NATHAN’S POVThe clock in my office ticked loudly, or maybe it just felt that way with how quiet the room had gotten. If Elder Jesper were here, he would've sworn that, “If a man dropped a pin, it would ring in his ears.” I remember when he said such, and the memory brought a faint smile to my mouth, but before it could bloom further, the shears of the current situation nipped it in the bud.I ran a hand through my face. “What do we have?”Camille stood by the board we’d set up, her pen frozen mid-air, while Davis scrolled through his tablet like his life depended on it. As he should.Jacob paced, and Priya leaned against the desk, arms folded, her expression skeptical.“This shouldn’t be that hard,” I said, leaning forward in my chair, my chin resting on my linked fingers. My voice was calm, but they could hear the edge that was present, sharp and unyielding. “It’s a building. A sale. There’s paperwork. Someone’s name is on it.”“And yet here we are,” Priya muttered, and my gaze cut
NATHAN’S POVThe private dining room at Le Monde was just as pretentious as I expected – polished mahogany, soft candlelight, and a waiter hovering by the door like a guard dog. It suited Richard McAllister perfectly. He sat at the head of the table, dressed in a tailored suit that screamed wealth and arrogance.His smile didn’t reach his eyes as he rose to greet me.“Nathaniel Bennett.” His voice was smooth, like the whiskey in his hand. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Getting Victor Moreau to partner up with you. Just how did you do it?”I ignored his question. “Hm, you have? Then you know I don’t go by Nathaniel.” I shook his hand firmly, holding his gaze. He was tall, but I didn’t care. He wasn’t my equal, and I was going to make sure he knew it.Richard chuckled, gesturing to the chair across from him. “Fair enough. Please, sit.”I obliged, but I didn’t bother taking off my coat. This wasn’t a dinner meeting. This was business, and I wasn’t about to make myself comfortable.It
SOFIA'S POV"Slut!""Wake up, you slut!"The voice echoed in my ears like a slap—sharp and piercing. My arm was tapped roughly, and a sickening weight pressed down on me, making my body feel like it was sinking into the bed.But I didn’t move. My eyelids were too heavy, my body too weak, as though something was forcing me to stay still.Then, the voice came again, louder this time."You whore, I said wake up!"My chest rose and fell with a shaky breath as I forced my eyes open. The first thing I saw was Victoria's face, her lips curled into a sneer, eyes burning with disgust.I blinked, confused. My surroundings felt wrong and strange. I should be in Nathan's room, not here. This wasn’t his room. This wasn’t where I was supposed to be.Then it hit me. I was in the garden last night with a glass of wine, preparing for the most important day of my life. I was going to be made Luna of the pack. Nathan had called me and told me he had a surprise for me.But now... how had I ended up here?
SOFIA'S POV"Wh—what are you saying?”"Have you forgotten today is our coronation?" I said, my voice trembling as I reached for him, hoping to make him see reason.But Nathan scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive, and I felt it deep in my chest.He didn’t even spare me a second glance as I chased after him. It wasn’t until I realized I was still not dressed that the gravity of the situation hit me.In a daze, I quickly rushed back to the room to change, but it felt like my body was on autopilot, the motions mechanical as I scrambled into my clothes.I hurried out, desperate to get to the palace—to Nathan. I had to reach him before the coronation began.The palace grounds were already teeming with people. Their voices rose in a cacophony that made my head spin, but I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances and whispers that followed me. I was numb to the attention. The only thing that mattered was reaching Nathan.Finally, I saw him. There he was—standing with Victoria
NATHAN'S POV"She's not in the Pack, Alpha," the messenger said while bowing his head."She's not in the Pack?" I asked as if I hadn't heard him the first time."Yes, Alpha. Some people said she moved out of the Pack after you banished her," he said, stating a fact that I had forgotten. I had acted irrationally, and now I think I regret it."Alright. You may leave," I dismissed him, and he left with a bow.She left, I said to myself."Of course, she'll leave. You used your Alpha voice on her and told her never to return," my wolf said, blaming me for the umpteenth time since that fateful day.I know; it’s my fault. I should have at least heard her out. I should have listened, just once, instead of acting in the heat of the moment. But… What if it’s true? What if she really did sleep with that person?I could feel my wolf ignoring me, silent again, leaving me stranded in my own tangled thoughts. Since the incident, he had hardly spoken to me without reminding me of my mistake. He came
SOPHIA'SPOVToday has been really busy for me. Customers kept coming and going, and I barely had time to catch my breath. At one point, I had to quickly mix the dough just in case I needed to make more. All I kept hearing was, "Can I have that?" "Oh! This looks nice, can I have two of them?" "Oh! My husband loved the doughnuts from last time; I think I want to place an order."It was one voice after another, a chorus of demands that made my heart race with excitement. I was glad things were moving fine for me. I was starting to get my life back to normal. At least now, I could afford some things for myself without having to disturb Dr. Grace about my needs. The freedom felt refreshing. I was also glad I could do something for myself, and I had Dr. Grace to thank for all this. Speaking of Dr. Grace, we had missed two sessions. Though she was done with the conference, she had something important to take care of. I couldn’t wait to see her again to tell her about the progress of my baker
