Paul, Derek, Georgina—everyone read the room and focused on their supper, their heads bent and avoiding eye contact with the Lycan. Only Cecily blabbed on. She was talkative by nature, and far too dense to realize her opinions and stories weren't wanted. "I was always Daddy's favorite. He was so proud when I got first place in my middle school's whistling contest." "The potato is a little too soft today. Our cook is usually the best in town. Mommy never goes for less than the best. I can cook too. I was on a cooking show once." "I didn't catch your name. I'm Cecily, but my friends call me Cessie. What about you? You look like a George. There was this guy in college, his name was George and he was super cute. Are you a George?"The only one who dared show amusement was Cantor, his raised eyebrows questioning Cecily's overzealous attitude. It was funny how the Lycan ignored her, especially as it was obvious she was trying to impress him. Her eyes, which did not leave him,
EARLIER On leaving the dining room, Belinda searched through the west wing of the mansion, where she found Draven. He stood beside a window, occasionally glancing at the garden outside as he spoke into the phone. She rushed to him, till she stood directly in front of him. "Yes... I see... Then don't..." Draven continued his conversation with the person at the other end of the call as though she didn't exist. Belinda clenched her jaws, not because she was angry but because she was anxious. She was anxious to get this confrontation over with. When Draven at last distanced the phone from his ear and tucked it into his trousers, her heart skipped a beat, and not for good reasons. He nodded to Cantor and the Beta moved away, but still stayed nearby, watching them. Draven then faced Belinda squarely, his eyes boring a hole in her. "I can explain." Belinda started. Draven did not reply her but waited for her to continue. However, Belinda realized that she actually couldn't expla
"I can't believe your family let you have an engagement party. They never even threw you a birthday party in the past." Lexie Lancer slowly strolled past a hat store at the mall, admiring the pretty hats on display as she walked. She wore the camera she usually carried during her work hours around her neck, using a hand to support its weight. "Maybe they finally had a change of heart. I'll be Female Beta soon and they were probably thinking I at least deserve a good sendoff." A small black hat with a short net veil caught Belinda's eye. She decided to come back for it if her budget allowed it. Lexie snorted. "Yeah right." Both women stopped in front of a store named Grandeur. Belinda had never shopped there herself, as they sold luxury pieces, which she usually stayed away from, mostly because she couldn't afford them. She'd heard though, that this was the best place to shop for second-grade fashion items at a most affordable price. She and Lexie walked into the store with
As Belinda slipped her phone back into her purse, she asked, "How well can you make something go viral?" "What?" The sudden question surprised Lexie. "I'm asking how big is your social media presence. How many people listen when you talk?" "Well..." Lexie shrugged. "I've only got a few hundred followers on Instagram, but I'm a paparazzi. I have connections. If you want the internet in an uproar, I'm just the girl to call." "It's a good thing I have you then." For the second time that day, Belinda genuinely smiled. "I asked you to bring your camera today because I need photos of me of Derek shopping together taken. We have to make the picture of the perfect loved-up couple. Every pack on the continents, and even human blogs, needs to be talking about our engagement party. They must be expecting the wedding of the year." "You want people talking?" Lexie saluted, her straight face causing the action to appear even funnier. "I definitely am your girl." Belinda ga
Drinking out of his wine flute, Paul took a look around at the guests crowding the villa's ballroom. Damn it! More people had shown up than he'd expected. Werewolves from his pack laughed and chatted with the few prominent wolves from other packs, glasses of drinks in their hands. A few enjoyed the sweets and pastries from the buffet tables, and even fewer took pictures on their smartphones. Paul nearly choked on his wine as the one person he didn't want here walked in. All eyes immediately turned to the Lycan, in his sophisticated black suit, and his beta, who was just as eye-catching, behind him. Murmurs immediately erupted in the hall. People wondered who the two gorgeous men were, especially the one with the smothering gaze and the long hair tied in a ponytail. No one knew who they were, but everyone could tell they were important people. No riff-raff gave off that much class and swagger. As the host of a party would, Georgina went to greet the new guest, but this time, Paul and
Derek met Belinda at the end of the stairs, where she flashed him an appreciative smile and took the hand he offered. Leaning forward, he whispered into her ear, "You look beautiful." He got a wider smile as a reply. Hand in hand, the two joined the crowd, the entire ballroom as audience. Cecily gaped as she watched guests flock to the couple. Had they forgotten she was just Belinda? Had a stupid dress changed the fact she was a filthy omega? "Don't do anything dumb." Suddenly, Paul appeared beside Cecily, keeping his gaze straight ahead and his facial expression blank.The fact Belinda had intentionally drawn attention to herself instead of fading into the background did anger him. After all, he had arranged this party only to fulfill all righteousness, but he couldn't punish her for her insolence as the Lycan was in attendance. Paul would play along with this game his wretched stepsister was playing till they were alone. Cecily swerved to Paul, venom drawing lines on her fac
