SOPHIA'S POVThe plan was very simple. It was one that I had put months into planning, and it was slowly coming to fruition. The plan was divided into four parts, and the first phase of it was complete.Coming into New York, I had known that it would not be the easiest thing to return five years later to the New York culinary scene, knowing the hustle and bustle of the city. But I had not spent those last couple of years in vain.No. It had been used to build up everything I needed to come back to New York and to come back in style.Phase one of the plan was to give a test run of what I wanted my future to look like. It had only been a sliver of it, but it had gone even better than I had anticipated. I was appreciative of the efforts everyone had put into it, but that hadn't even scratched the surface. If everything goes according to plan, then Il Cuore de Sofia would be the next best thing.And now...I checked my emails and saw the replies to the blast I had sent out earlier. All of
SOPHIA’S POVThe sun shone brightly over the New York horizon, its reflection working wonders on the streets of the city. I could watch its people for hours, always amazed at how they seemed to strive no matter the situation. Their go-getter energy is infectious, and it’s practically the anthem of everyone who lives here. You couldn’t be a New Yorker without being made from a different material, cut from a different cloth.It was why I had chosen to settle here. I was confident that with their varying cultures and tastes, the limits of what I could achieve here would be endless.And today marked an important step in the journey as my restaurant was officially opening. I watched as the place filled up, with every known food critic and some big names in the industry that I had amassed over the years. It brought me pride and joy that all my efforts had not been in vain.The place was filled and then promptly closed to the public. The placement of the unique design was a smart choice, as
SOPHIA'S POV What?! I stood paralyzed, my eyes fixed on nowhere in particular. The scene in the restaurant still continued on like normal, no one having the faintest idea that I just had a life-changing phone call. I understood what it meant; on some level, my brain had caught up with the moment, but I was still in denial. This cannot be happening. Although I had planned for this moment, it came way too soon. And it was way too early. And why did it have to happen in school? In the eyes of the prying public? “Miss Lancaster? Hello?” The voice reminded me that I was still on the phone call. “Yes, Mrs. Jones?” The principal started speaking. “Yes. Like I was saying, would you be available to come to the school now? Your presence is needed.” “Alright. I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Please tell my baby to just sit still, and Mommy’s going to be right there.” “We'll be expecting you.” I took the phone off my ear, a sign that the conversation had ended, but Mrs. Jones was
NATHAN'S POV“We have to do something about this! I refuse to let this stand!”One of his Betas screamed in his seat where I was, on my left-hand side. The headache that had been slowly forming in my head continued to bloom like a flower in spring.“No. We have to wait. We can't rush in when we don't have the full story. We have to be patient, Rodney!” another one of my Betas emphasized on my right side.Everyone just seemed to be having opinions left and right, I thought to myself as I rubbed my head. They couldn't seem to agree on anything today.A couple of spies had been caught near the border of our pack, and upon further investigation, it was brought to light that the intruders were from a neighboring werewolf pack: the Silverfang Pack.The pack had existed side by side with us for years in peace and harmony after the first war they had that brought about destruction and calamities to both clans. But when their leader was killed and leadership changed, they drafted something of
NATHAN'S POVI had walked farther toward the edge of the territory than I had initially realized. What started as a brisk walk turned into a jog as I ate up the distance between me and Victoria.Did I really make a mistake about Sophia? The scene from that day is still fresh in my mind. Seeing her wrapped up in another's arms in bed had shattered everything for me. The evidence against her was too glaring for me to just ignore.But had I been too hasty in my judgment? What if, somehow, she was actually innocent?Perhaps I should have heard her out.“Yes, you should have. I told you, you shouldn't have been so hasty to condemn our mate,” a voice said in my head.Hearing my wolf's voice almost had me tripping over my own feet, but I righted myself and continued at my pace.“Hello? Are you still there?” I said, going in my head to start a conversation with him. But once again, I was met with nothing.I sighed, knowing it had been a fruitless effort. My wolf had been mad at me and refused
NATHAN'S POVI walked with Victoria's father to his house, leaving the scene of their heated fight. I pushed down my impatience, trying to be considerate, as the man had been injured in the fight and winced with each step he took. “Are you sure you're alright?” I ask him. “Yes, Alpha Nathan. It's just a little bruise. See, werewolf healing is already kicking in,” he said, pointing at the healing wound on his shin. I watched, always fascinated to see werewolves' extraordinary abilities in action. Being a werewolf does not detach me from appreciating the gifts we had. Werewolf healing was one of the traits that kicked in first in a young wolf. I guess even the Luna goddess knew we'd need it, being the creatures that we were. It also really helped with shifting, as that process was often painful at first and could make a weaker wolf pass out in the process. My lips quirked into a small smile as I remembered how much it had saved me as a young wolf, always getting into trouble. “Is so
