　　"Nonsense! She loves me deeply! How could she leave me? I bet she's been missing me all these days," I insisted. 　　"How can you be so sure?" my wolf questioned. 　　"She came to my company this morning. I'm sure she wanted to see me secretly," I explained. 　　"Anything else?" my wolf inquired further. 　　"She sent me a message about her uncle's birthday. I knew she wanted to talk to me. She must have realized her mistake and wanted to come back. So I gave her an opportunity, but she didn't take it! That foolish girl!" I exclaimed in frustration. 　　"I don't know what to say, bro, but for the Moon Goddess's sake, please don't be so confident. Perform well tomorrow and make her happy. Remember, your wife hasn't returned yet," my wolf advised. 　　"Don't worry, I promise she'll come home with me tomorrow. After all, I agreed to attend her uncle's boring party. Normally, the Black Furies wouldn't qualify to invite me," I assured. 　　"Canceling tomorrow's meeting to fulfill Alisha's request was the right thing to do today," my wolf acknowledged. 　　With no time to spare, I ended the conversation with my wolf. It reminded me that I needed to cancel my appointment for tomorrow. 　　"Louie, something came up, so I can't meet you anymore," I told Louie, my friend and the youngest son of the Alpha of Deep Moon. Our packs were allies, and we had grown up together. In a werewolf world that esteemed power, Louie was a unique being, cherishing peace and enjoying art, spending most of his time in the human world attending exhibitions, concerts, and traveling. He had opened an entertainment company that covered various fields, including performance, music, and stage plays. 　　"Oh, so you're treating me like that? I did you a huge favor by selling that amazing song to Erma. Do you have any idea how angry my music director was? He looked at me with utter disbelief, as if I were an idiot," Louie complained. 　　"Stop complaining. My price is double or even triple the normal rate. I'm sure you're thrilled with the deal," I replied. 　　"Hah, thanks for your generosity, dude. Why were you so insistent on sending that song to Erma? Do you really love her that much? I must say, her voice isn't suited for it at all," Louie inquired, a hint of curiosity in his voice. 　　"That's none of your business," I snapped. 　　"Well, I'm just curious about what made you stand me up. Was it because of Erma?" Louie asked meaningfully. 　　"Fuck off. I need to accompany my wife to her uncle's birthday party," I retorted. 　　"Ah, Alisha, right? I regret missing your wedding ceremony two years ago when I was traveling abroad. I'm quite curious about that girl. What kind of magic does she possess that made you willingly step into the grave of marriage?" Louie remarked. 　　"Why are you so interested in my wife? Don't you have anything better to do?" I frowned at Louie's question. 　　"Calm down, buddy. You're too wound up! I know Alisha is your wife! I promise you, no matter how stunning your wife is, I'll never have any designs on her. I've found my own mate. Don't worry, I'm looking forward to seeing you next time," Louie replied in a pleasant tone. 　　His words left me stunned. Louie had been born with a prophecy from the Moon, foretelling that he would be alone his entire life. Yet now, he claimed to have found his mate... 　　"Are you serious?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise. 　　"Huh, it's just a metaphor. I fell in love with her at first sight. Although my wolf hasn't given me any signs, my heart tells me so," Louie explained. 　　"Which pack does she belong to?" I inquired. 　　"I have no idea. She's like a cute rabbit, jumping into my chest with her red eyes and then quickly darting away. I don't know much about her yet, but I have a feeling we'll meet soon," Louie revealed. 　　"Well, good luck," I responded. 　　"Thanks. I hope next time, I can bring her to meet your wife. We can have a double date," Louie suggested. 　　I raised an eyebrow and ended the call. 　　"Archie, even Louie has found his lover. You must work hard to win Alisha back. Otherwise, you'll have to attend the double mate ceremony alone. Poor guy," my wolf started nagging again. 　　My temples throbbed, and I ignored its words, dialing Brad's number. 　　"Alpha, I'm at your service," Brad answered. 　　"Brad, send my mom to the Black Furies before 5 p.m. for Joey's birthday party," I instructed. 　　"Understood," Brad acknowledged. 　　After a brief pause, I continued, "Order a bouquet of flowers for me." They say women love flowers. If Alisha received them, she might be happy and agree to come home with me. 　　"Sure, but what kind of flowers would you like?" Brad inquired. 　　"What do most girls love?" I asked. 　　"Hmm, may I know who the flowers are for? Your mom or someone else?" Brad probed. 　　After a prolonged silence, I replied in a flat voice, "Alisha." 　　"Alpha, don't you know your wife's favorite flower?" Brad questioned. 　　Honestly, I had no answer. I rarely paid attention to her or bothered to learn what she liked or disliked since we got married. I simply knew that she loved me and would always be there for me whenever I needed her. But now, she refused to return home. If this was her way of getting my attention, I had to admit she succeeded. 　　"Roses. I want red roses," I finally replied. 　　"Very well. I think Luna will love them. No girl can resist red roses," Brad assured. 　　I felt relieved knowing Brad supported my decision. However, the next day, as Alisha got into my car and noticed the rose on the backseat, I noticed her expression immediately turned sour. 　　What on earth did this foolish woman want? Did she hate me so much that the sight of my flower triggered disgust on her face?