Chapter 438-He Wants More

Verity:

I’m not sure whether being interrupted was a blessing in disguise, but at that moment, perhaps it was for the best. I’m not going to lie. He really did freak me out.

He had already left, so I followed him outside to see what all the commotion was about.

And well, well, well, things weren’t looking good.

The commotion involved Clark and a stunning woman dressed in blue jeans and a white top.

They appeared to be arguing, although Clark wasn’t exactly yelling.

He sounded more defensive, while she was openly accusatory.

"What the fuck do you think you’re doing, huh?" she screamed again, making me narrow my eyes as I tried to figure out what had happened.

"It’s not what it looks like! And who told you all that, anyway?" Clark shot back.

The woman stood with her fists clenched. Brenda was nearby with her bodyguards, seemingly trying to make sense of the situation.

One of the guards stood particularly close to the woman in white, and I noticed he was the same one who had been hovering around us earlier. I’d seen him.

The bodyguard raised a hand, apparently trying to explain what had happened.

As I slowly stepped aside, I noticed Ragnar’s muscles tense.

He had buttoned up his shirt and was leaning slightly forward against the railing of my hut’s deck, his hands gripping it tightly as he watched the chaos unfolding downstairs.

"What is going on?" I asked, not particularly eager to stand in uncomfortable silence beside Ragnar after what had happened between us.

Ragnar only straightened slightly, taking one hand off the railing as he turned toward me.

He rested it on his hip while keeping the other against the railing, leaning casually to one side.

"That woman over there," he began, lifting his hand from his hip to point toward the woman in the white top, "is Clark’s mate and wife."

I immediately clapped both hands over my mouth, gasping.

"Yep. And I’m guessing, from what I’ve gathered, that one of the warriors told her Clark had been flirting and rolling around in the water with another woman here," Ragnar continued.

There was a hint of mischief in his voice, as though he was enjoying the whole spectacle a little too much.

And I knew exactly why.

"So, you happen to know that woman? Did you see anything?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with a quick jerk of his head.

I swallowed hard.

"That was me," I admitted, pointing both hands at myself.

"Really? No, you don’t say."

That asshole. His tone had turned downright sarcastic.

To be honest, I wanted nothing more than to erase every memory of this trip and go back to the Ragnar who barely spoke.

He wasn’t even this cocky or fucking sarcastic around his own brothers or Gigi.

Hell, he was hardly talkative in their company.

So why the fuck did he think showing me the absolute worst side of himself was such a good idea?

"That’s her!" the warrior yelled, pointing straight at me.

But Brenda shot him a glare and grunted, prompting him to lower his hand.

"They are our guests," Brenda interjected, attempting to defend me, probably because she didn’t want to upset Ragnar by allowing his secretary to be disrespected.

But honestly, the woman had every reason to be furious with me.

She immediately started making her way up the stairs toward my hut, and I did the only thing I could think of.

I grabbed Ragnar’s shirt and ducked behind him.

I mean, I wasn’t about to slap or fight a woman whose husband I’d been fooling around with.

As far as she was concerned, both her husband and I were to blame, and she had every right to be angry.

The problem was, I hadn’t known the man was fucking married or had a mate in the first place.

He’d been acting like a single man the entire time.

Hell, he’d even taken off his fucking wedding ring, which he was now slipping back onto his finger the moment his wife showed up.

"Babe, no!" Clark shouted, rushing up the stairs to stop her, but she had already reached us.

"Have you no shame? Just because the moon goddess has blessed you with such beauty and a body like that, you think you can just steal someone else’s mate?" she screamed, her voice breaking as she began to cry.

Ragnar shifted his stance until he was facing her directly.

"Calm down. It’s not her fault," he intervened.

The moment he spoke, everyone fell silent.

That was how much authority his voice carried, and I fucking hated it.

"B-but, Your Highness..." The woman immediately composed herself and offered Ragnar a respectful bow. "This woman..." She pointed at me again.

"This woman did nothing wrong. She didn’t even know your husband was a married man. I understand that you’re hurt and angry, but I suggest you direct that anger at the person who actually deserves it. Your husband," Ragnar replied firmly.

He made sure to position himself so that his broad back completely shielded me from her view.

"Please go and settle this matter with your husband. My secretary has nothing to do with it," he continued, slowly extending one arm to the side to prevent the woman from slipping past him and reaching me.

I heard the woman retreating and watched as she made her way downstairs, casting one last tearful glance at me before running off.

Clark immediately hurried after her, while Brenda gave Ragnar an apologetic look.

He waved a hand dismissively, letting her know everything was fine, before turning to face me.

And now, he looked even cockier than before.

He leaned against one of the pillars beside the railing, folding his arms across his chest.

"Seems like I saved your ignorant, cocky ass," he remarked, making me clench my jaw so hard it hurt.

"Thank you," I replied in the same arrogant tone he’d come to expect from me.

"Wait. No."

To my surprise, he refused to accept my gratitude.

"A simple thank-you wouldn’t suffice."

There was a mischievous edge to his voice, and I was beginning to realize that the beast I’d awakened in him should have been left well alone.