Alpha Nathan pov.

Her voice echoed through the restaurant, causing several human diners to turn and stare at our increasingly dramatic scene.

I gritted my teeth so hard I thought they might crack, then shoved Ethan out of my way with enough force to send him stumbling backward.

In one swift motion, I grabbed a fistful of Lily's perfectly styled hair and yanked her close to me. "You want to know who the real bitch is around here? Come with me right now and I'll gladly show you."

My voice was a dangerous growl that left no room for argument. I turned my head slightly toward Isabella and commanded firmly, "Follow me. Now." I needed her to witness this.

I stormed toward the bathroom, dragging Lily by her hair the entire way while she yelped and protested.

When I reached the men's room, I kicked the door open, startling some poor guy washing his hands. "Out. Now," I barked at him.

The terrified man didn't need to be told twice--he practically ran out the door without even drying his hands. I pulled Lily inside, waited for Isabella to enter, then slammed the door shut and locked it with the key that was hanging on the inside.

I pinned Lily against the bathroom door with enough force to make her gasp. My face was inches from hers as I growled, "Take off your clothes right now, you pathetic bitch!"

My eyes were blazing with rage that had been building for months, maybe years. Every disrespectful word, every manipulative action, every lie she had ever told me was fueling my anger in this moment.

Lily's eyes widened with shock and maybe a hint of fear, which was something I rarely saw from her. She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out, I slapped her across the face--hard.

"I said take off your damn clothes right now! Don't make me repeat myself again!" My voice echoed off the bathroom tiles, making it sound even more threatening.

Trembling slightly, Lily began to remove her clothes piece by piece until she was standing there in just her underwear.

Her eyes darted nervously between me and Isabella, who had retreated to the corner of the bathroom and was watching the scene unfold with wide, confused eyes.

"Keep going," I commanded Lily harshly. "Everything. Take off absolutely everything you're wearing. I want you to show me exactly how you're supposedly more beautiful than Isabella. Go ahead, prove it to me right now."

Isabella moved further into the corner, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. I glanced at her briefly, knowing she probably didn't understand what I was trying to accomplish here.

I wasn't doing this to hurt or humiliate Isabella--that was the absolute last thing I wanted. I needed to put Lily in her place once and for all, and sometimes the only way to deal with someone like her was to completely shatter her ego.

I turned my attention back to Lily, who had removed the rest of her clothing and was now standing completely naked in the middle of the bathroom.

Instead of showing any shame or humility, she actually had the audacity to twirl around slowly, displaying her body with a teasing smile.

"See? I'm obviously prettier than her in every possible way," she said with that infuriatingly egotistical tone that made my skin crawl. "No comparison whatsoever, right, Nathan?" She batted her eyelashes at me like she actually expected me to agree with her.

I couldn't help but scoff loudly at her shameless display. "No, Lily, you're absolutely wrong. You're just a manipulative bitch, nothing more.

Because even with that so-called 'killing body' of yours that you're so proud of, I feel absolutely nothing when I look at you. Not a single thing. Zero attraction, zero desire, zero anything.

And deep down, you already know exactly why that is, don't you?" I kept my eyes fixed on Lily's face, watching as her confident expression crumbled under the weight of my words.

She started trembling, and I could see the realization dawning on her that I had finally discovered the truth she had been hiding for so long.

Lily tried desperately to maintain her composure, pretending not to understand what I was talking about.

"What are you saying, Nathan? This is completely ridiculous! I'm your Luna--your officially recognized mate! How could you possibly humiliate me like this in front of that worthless--"

I let out a ferocious bark that silenced her immediately. The sound was so primal and threatening that both women flinched.

I was seriously on the verge of doing something I might regret if Lily insulted Isabella one more time. My patience had completely run out with her constant disrespect.

I slammed both my hands against the door on either side of Lily's head, making her jump with fear.

"How exactly did you know that we were here tonight, Lily? Have you been following us around? Stalking us? Having Ethan report back to you about our movements? Tell me the truth for once in your miserable life!"

My face was so close to hers that I could feel her rapid, frightened breaths against my skin.

