NATHAN'S POVI spent the rest of the night working. The quiet hum of my laptop and the occasional creak of my chair were the only sounds in my apartment. The city outside, usually so loud and chaotic, seemed subdued as if it knew I needed focus.The dream had given me a roadmap of sorts, and now it was time to bring it to life. Emerald Horizon Ventures wasn’t just a name anymore – it was an entity with potential, a vision waiting to be realized.How to go about it…I tapped my chin with the pen I was holding. It was mostly for decoration, seeing as I used the laptop to take notes of anything.The first step was outreach. I needed to secure partnerships with people who could elevate the brand – not just any people, but those who held sway in the luxury market. Claudia Williams and Victor Moreau were at the top of my list.I stared at Claudia’s boutique information on my screen, tapping a pen against my desk. High-end, exclusive, and connected to Manhattan’s elite. In fact, almost the e
NATHAN’S POVThe tall glass doors of the Moreau Enterprises building loomed in front of me. Its sleek exterior reflected the city’s endless motion on this Thursday morning—always busy, always striving. This was Victor Moreau’s domain, a monument to his power and influence in the luxury goods industry. I adjusted the cuff of my shirt, the tailored suit giving me a polished edge, and walked through the doors with purpose.When Lola had called me back two days later, that somehow, by some miracle, she had managed to get me a meeting with him, I was surprised but energized.“You owe me. Big time,” she had said to me.“I got you. If—sorry, when this works, we'll talk.”I knew this was just something that was going to happen no matter what. I would make it happen.Victor Moreau was not a man easily impressed. He thrived in a world of dominance, precision, and results. If I was going to make him see the value in Emerald Horizon Ventures, I had to match his intensity. No hesitation. No second
NATHAN'S POVThe elevator chimed softly as I reached the co-working space I had leased for Emerald Horizon Ventures. It wasn’t as grand as Victor Moreau’s penthouse office, but it didn’t need to be. This was the launch pad for something bigger – a place where ideas would take shape and the team would transform them into reality.Everything was slowly coming together, and it filled me with such an indescribable feeling. It felt like my nerves were charged with electricity. I almost couldn't tell if it was from the fear of failure, the excitement to build something or the challenge of going out of my comfort zone.This was nothing like leading a pack – but I'll be damned if I didn't give it my best shot.The air buzzed with quiet energy as I walked into the glass-walled conference room, where the day’s schedule was laid out. I adjusted my tie and checked my watch. My first round of interviews was set to begin in fifteen minutes.I’d made my pitch to Victor, secured the partnership, and
NATHAN'S POVThe office buzzed with the hum of quiet productivity, a stark contrast to the empty shell it had been just a few weeks ago. It was nearly Christmas, and the city outside sparkled with festive lights, wreaths, and the faint sound of carolers in the distance. Emerald Horizon Ventures had come alive faster than I had anticipated.I had employed only the most efficient people from those who had been interviewed. That would be Jacob, Camille, Priya, and Davis. More would definitely be added to the ship, but for now, let's see how smooth the sails will be with just this main core.The team was lean but effective, with each member contributing their own expertise. Jacob had proven his value almost immediately, launching an influencer-driven campaign that had luxury blogs buzzing about our brand before we’d even officially launched.Priya had streamlined our supply chain, cutting unnecessary costs without compromising our vision for ethical sourcing.And Camille – she was the glu
NATHAN'S POVThe city was awash in holiday cheer, but I couldn’t feel it. From the frost-covered sidewalks to the garlands and twinkling lights strung across every storefront, it seemed like the world was celebrating, and I was merely an observer.Inside the office, the hum of productivity had died down long ago as most of the team had left to spend Christmas with their families. I leaned against the large window on Christmas Eve, the cold seeping through the glass as I stared out at the bustling streets below. I should be home, or at least, in my apartment, not here like some workaholic.But I couldn't bear to be in that empty apartment alone. I had moved from where Lola had gotten me and now stayed at a penthouse in Manhattan, now part of the city proper. It had been tastefully decorated to the last detail, but despite my best efforts, it still lacked one essential ingredient.Home.It was like the word was a slap in the face, bringing me back to my reality—why I was here when every
SOPHIA'S POVThe living room was awash in the soft glow of Christmas lights. They twinkled gently on the tree, reflecting off the glass ornaments that Alex and Alexia had insisted on hanging themselves. The scent of pine and freshly baked cookies filled the air, mingling with the faint melody of a Christmas carol playing softly in the background.Alex and Alexia were sprawled on the floor, their laughter filling the room as they unwrapped the last of the presents. Alexia, ever meticulous, had already dressed her new doll in three different outfits, while Alex, with his boundless energy, was carefully sorting through his new puzzle pieces.“Mama, look at this!” Alex held up a piece of the puzzle, his piercing grey eyes – so much like his father's – lighting up with excitement.“I see it, sweetheart,” I said, smiling as I leaned against the armrest of the couch.“This dress is the prettiest,” Alexia declared, twirling the doll in her tiny hands before looking up at me with a beaming smi
LUCAS’ POVChristmas mornings always felt a little hollow. Not because I didn’t have enough – far from it – but because the things that mattered couldn’t be bought. My penthouse in Manhattan was decked out in an understated holiday décor, arranged by an interior designer I’d hired to “make it festive.”But the towering tree in the corner, the tasteful garlands on the banister, and even the luxury Christmas playlist playing softly through the sound system couldn’t fill the void. My mom had offered to come over, but I had declined, citing that I wasn't going to be in the city.I had plans to spend the holiday in Zurich, finalizing details on a major real estate project. The keyword being “had,” but a last-minute cancellation left me with an empty calendar. The team assured me it would wait until after the new year, which meant I was home – alone.By midmorning, I’d gone through my usual routine: coffee brewed to perfection, a quick workout, and then a series of emails to keep myself bus
