SOPHIA'S POVMe? What does Lucas mean by ‘me’? What's he doing up there? The applause in the room was deafening.He had a mischievous glint in his eye and a smirk on his face as the spotlight was on him, illuminating his features. The man looked like he promised sin and decadence like he was absolutely up to no good.As the applause died down, the crowd murmured, heads turning to catch sight of who Sophia Lancaster was, not knowing that the very person they were searching for was me—I who wasn't expecting to be under the spotlight just yet.What was this man up to?Maria squealed right beside me like this was out of her very own scripted book. “Sophia, he said your name. What do you think your man is up to?”“He's not my man, Maria. Frank, tell her.”Frank just shrugged, not looking to get in between the argument.“Coward,” I whisper-yelled to him, and he had the audacity to simply look sheepish. Maria had the man wrapped around her fingers, and she did not even know. For someone who
SOPHIA'S POVAs Lucas's hand rested on the small of my back, guiding me across the dance floor, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. Our bodies swayed in perfect harmony, the music and lights blurring around us.He pulled me closer, staring at me like I was the only woman in the world. And, for all the care in the world, like I was the only person in the room.“You know, that dress really brings out the color in your eyes," he said to me, staring into my hazel eyes. “I like the amber and flecks of brown in them swirling around that you could get lost in. Permission to get lost in them, ma'am?” he said, his words teasing but his expression anything but. He looked like, if I gave the word, I'd be whisked out of here and on a plane to Switzerland, lost from the world.I brought my mind back to the present. "Thank you, Lucas. I'm glad you recognize my eyes are my best qualities,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.“As much as I could get lost in them, I wouldn't say your bes
SOPHIA'S POV“What are you doing here?”I really, really do not want to be doing this."You think you've won, don't you?" Emelia spat, her voice venomous. "Stealing Lucas's attention, flaunting yourself."I stood tall, refusing to back down. "Emelia, stop this. You're embarrassing yourself.""Embarrassing myself?" Emelia laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "You're the one who's embarrassed. A poor restaurant owner, clinging to Lucas's wealth."My temper flared, but I kept my cool. "My restaurant is successful, Emelia. That's more than I can say for you. And Lucas values me for who I am."Emelia sneered. "You'll never be good enough for him."She took a step closer, her voice dropping. "You don't know what Lucas wants. What he needs.""I think I do," I replied firmly.Emelia's eyes flashed. "You're just a temporary distraction. A charity case."The words stung, but I held my ground. “You think I'm the charity case? Look around you, Emelia. You're the one whose restaurant is crumbling. Yo
SOPHIA'S POVThe moment was magical, and the feeling unfurling in my chest was indescribable. It was the first time in a long time that I had really been seen by a man – let myself be seen by a man.Soft music drifted through the air, weaving around us like a spell. Lucas's hand rested on the small of my back, guiding me across the patio with gentle pressure. Stars twinkled above, casting an ethereal glow on the lush greenery. The moon's warm glow wrapped around me, making my wolf sing.As we danced, Lucas's eyes locked onto mine, warm and captivating. "You're radiant tonight, Sophia."Gosh! The endless praises…I smiled, feeling so alive. "You're not so bad yourself.”Our bodies swayed in perfect harmony, the tension between us palpable. The night air filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers.Suddenly, Lucas's phone vibrated, breaking the spell. He glanced at the screen, his expression tightening."Excuse me," he said, stepping away.I watched as he answered the call, his voice
NATHAN'S POV“Theon, what’s your progress on weakening their defenses?” I asked, marching into the meeting room.“Alpha!” Several people chorused.“Alpha, you should still be resting,” Beta Daniel said. He was the newest addition to the council meeting, replacing Beta Rodney. I'd be lying if I said his absence wasn't felt, but I decided the most I could do now was avenge him.I stood at the head of the table carved out from the stones of the ground, my piercing gaze sweeping across the assembled council members. The air was thick with tension, the weight of our mission settling heavily on my shoulders."My loyal pack," I began, my voice low and commanding. "Our pack mate, Victoria, remains captive under Malachi's tyranny. Tonight, we devise a plan to infiltrate his pack and bring her home."Beta Lewis, Victoria’s father, spoke up, his eyes burning with determination. "We can't wait any longer. Malachi's already broken pack law."Gamma Ava, another new addition, spoke up and nodded vig
NATHAN'S POVThe training ended, and people dispersed, heading home. I noted that they hadn't ignored my advice, walking home in teams of two. While people were shaken by the events of recent times, I knew it would take more than that to break my pack.“Alpha Nathan,” Theon called out to me. I waited for him as I caught my breath, the adrenaline still pumping through me from the fight.“Yes, Theon?” I grabbed water off the holder, chugging it. He waited for me to have my fill before he spoke.“How about you? How many guards would you like situated at your house?”I took a moment to think. “None. Station them around the pack. Protect the pack. They're the number one priority.”“But Alpha, Malachi has already attempted an attack on you. And he managed to get to Rodney too. There's no telling what he's capable of.”“Theon, I appreciate the concern but–”“You're the strongest of us all.” He interrupted me. I let him continue out of respect and his concern for me. “If something happens to