SOPHIA'S POV"Hey, Sophia." Dr. Grace called happily as I entered her office. "It feels like forever since I last saw you!" She looked so happy to see me after not seeing me for about a week. She hugged me tightly and smiled, showing her gap teeth. But her smile turned into a frown when she saw my face. I obviously didn't smile back at her."Sophia? Are you okay? What is it, darling?" Her voice softened with concern as she searched my face, but I was silent as I couldn't even form words. I couldn't even lie this time by saying, "I'm fine," as it was clear that I was not."Sophia, have you been crying again?" she asked with a frown. "Come and have your seat, dear." She pulled me to the chair, and I sat down with the strength left in me. She walked back to her chair and sighed heavily as she stared at me in silence. She looked at me with pity—the same pity I saw in her eyes the day we first met at the park. She was starting to have some faith in me, and now it's all pity."Sophia...""H
SOPHIA'S POVThe stranger stared back at me like he could see my soul. He looked lost, and my back was starting to ache. I cleared my throat, and that seemed to bring him back. He pulled me up and took a step back."I'm sorry, miss, I wasn't looking," he said, looking a bit nervous."No, I'm sorry. I was searching for something in my bag. I didn't know..." I trailed off, looking away. There was an awkward silence. I didn’t walk away or feel the need to, and neither did he."My name is Lucas," he said, breaking the awkward silence between us and stretching out his hand with a broad smile."Sophia," I replied, meeting his big hand with my slim one."A beautiful name for a beautiful lady?" he said, and I scoffed."Isn't that a cliché, Lucas?" I asked, tilting my head a little to the side with a silly smile plastered on my face."You got me right there, but I'm not just saying it—I do mean it," he said with a serious expression. I quickly untangled my hand from his hold."I should get goi
NATHAN’S POVThe private dining room at Le Monde was just as pretentious as I expected – polished mahogany, soft candlelight, and a waiter hovering by the door like a guard dog. It suited Richard McAllister perfectly. He sat at the head of the table, dressed in a tailored suit that screamed wealth and arrogance.His smile didn’t reach his eyes as he rose to greet me.“Nathaniel Bennett.” His voice was smooth, like the whiskey in his hand. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Getting Victor Moreau to partner up with you. Just how did you do it?”I ignored his question. “Hm, you have? Then you know I don’t go by Nathaniel.” I shook his hand firmly, holding his gaze. He was tall, but I didn’t care. He wasn’t my equal, and I was going to make sure he knew it.Richard chuckled, gesturing to the chair across from him. “Fair enough. Please, sit.”I obliged, but I didn’t bother taking off my coat. This wasn’t a dinner meeting. This was business, and I wasn’t about to make myself comfortable.It
NATHAN’S POVThe clock in my office ticked loudly, or maybe it just felt that way with how quiet the room had gotten. If Elder Jesper were here, he would've sworn that, “If a man dropped a pin, it would ring in his ears.” I remember when he said such, and the memory brought a faint smile to my mouth, but before it could bloom further, the shears of the current situation nipped it in the bud.I ran a hand through my face. “What do we have?”Camille stood by the board we’d set up, her pen frozen mid-air, while Davis scrolled through his tablet like his life depended on it. As he should.Jacob paced, and Priya leaned against the desk, arms folded, her expression skeptical.“This shouldn’t be that hard,” I said, leaning forward in my chair, my chin resting on my linked fingers. My voice was calm, but they could hear the edge that was present, sharp and unyielding. “It’s a building. A sale. There’s paperwork. Someone’s name is on it.”“And yet here we are,” Priya muttered, and my gaze cut
NATHAN’S POVThe office was tense, humming with quiet urgency as my team trickled into the conference room. I had called in a meeting to address the situation as soon as Lola left. It had to be taken care of. There was no room for errors.Camille was the first to arrive, her sharp gaze focused on the papers she held tightly in her hands. Priya followed next, already juggling her tablet and phone. Jacob and Davis brought up the rear, their casual banter halting the moment they stepped inside and saw my expression.I didn’t bother to sit. Instead, I stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, my gaze fixed on the map of the city projected on the wall. The building was circled in bold red. I wasn't going to let it slip from my sight.“This isn’t just any building,” I began, my voice sharp, cutting through the room like a blade, my jaw ticking as I spoke. “This is our building. It’s in the perfect location – access to everything we need, enough space to grow, and its positioning keeps u
NATHAN’S POVThe days after New Year’s Eve passed in a haze of frustration and restless energy. The moment I saw her on the Brooklyn Bridge, I knew I couldn’t let it go. My wolf had made his stance clear, and to be honest, I felt the same.I sat at my desk in my office, the faint hum of the city outside filtering through the glass windows. My hands rested on the oak table, fingers drumming absently against the surface as I stared at the notes and scattered papers in front of me. They weren’t about Sophia – not exactly. They were about the children I had seen at the museum months ago.I couldn’t shake the memory of their faces. I hadn’t recognized them immediately, but something about them had tugged at a deeply buried instinct. Their features, their scents, the way they moved – it all felt connected somehow. I had spent weeks trying to uncover who they were and where they had come from, but every lead turned into a dead end.“Alex and Alexia,” I said their names out loud. Twins. My ch
NATHAN’S POVThere she was…She was standing a few feet away, her face tilted up toward the fireworks. Her dark hair framed her face, and even in the chaos of the crowd, she seemed to stand apart, as if the world had shifted to put her in sharp focus.Sophia.My wolf surged forward, a mix of longing and protectiveness flooding me. I hadn’t seen her in years, but there was no mistaking her.She turned then, her eyes meeting mine, and the world seemed to stop.Lola’s voice was distant, drowned out by the pounding of my heart and the roar of the fireworks.For the first time in what felt like forever, everything else faded away. There was only her.And just like that, I knew. This wasn’t just chance. This wasn’t just fate.This was my second chance.The moment our eyes met, the world around me ceased to exist. My heart thundered in my chest, a relentless rhythm that drowned out even the roaring fireworks in my ears. My wolf surged forward, his growl echoing in my mind, urging me to act.