GRACE’S POVThe hotel room felt colder than it should have, despite the heater humming quietly in the corner. Snow fell steadily outside the window, the streets below buried under a thick white blanket. I let out a sigh, staring at my laptop screen, a draft of notes for an upcoming client session blinking back at me.My video call with Sophia and the twins had been the highlight of my day. As I leaned back in the stiff armchair, I could still hear Alex and Alexia’s laughter and picture their bright smiles as they showed off their Christmas presents. And Lucas—chiming in with that sly humor of his—had somehow made me laugh even through the shoddy connection.I had wished more than anything to be there with them.This snowstorm was supposed to be an inconvenience, but now I wondered if it was a sign. A forced pause in the chaos of life, a chance to reflect. Maybe it was time I did that—really did that.I decided to turn on my camera, opting to record it. I found that sometimes, just tur
SOPHIA’S POV The sun filtered gently through the curtains, casting warm stripes across the wooden floor. For once, the house was quiet – not with the eerie kind of silence that came from something being wrong, but the kind that only came after a storm. I stood in the kitchen, barefoot, a mug of tea cradled in my hands. “Ow, hot.” I burned my fingers as I dipped it in the mug to taste the tea. Then replied myself, “Of course it's hot you dummy. You just made it.” I sighed and leaned my head lightly against the cabinet door as I stared at the empty hallway beyond. The twins were still asleep, for now. I had let them sleep in. I’d taken the day off. No Kate, no kitchen, no demands. I texted her before dawn. “Can’t come in today. Family stuff. I trust you.” I didn’t say more, and she didn’t ask. She just sent back a thumbs-up and a heart. I knew she would understand even with no explanation. The truth was, I didn’t even know how to put words to what had happened last night. I wa
VICTORIA'S POVThe air reeked of stale beer, sweat, and desperation. Ew.But, it was exactly the kind of place I’d expect to find a disgraced Alpha drowning in his own failure. Go figure.The bar was tucked into the corner of a forgotten alley, away from prying eyes by broken neon signs and shattered dreams. How do the humans say it again? Ahh, yes. What a boulevard of broken dreams.I stood outside for a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the dim glow bleeding through the fogged windows. The faint thundering boom of music sounded from within – some cheap EDM beat vibrating through shitty speakers – and over all of that, somehow louder than it all, the rough voices of men exchanging bets, boasts, and laughter that reeked of low intelligence.I pushed the door open.The warmth inside hit me like a wall, thick with body heat and alcohol fumes. It was a human dive, alright. Ugh.Cheap wood paneling, flickering lights, a couple of dart boards with knives sticking out of them. A fight was b
NATHAN'S POVThe rain had finally stopped.I watched the last beads slide down the windowpane of my office, the world outside slick and silver under the afternoon light. It had been a quiet day—restless, but quiet. The kind of quiet that gets under your skin, makes your wolf lift its head and sniff the wind.Still, I tried not to read too much into it. I had things to do—real things.I turned my attention back to the table in front of me. A spread of papers, drawings, and a carefully wrapped pair of gifts sat in the center. One for Alex. One for Alexia.I had put them together after our last talk—gifts that I hoped the ancestors would be proud of, sure, but also from me. I’d carved their names into the wooden boxes myself. Inside were tokens of our world—hand-polished stones charged with protective runes, small journals bound in soft leather, and a pendant each, etched with our crest. It was slightly different from the other pendants I had gotten them—this one had the Bennett family c
THEON'S POVThe council room was a pressure cooker. It was almost as though the collective heat emanating from the council members could cook a hard, battle-seasoned wolf.Heat radiated from more than just the fire crackling in the hearth. It steamed from the anger in the room – wolves packed wall to wall, voices rising, tempers flaring. And no matter how tall I stood or how hard I glared, it wasn’t enough to keep the unrest at bay anymore.“He left,” Brannon, one of the newer council members, arms folded across his massive chest. “Our Alpha abandoned us.”“He didn’t abandon us,” I snapped, my voice ringing out like a whip. I imbued a bit of authority so as to make lesser wolves obey due to the chain of command. “He made a choice. One he told us about. One he took full responsibility for.”“He left,” someone else echoed. “When the fire hit. When the house burned. When Victoria and her father tried to kill him – he walked away. What kind of Alpha does that?”One of the younger wolves,
SOPHIA’S POVAlexia’s eyes glowed with a strange, pulsing light – unnatural and far too old for her six-year-old face. They didn’t blink as she stared straight ahead, her small hand still raised, fingers curled like she was holding something I couldn’t see.“Alpha Nathan, leader of the Moonstone Pack… you are in grave danger.”My heart slowed down, stuttering in its steady walk. The air itself seemed to still, the warmth sucked from the room. I started to step forward on instinct – my baby – but Elara caught my wrist, holding me firm. Her grip was steady, but her gaze never left Alexia. Her silence screamed, don’t.Then Alexia’s head turned. Slowly. Mechanically, like her bones had turned to gears with knobs for muscles. Until her glowing gaze landed on me.“And you… Sophia of the broken bond…”I stopped breathing.The voice was still hers, still soft and small – but it was laced with something heavy and ancient. Something that didn’t belong inside or anywhere near my daughter’s body.