NATHAN'S POVI woke up with a start. My first thought was to search my surroundings for any intruders.“I’m safe,” I say out loud. The space was quiet, with only the sound of water running down a stream behind the structure.What was that?The dream I had was so lucid, it felt real. I looked around again, taking note that I was still in the meditation room. I remembered only wanting to clear my mind and search within myself for serenity. But had I actually been more exhausted than I thought I was?The insistent chirping of birds outside the window of the room dragged me from the clutches of slumber. I groaned, rolling over and burying my face in my hands. The dream, vivid yet frustratingly elusive, still clung to the edges of my consciousness. It had been a collection of symbols in harmony, a cryptic message delivered in a voice that resonated with the otherworldly hum of the full moon.The figure, her face obscured by a veil of moonlight, had appeared in my dream, her eyes like pools
NATHAN'S POVHis tone suggested that all was not well. I just knew this would not bode well for me.I looked up to the skies. Although the day had passed, it meant it was now closer to dusk again. How did the day go so quickly, and I had accomplished little to nothing?The man next to me still waited to hear my reply to his statement.“Good news and bad news, you say?”He bowed his head deeply. “Yes, Alpha Nathan.”I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Alright. Let me have it.”He cleared his throat and began speaking. “Well, Alpha. I might not be entirely sure, and keep in mind that I could be wrong, but that figure in your dream? That was the Luna goddess.”My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “Luna goddess? There's no way. She has never met with any one of our kind before. Why now?”“Correction, Alpha. She has. Long ago, there was an organization of wolves called The Luna Pack. Legend says they were the most highly trained, skilled, and blessed wolves in our history. The
LUCAS' POVThe office felt colder than usual.Or maybe that was just me.I’d been back since morning, but it was already past noon and I hadn’t done much besides flip through reports and sip on lukewarm coffee that had long since lost its appeal. Numbers blurred together on the screen. Charts and forecasts passed without registering. My team had kept their distance, offering polite nods and updates without pushing for conversation.I couldn't blame them. I wasn’t in the mood for it either.Every time I looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows, all I saw was her face. Sophia. That soft, stunned expression she wore when I got down on one knee. The kind eyes that didn’t sparkle with joy, only guilt. The gentle way she let me down. There was no cruelty in it – she never had that in her – but it still hit like a punch to the gut.I thought I had prepared myself. I thought… maybe I’d stand a chance. But there was no mistaking it now. Her heart belonged to someone else.The knock on my door b
LUCAS' POVThe silence hung between us long after she’d spoken.“I wanted to give you the answer you deserve.” She had said, voice soft but steady. “But if I said yes, it wouldn’t be fair.”Not fair.The words rang in my head like a bell I couldn’t unhear.I didn’t say anything then. Just nodded. I don’t even remember standing up or placing the ring box back in my pocket. It all felt mechanical, like watching myself from outside my own body.Now I was outside, on the cabin porch, the cold air biting through the warmth of the fire still burning inside. I kept my hands shoved deep in my coat pockets as I stared into the dark woods. The lake glimmered faintly beyond the trees, silver and glassy beneath the full moon.She hadn’t come after me.I didn’t blame her.What could she possibly say?The thing was… I’d known. Somewhere deep down, I’d known her heart wasn’t mine. I’d seen it in the way her smile never quite reached her eyes when I brought her flowers. In how she always hesitated be
SOPHIA'S POVIt started with a note on the counter.Just one line. “Don’t make plans tonight. Dress warm. Trust me.”Lucas.The handwriting was unmistakably his – clean, a little slanted, written with the same kind of confidence he carried into boardrooms and kitchens alike. I stared at it for a moment, a faint smile pulling at my lips. He knew how much I hated surprises. And he was doing it anyway.By the time I dropped the twins off at Mrs. Jackson’s for their overnight stay, the sky had deepened into a dusky pink. Lucas was waiting for me in his car, door already open, wearing that charcoal coat I secretly loved. He stood up straighter when he saw me – like he was nervous, but trying not to show it.“You look beautiful.” He said, eyes lingering just long enough to warm my skin.“You don’t look too bad yourself.” I slid into the passenger seat. “What are we doing?”“You’ll see.”I gave him a look.“Okay, fine. I’ll give you a hint.” He glanced at me with a grin. “You’ve been there b
LUCAS' POV The drive to my mother’s house from the airport was shorter than I remembered. Maybe it was the lack of traffic or the way the late afternoon sunlight stretched across the road, golden and slow. Or maybe I just hadn’t realized how long it had been since I made this trip. I used to visit once a month. Then once every two. Now… Well, I hadn’t been home since I came with Sophia. Pulling into the driveway, I killed the engine and sat there for a moment, staring at the modest house. White siding, blue shutters, flowerbeds brimming with tulips and wild lavender. Everything was exactly how I remembered it, like time hadn’t touched it – even though it clearly had. I grabbed the wine I’d picked up on the way and headed for the front door. Before I could knock, it swung open. “There’s my boy!” My mother stood there, arms wide, her smile brighter than the sun behind her. She didn’t wait for me to answer – just pulled me in and squeezed me like she hadn’t seen me in years.