EARLIER Derek was horny. He didn't know why and he couldn't understand how, but his penis was as hard as stone. Tugging his suit's blazer, he tried to use the jacket to hide his erection, smiling and pretending he wasn't feeling so damn uncomfortable. He was standing in a group of men and women, but he only nodded as they talked, because he wasn't hearing a single word they said. All his attention was focused on the raging boner between his legs. "Excuse me for a second." Derek couldn't take it any longer. He had to find somewhere to at least give himself a hand job, or he would go insane. Cecily appeared in front of him then, and his gaze immediately fell to her breasts. His entire being was consumed by the rise and fall of the two creamy globes as she breathed. He wanted to place his tongue there and run it down her stomach till he came across the juicy V between her legs. Fuck! Derek's eyes popped out when he noticed Cecily's nipples were standing, the two peaks poking throu
No one else noticed. They were way too busy discussing the latest drama, but even if they had been paying attention, the drug was already ingested in the culprits' bodies. Draven's nose, however, was too powerful to not catch the faint scent of aphrodisiacs. He then easily figured out what had happened. Unknown to Belinda, he'd monitored her every move at the engagement party. He'd seen her feed both Derek and Cecily wine, then lock all doors except the one to the garden. When Belinda had led them through the glass doors, he'd guessed that she had more sinister intentions than sightseeing. The aphrodisiac had been the final piece of the puzzle. The omega had put a sex enhancer in the fiancé and stepsister's drinks to make them horny, and knowing they wouldn't be able to resist each other, had locked the doors so they'll be forced to fuck nowhere else but the garden. Then she brought an audience to enjoy the show. Draven smiled. He really did like this woman. She wasn't just smart...
Belinda gaped as several attendants rolled racks and racks of dresses into the room, each one more glamorous than the last. The manager apparently took his job seriously, for his devotion was evident as he barked orders at the much younger and jumpier employees. When Belinda had said she wanted to go shopping, she hadn't meant like this. While she enjoyed buying fashion items, she was still sane about it. These people were not. In a space of minutes, the large room exclusive to the most VIP of clients, was filled. Every form of clothes, shoes, and accessories littered every possible surface, so much that she wondered if the entire store had been emptied for her. Her mad stylist had other concerns, however. Haughtily snapping his fingers, the manager summoned two of his attendants. "Sisi! Lulu! Bring the Versace numbers 28 and 43 over here." Nearly, Belinda laughed at all the sass the man was displaying, her hand covering her smiling lips. She failed to hold in a chuckle at the emp
Belinda didn't wear back her panties. In truth, she had no idea where they were. Deciding she could search for them later, she left for her bedroom, where she removed whatever piece of clothing she still had on and entered the shower. It wasn't that she had a problem with the scent of sex on her—she liked it even—but it wasn't something she wanted people to smell just by being near her. After the quick bath, she went ahead to get decent, putting on a chic pink button gown. She decided she would forgo makeup, but she did give herself a final check-up in front of the mirror. The Lycan was waiting for her in the living room, his posture relaxed as he went through his phone. He looked up from the device as she walked in, his gaze then running down her slender form. The appreciative look he gave her proved he liked what he saw. "Are you wearing underwear?" Draven asked, his deep baritone voice husky. Belinda realized that, once again, she was not wearing panties. She'd forgotten to
Belinda sat on the Lycan's desk in his home office, her legs spread wide and her chest pushed forward. She was panting, her fingers digging into the wood of the desk, and her body quivered. Color stained the pale skin of both her cheeks, and her lower lip was an even deeper red, thanks to the teeth that were biting down hard on it. She wanted to moan out loudly, but the Lycan had ordered her not to make a sound. He was on a call, and he would absolutely not tolerate any disturbances. "Yes... Get it done immediately... That won't do." Draven expertly held a completely coherent conversation while pounding three of his large fingers in and out of Belinda. Her body writhed, and her hips grinding maniacally against the wood of the desk. She felt as though she was in another world, a paradise where desire, seduction, and wicked pleasure ruled. Just when she was certain she couldn't take anymore, her eyes flew open. Sparks torched her nerves, threatening to explode into what she suspec