SOPHIA’S POVMy foot is on the accelerator as I drive as fast as I can to the school without breaking the speed limit. The situation is not the most ideal one, and it's starting to get to me. How do I deal with this? It kills me to lie to my children or hide anything from them, but it's dangerous for them to know the truth.I tap my finger nervously against the wheel, my grip tightening. I don't even notice Lucas move until he's faced me, placing his hand on mine and gently easing the grip I have on the wheel. He starts rubbing small circles on my knuckles, and my tension flows out of my body. I slow down and start to drive at a normal pace.I had no idea how soothing just his presence and that simple action would be.“Want to talk about it?” he said, his voice calm and velvety as he spoke.I don't know what it was about him, but he seemed to always be there at the right time, whenever I needed him.I tried to think about how best to convey my thoughts, and my anxiety about the situat
SOPHIA'S POV“What do you mean, Mrs. Jones?”I think my tone unsettles her a bit, so I make a conscious effort to soften it. When she hesitates to respond, I ask again, “Mrs. Jones, I said, what do you mean by ‘that might be problematic?’” My voice carries a hint of desperation, though I try to keep it respectful.She lets out a nervous laugh and adjusts her glasses. “Well, you see, the nurse insists she's not crazy and locked them in a room. She refuses to tell us which one. We’ve searched everywhere.”I must not have heard her right. “She did what?”“Miss Lancaster, you need to calm down. The police are on their way right now, and we'll find them before you know it.”I was not hearing any of that. “Where is she?”“Ma'am, you just need to wait for—” The principal tries to calm me down, but I cut her off. I stand up, letting her know I mean business.“Where is the nurse?”“I—she's also locked, but in her office. She refuses to come out after what she did.”I don't know where I'm going
SOPHIA'S POVThe venue was nothing short of stunning.Polished marble floors, chandeliers casting a warm glow, and sleek stainless steel workstations lined up neatly. The air buzzed with quiet anticipation as chefs prepped their stations, checking their ingredients and supplies. I could tell the air in the room was charged with energy the minute I stepped in.Goddamn. Even my wolf was impressed, from where she watched.I adjusted the strap of my apron, taking in the space. This competition wasn’t televised, but that didn’t make it any less intense. Winning meant prestige, respect, and proving that I belonged among the best.And across the room, Emelia stood with that same smirk I’d seen a dozen times before.Maria, standing beside me, let out a low whistle. “Damn. They really went all out. Makes our kitchen look like a food truck.”I shot her a look. “‘Our’ kitchen is just fine.”“Yeah, yeah.” She said, waving a hand. “You ready?”I nodded, rolling my shoulders. “As I’ll ever be.”The
SOPHIA'S POVAs the speeches ended and the twins basked in the love everyone was showering them with, I took a moment to breathe. The party had gone smoother than I expected, despite the clear and obvious tension between Nathan and Lucas. But I knew that was only because they’d been kept busy with the kids and giving them gifts.Now, with the formalities over, I had work to do.I glanced over at Maria and Frank, who stood near the drink table, deep in conversation. Well, that was a good start. Frank was laughing at something Maria said, and she had that intrigued glint in her eyes. Still, I wasn’t about to leave things to chance.Grabbing a fresh plate of food, I made my way toward them, wearing my best innocent smile. “Hey, you two. Enjoying yourselves?”Frank wiped his hands on a napkin. “Your food is top notch, as always, Sophia.”Maria smirked. “Yeah, yeah, don’t think flattery will get you more free meals.”I laughed and casually glanced around. “You know, since you two are alre
SOPHIA'S POVThe kitchen was chaos personified.Cake batter smudged my cheek, frosting covered my fingers, and the sweet scent of vanilla and chocolate filled the air. The twins’ birthday was supposed to be a joyful, carefree day, but with the competition looming over me like a highly upset storm cloud, it was hard to not focus on the stress completely.I had spent the past week obsessing over menu plans, supplier issues, and last minute adjustments. I did not want to be caught lacking. But today, none of that mattered. Today was about Alex and Alexia. I owed them this.Kate nudged me with her elbow as she carefully arranged cupcakes on a tray. “You look like you’re planning world domination, not a birthday party.”I huffed out a laugh. “Same thing. I should write a book titled, ‘How to successfully plan world domination’ don't you think?”She smirked. “Slow your roll soldier. You sure inviting both of them is a good idea?”I stiffened. “They’ll deal with it.”Kate gave me a knowing l