Lily didn't give me a straight answer, of course. She was too skilled at evading direct questions when they might incriminate her.

Instead, she tried to slither her way out of the situation by changing the subject entirely.

"I'm your Luna! That's all that matters here! I came to remind you that we're hosting an important pack party at the castle tonight. All the neighboring Alphas will be there, and you absolutely cannot be late. Your reputation and the pack's standing depend on your presence."

She tried to sound authoritative despite her naked, vulnerable state.

I grabbed Lily's arm firmly and pulled her even closer, a smirk forming on my lips. I leaned in so close that there was practically no space between our faces.

For a split second, I could see hope flash in her eyes--she actually thought I was going to kiss her! Instead, I moved my lips to her ear and whispered harshly,

"You smell absolutely disgusting to me. Your scent literally makes me want to vomit. Now, why don't you stand there and watch while I have some real fun with my actual mate? If you're so interested in what we do together, feel free to stay and take notes on what genuine attraction looks like."

I abruptly turned away from her and walked over to Isabella, who was staring at me with widened eyes.

She immediately placed her hands protectively over her body and backed up against the wall. "No, Nathan, please don't," she said frantically. "I would never take off my clothes like that--I can't do this here!" Her voice was shaking with a mixture of fear and embarrassment.

I couldn't help but laugh softly at her adorable innocence. I gently pulled her into my chest and placed several soft, tender kisses on her cheeks to reassure her.

"And who said I would ever treat you the way I treat her? Your dignity means more to me than anything else in this world--even more than my own. I would never ask you to degrade yourself like that, my love." I meant every word with all my heart.

Yes, a Luna's dignity--my true mate's dignity--the woman who would eventually become my queen deserved to be respected and protected above all else, even above my own position as Alpha.

That was something Lily would never understand with her selfish, entitled attitude.

I knelt down at Isabella's feet, a gesture of devotion that no Alpha would typically show to anyone, and began gently removing her shoe.

I could hear Lily gasping in outrage behind us. This display of submission from an Alpha was unheard of, but I didn't care what anyone thought.

Isabella deserved this respect and so much more. Lily couldn't bear to watch this scene any longer--she huffed and puffed with fury, quickly grabbed her scattered clothes, and stormed out of the bathroom without bothering to get fully dressed, slamming the door behind her.

I raised my head to look up at Isabella, who was gazing down at me with eyes absolutely overflowing with love and tenderness.

"Why are you doing all this for me, Nathan?" she asked softly, her fingers gently stroking my hair.

"You don't have to humiliate yourself in front of others for my sake. I know what we have is real--isn't that enough?"

I stood up slowly and placed my hands on her shoulders, then leaned in to kiss her bare shoulder while my hands moved to her back, finding the zipper of her dress.

"Doing what exactly? Keeping your head held high where it belongs? You're my true mate, Isabella--the only one who matters to me.

Should I announce that to the entire world right now? Because believe me, I'm more than ready to do exactly that. The only reason I haven't is because the situation is so much more complicated than it should be. Your father is--"

She gasped and quickly placed her small, delicate hand over my lips to stop me from finishing that sentence.

"No, please don't say it out loud. We need to wait just a little longer. The timing isn't right yet."

Her eyes pleaded with me to understand the delicate position we were in. Her father's connections made our relationship politically dangerous for both of us.

I gently licked her fingers one by one, sucking on them softly, making her blush deeply. Then I whispered against her hand, "Wait just a second, sweetheart." I needed to make sure we wouldn't be interrupted during our private moment together.

I walked back to the door and double-checked that it was securely locked. Then I returned to Isabella and lifted her up so her legs wrapped around my waist.

She squealed softly in surprise. "What do you think you're doing? We can't do this here of all places!" Her voice was a mixture of shock and excitement that sent shivers down my spine.

I chuckled lightly, loving how her body instinctively responded to mine despite her protests.

"Why not? Just for a few minutes, beautiful. They're still busy preparing our dinner out there, and I've been thinking about touching you all day long."

I kissed her neck softly, feeling her pulse quicken under my lips. "Just a little taste to hold me over until tonight."