Gazing at the racks in front of him, Derek buried his nose in the crook of his arm, to protect himself from the stench of silver. Just as he'd suspected, the number of boxes had reduced by approximately half, but that still left many. Being surrounded by the one element that could permanently harm him rattled his nerves, but he'd come here on important business. As the charity gala had been a dead end, he now needed to find new clues. Regrettably, that meant coming back here. With a disgruntled sigh, Derek lowered his hand from his face and reached into his pockets. He brought out a pair of leather gloves, which he wore over each hand. Protected and equipped, he began searching through the boxes. If there was one thing that was certain, it was that the weapons weren't made in the Knight family villa. That meant the Knights were only middlemen. If he could find who the producers were, then maybe he could find the final consumers. That was easier said than done, though. In the boxes w
Lila Salvador sat in her fiancé's study, her naked right foot insolently propped on his desk, and her fingers painting her pretty toenails red. Her silky black hair had been left to flow down her back, and a corner of her gown had slid down one shoulder. She was on the phone, and held the device to her ear with her shoulder. If Paul had been there, he would have killed her for getting so comfortable in his space, but that was the thing... He wasn't there. "I still can't believe it, Erika!" Lila whined into the phone. "They came to the house as late as evening. I'm sure they could have waited till morning, I mean he wasn't going anywhere. Yet, they disrupted my dinner. Couldn't find the appetite to eat again." "The arrest is trending everywhere. Making quite a buzz too." The female voice at the opposite end of the line said. "How are you faring?" "How else? Terribly." Lila was quick to reply. She slabbed a dash of red on her big toe, then leaned back to examine it. Once
The news of the arrest of Paul Knight took Chicago by storm. Apparently, their youngest, richest, and most handsome billionaire wasn't a saint. Some didn't mind his crimes. So he hid his money away from the government, who didn't? Then there were those who criticized him mercilessly for it. They were mostly those who were spiteful towards the rich, who felt it was unfair a select few lived in such luxury and extravagance, while they couldn't afford rent. He already had so much, they said, would it kill him to pay his dues to the government? It all should have ended with this simple argument, but then one random reporter from an unknown news outlet published an article reminding people of the Knight Tower scandal. The piece was derogatory, highlighting the rich's habit of trampling on the more unfortunate populace. However, the fire that had lighted the torch was the part where he'd speculated that something terrible had happened to the righteous Fleming couple, especially as they'd m
"Maddox Hawkmore. Who is he?" Georgina felt the color drain from her cheeks, her complexion dropping several shades. Every muscle in her body went taut, straining as her pupils dilated and her parted lips trembled. Belinda's eyebrows shot up at the intense response her mother had to the mention of a mere name. She looked terrified, and that brought to question why. A second later though, Georgina Knight had re-coordinated herself, but it was too late. Belinda had clearly caught her reaction. "You do know him," Belinda stated what she already knew was true. "Who is he?"Georgina had clearly heard Belinda, but she had questions of her own. Her lips thinning, she stared attentively at her daughter. "How do you know that name?" Belinda crossed her arms over her chest. "I asked first. Shouldn't you answer before interrogating me?"Leaning from her seat, Georgina clamped a fist around Belinda's wrist. "Answer me!" Her loud voice was earnest. "How do you know that name?" The tigh
Her phone rang, and Belinda dropped her fork and knife to check who was calling. She was at the restaurant at the Lycan's building, enjoying a meal alone because she needed the peace and quiet. Unfortunately, it was being disturbed. Her eyes on the screen, she lifted an eyebrow at the caller ID. "Hello, Derek." Belinda put the device to her ear. After their less-than-amicable parting at the gala, she'd half expected to not get a call from her ex-mate for a while. Turned out she'd underestimated his maturity. But then again, they had important business together, business more important than any petty quarrel they had. "Belinda." Derek's collected voice came from the other end of the line. "What are you doing right now?" He seemed to ask casually. "Nothing." She briefly glanced down at her almost empty plate. "Just having lunch." "With who?" The reason behind his query wasn't missed, and it made Belinda stiffen, her fingers clutching her phone tighter. Derek must hav
Paul was in his office when his secretary came rushing in, his eyes wide and his voice shaky. "Sir, we have a situation." Raising his head from the documents he'd been proofreading, the alpha of the Chicago Pack raised an annoyed eyebrow at the skinny young man. "I have people I pay to handle these ‘situations’." He stated the obvious. "This one is a bit out of hand, sir." The man insisted. The terror in the boy's demeanor and the way his entire body shook was what got Paul's attention. He dropped everything he was doing and exited from behind his desk. As he followed behind his secretary, he wished he hadn't hired someone so young, so inexperienced, and so easily flustered, for such a crucial office as his secretary. However, the boy was the son of an important member of his pack, and employing him had been a favor to his father. The things an alpha did for the sake of his pack. On arriving at the ground floor of the Knights & Co. company building, Paul quickly saw what