NATHAN'S POVSophia’s words still lingered in my mind as I stepped out of my office, the cool evening air wrapping around me.“Thank you, Nathan.”She had said it softly, with sincerity, but also with hesitation, as if she wasn’t sure how much gratitude she wanted to offer me. As if she was still keeping a wall between us.I understood.She had every right to be cautious. I had made mistakes. But I wasn’t the same man I was when I had let her walk away.Now, I was here. And I wasn’t going anywhere.I checked my phone, scrolling through the messages Theon had sent. The pack was restless. Some still questioned my leadership, especially after my decision to show mercy to Victoria and her father. I had anticipated the backlash, but it was clear that my absence was adding fuel to their doubts.Still, my priorities were set.Sophia. Alex. Alexia.They came first.I turned onto the sidewalk, moving through the streets of New York with a purpose. The city was alive, the sounds of distant traf
LUCAS' POVIt had all happened like it was a dream. An out of body experience.I had planned everything down to the last detail. The weekend away was supposed to be a break, a moment for Sophia and me to breathe outside of work, responsibilities, and – most importantly – Nathan.But now, she was backing out.“I’m really sorry, Lucas.” She said, her voice carrying that careful softness she used when she knew she was letting someone down. “I just – I can’t leave right now. The competition is too important.”I sat back in my chair at the restaurant, gripping the edge of the table. Across from me, Sophia looked genuinely regretful, but it didn’t make me feel any better. I had been anticipating this weekend for weeks. More than that, I had needed it.I forced a smile, though I wasn’t sure how convincing it was. “I get it.” I said, keeping my voice even. “The competition comes first.”She exhaled in relief. “Thank you for understanding.”That wasn’t entirely true. I didn’t understand. Not w
SOPHIA'S POVI took a deep breath, trying to push away the exhaustion creeping into my bones. The past few days had been relentless – between running the restaurant, preparing for the competition, and making sure the twins were taken care of, I barely had a moment to think. Or breathe.Kate had practically shoved me out of Il Cuore di Sofia tonight, insisting I take a break. “Go. Do something that isn’t work or kids.” She’d said, waving me off like an overbearing mother.So, here I was, walking aimlessly through the quiet streets, a warm cup of tea in hand, letting the night air cool my skin. The competition was on my mind, but instead of focusing on recipes or strategies, I kept circling back to Maria’s odd behavior earlier. She’d called, wanting to talk, but before she could get to the point, something had interrupted her. She promised to call back, but I hadn’t heard from her since.Maybe I was overthinking it.I turned a corner, and just as I lifted my cup for another sip, I froze
MARIA'S POVI adjust my press badge and step into the competition hall, inhaling deeply. Butter, garlic, fresh herbs…“Ahhh, that's the smell. The sweet smell of ambition.” I think to myself while I scan the room, already spotting the clusters of chefs, camera crews, and event organizers buzzing around.“Maria!”I turn and spot Frank waving at me from the judges' table, notebook in hand. I weave through the crowd toward him.“Look who’s already front and center," I tease, nudging him lightly. "Trying to steal my scoop?”“Please. You and I both know you're the queen of food journalism.” He says, smirking. “Besides, I’m here for the drama, not just the food.”“Same. Always.” I admit. “There’s always at least one chef who has a breakdown before the main course round.”Frank snorts. “Oh, it’s practically a requirement. Who do you think it'll be this year?”“Too early to say, but I’d put money on one of the newcomers.”Before Frank could reply, a voice cut in.“Excuse me, are you Maria Cla
SOPHIA'S POVThe evening air was warm, with the golden hour rays in me as I walked with Daniel, the tension from the restaurant still humming through my veins. I let out a slow breath, watching it curl in the cold.“Well, that was something.” Daniel muttered, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. His voice was casual, but I caught the flicker of amusement in his eyes.“Which part?” I shot back. “The part where You and Lucas nearly turned my kid's school into a warzone, or the part where you and Kate decided to have a moment in the middle of a warzone in my restaurant?”Daniel winced. “I wouldn’t call it a moment exactly.”I arched a brow at him. “Oh? Because it looked like a moment to me.”He rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Okay, maybe it was a little… something.” He sighed, then smirked. “She called me charming. What was I supposed to do?”I rolled my eyes. “Right, because you have no choice but to react when a woman finds you charming.”“Exactly.” He grinned. “Now
DANIEL'S POVI’ve sat through my fair share of ceremonies – long, bordering on insufferable things filled with speeches no one really listens to, polite applause, and stiff conversations. But this one was different.This was for Alex and Alexia. Sophia's kids. If anyone had told me yesterday when I boarded that flight to New York, that I would be at a kid's award ceremony, particularly the kid whose mom had tried to hit me with a decorative vase my mother had bought on a trip to Japan, I would told them to shut the fuck up and stop being full of shit.“Life is full of funny surprises, isn't it?” I smiled as I said to myself.I leaned back in my seat, watching as students filed across the stage one by one, collecting their awards. The school had gone all out for the event – decorations in the colors of their mascot, fliers with words of encouragement, and a slideshow playing pictures of the kids throughout the year. Parents filled the hall, some recording with their phones, others flo