NATHAN’S POVThe crowd on the Brooklyn Bridge was alive with energy. Laughter and chatter mixed with the sound of car horns and the faint strains of music drifting in from nearby parties. The cold air bit at my face, but the warmth of the bodies around me made it bearable. This was not where I wanted to be, not even remotely.“Remind me why I let you drag me out here, Lola?” I muttered, shoving my hands deeper into my coat pockets as I dodged a group of teenagers racing past us.Lola, dressed in a thick cream coat with a fur-lined hood, turned to me with a grin that screamed mischief. “Because, dear Alpha, you’ve been moping in your apartment for weeks, and I couldn’t take another one of your broody texts. It’s New Year’s Eve! You’re in New York City! Live a little.”I shot her a dry look. “I don’t brood.”She snorted. “Oh, please. You practically invented it. ‘Lola, the city feels empty.’ ‘Lola, Christmas isn’t the same.’ ‘Lola, I’m not sure the decorations are tasteful enough.’”I g
SOPHIA’S POVThe gentle hum of conversation and laughter filled the house as the twins darted around, their giggles echoing off the walls. The past few days had been a whirlwind. Lucas’s unexpected arrival on Christmas night had shaken something loose in me—something I'm starting to get the feeling I’d been holding back for far too long.And now, here we were, on New Year’s Eve, still riding our rhythm like this wasn't my first holiday back. Lucas was a man of his word, and I knew he didn't have to be here. He could have been with family, but the fact that he chose here made my heart warm.He was in the kitchen with Alex, helping him build a mini volcano from a science kit he’d received for Christmas. Alexia was beside me on the couch, quietly braiding her doll’s hair, though her curious eyes kept drifting to Lucas.“I think Alex likes him,” Alexia whispered, her voice low but amused.I chuckled softly, brushing a stray curl from her face. “Oh yeah? What about you?”She paused, a misc
THEON'S POVIt was New Year’s Eve. A time of celebration, a time of joy.Or so it was supposed to be.I heaved out a sigh as I watched the occupants of the space.The packhouse was alive with forced celebration, laughter ringing out into the cold night like the faint embers of a dying fire. But even as the others laughed and toasted to a new year, I stood in the shadows of the room, watching, listening, calculating.The truth was, I couldn’t afford to celebrate. Not now.Nathan had been gone for weeks now.To the rest of the pack, our Alpha was on a mission to hunt Malachi, their greatest enemy and the last remnant of a dark chapter in our history. It was a noble cause, a story they could rally behind. But I knew better. Malachi wasn’t Nathan’s focus – Sophia was. She had been the true reason behind his abrupt departure. I could bet Malachi wasn't even on his mind.And now I was left here, trying to hold together the pieces of a pack that was slowly unraveling.“Theon.” A voice called
VICTORIA’S POVThe sun was merciless today, burning down on me as if even the heavens wanted me to suffer for my so-called sins. Was disrespecting my Alpha a sin? Was it truly a sin if it was all for his well-being? If I did it because I loved him? If so, then I wouldn't change a thing.Nathan and I were meant to be together.My hands were raw from pulling weeds out of the community garden—Nathan’s brilliant idea of justice. Of punishment. It was demeaning, humiliating, and oh-so typical of him.I smiled faintly to myself as I hummed a tune. He didn't have the balls to send me away, and I could tell why. He loves me. He was simply in denial—or just didn't know it yet.I swiped my forearm across my brow, smearing dirt across my face. My once-manicured nails were caked with soil, and my skin was rough and chafed. This wasn’t the life I was meant for. I was the Beta’s daughter, the second most respected rank after the Alpha himself. I had once commanded authority, admiration, and fear.A