NATHAN'S POVElara didn’t wait for us to react. She was already halfway down the hallway by the time I caught up.“Is it Alex?” I asked, heart slamming against my ribs.“Yes,” she said sharply. “But not in the way you think. Come on.”I didn’t look at Sophia – we were moving too fast – but I felt her presence behind me. Her heartbeat was quick, light footsteps trailing mine as we reached the twins’ room.When Elara threw the door open, everything in me froze.Alex lay in bed, his body drenched in sweat. But it wasn’t a fever. His skin glowed faintly, like moonlight was trying to escape through his veins. His fingers twitched, his back arched once, and his lips moved silently, like he was trying to speak in a dream.Alexia sat beside him, hands pressed to his chest, brows furrowed in fierce concentration.“Elara–” Sophia’s voice broke. “What’s happening to him?”Before she could answer, Alexia turned to us. “Shhh.”She didn’t shout, didn’t cry. Just raised her tiny finger to her lips.
SOPHIA'S POV“No way in fucking hell.”The words cut through the room like a whip cracking. Sharp and final.But the second they’re out, my chest constricts. Fucking hell. I see it in his eyes – the flicker of hurt – but I don’t care. I can’t care. Not now. Not when my entire world’s been turned on its head again, and he’s the one holding the match.Nathan doesn’t say anything. He just stands there in the kitchen’s low light, like he expected this. Like he knew it would go this way and still came anyway.Good.He should’ve known better.“You think you can just walk back into our lives,” I start, pacing because I can’t be still, my hands doing their part in the conversation too, “say a few heartfelt things, drop some ancient-wolf-magic prophecy on me – and I’m supposed to just what, uproot everything and go back to Moonstone?”“I didn’t say it would be easy,” he said, voice calm but low.I whirl around on him. “Don’t do that. Don’t use that calm, measured tone with me. You left. You ba
NATHAN'S POV Her voice breaks the quiet. “We need to talk.” Fucking hell. I knew what it was going to be about. I nod, even though I already know this won’t be easy. I follow her to the kitchen, where the light is low and everything feels too still. It smells like honey tea and something faintly herbal, probably whatever she brewed to ease Alex’s symptoms. I take the seat across from her, my shoulders tight, heart steady but heavy. She doesn’t waste time. “I saw things tonight,” she says, arms crossed, voice tight. “Things I don’t understand. You touched Alex and… the way your aura shifted, your eyes… even the air changed. I felt it, Nathan. Through the bond.” I hold her gaze. “I know.” Her brows lift slightly. “You’ve changed.” I don’t argue. “I have.” She waits, like she knows I have more. Then she spelled it out for me. “What the fuck aren't you telling me, Nathan?” She’s right. It was time to finally, fully come clean. “I didn’t always know what I was,” I say quietly
SOPHIA'S POVBut that was clearly a problem for another day, as Nathan didn't give two shits about any other thing.“Where is he? Where is he, Sophia?”Nathan’s voice crashes through the house like thunderous waves in a storm. The walls seem to echo with it. My breath hitches. The room spins for half a second before my feet find the ground again.I turn sharply, hand gripping the counter for balance. He’s standing there in the doorway, shoulders tense, chest rising fast, eyes wild and glowing faintly gold. His wolf was really struggling to come to the surface and from what I could tell, it looked like only the gods themselves were holding him at bay. I’ve never seen that look on his face before.Not even when we fought. Not even when everything between us broke.“Nathan.” I breathe, but he’s already moving. Storming past me.“Elara!” He shouts. “Where is he?”Her voice comes from the hallway, calm but urgent. “Upstairs. Second door on the left.”“Nathan, wait!” I go after him, but he’