LUCAS' POVI never liked small talk. I didn’t have the patience for it. Business was business, and I preferred things to stay efficient, direct, no fluff. But then she came into the office.Victoria.She’d been introduced as a new consultant for the company’s expansion project, and from the moment I saw her, I could tell she was different. She had this way about her – so composed, so polished. She moved through the office like she owned it, like she was in control, and it wasn’t long before I found myself paying attention to her more than I cared to admit.At first, it was just little things. She’d smile at me across the room, but it wasn’t one of those “polite office smiles”. No. It was more like she was sizing me up. I wasn’t used to being looked at like that, especially not in a room full of busy people, but there it was.I didn’t think much of it at first. That is, until she knocked on my office door one Wednesday morning.“Good morning, Luca.” She greeted me, stepping inside, a c
SOPHIA'S POVI sat in the living room, fingers tightly curled into fists in my lap, my eyes fixed on the coffee table in front of me. The weight of everything that had happened today pressed down on me. The note, the disappearance, the fear that had gripped my chest when I found the twins’ beds empty – everything felt like it was spiraling out of control.Daniel sat across from me, leaning forward, his face creased in concern. He had tried to get me to talk about it since he arrived, but I kept finding ways to sidestep the darker details. It felt too heavy to say aloud, too impossible to believe, but I had no choice.“I don't get it, Sophia.” He said, his voice calm but laced with disbelief. “How did they just... disappear like that? You said you left them in bed.”I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck as if that would ease the tension building there. “Yeah, I did. I left them sleeping. Nothing unusual. But then... I found the note. It said, 'I'm here for you, Sophia. Miss me?'” I swa
MALACHI’S POV The night was thick with shadows, but I was no stranger to darkness. I was, in fact, its most loyal companion. It embraced me, welcomed me, as it had since the day I was driven from the pack, from everything I once had. And now, from my place just outside Sophia’s house, I could feel the tension tightening around me, wrapping like a knot. I stayed hidden, cloaked in the deep darkness of the alleyway, the dim glow of the porch lights casting long, skeletal shadows across the yard. The sound of the wind moved through the trees, but my attention never moved from the house. The world beyond was irrelevant. Unimportant. All that mattered now was her. Sophia. I couldn’t stop myself from watching her, even if every part of me screamed that I should’ve been closer, taking what was rightfully mine. Sophia, with her delicate beauty, the curve of her neck, the soft flicker of light catching the strands of her dark hair. She was standing in the doorway, her expression a mixt
SOPHIA'S POVI stepped inside, the familiar scent of home greeting me, but something was... wrong. The door clicked softly behind me, and the silence that followed was almost suffocating. I hadn’t expected the house to feel so still, so quiet. But it was more than that. It felt empty in a way that twisted something deep inside me.I hesitated, standing in the entryway. The house was usually alive with noise – Alex and Alexia’s laughter, their endless chatter, the thumping of their footsteps as they ran through the halls. But now… nothing.I swallowed hard, the unease crawling up my spine as my fingers curled around my bag. I’d seen the note at the door, my heart already racing before I even touched it.“I'm here for you Sophia. Miss me?” The words had burned into my mind, and now, with the house so eerily silent, my stomach twisted painfully.“Alex? Alexia?” I called, my voice too small in the empty air. It felt like I was shouting into a void. No answer. Just that thick, pressing sil
SOPHIA'S POVLola was quiet for a moment, her hand loosely wrapped around her mug. Then, with a glance that was far too knowing for my liking, she said gently, “So… how do you really feel about him?”Her words settled like mist in the cozy room, quiet and unassuming, but thick enough that I couldn’t ignore them.I stared into my tea like it might offer a better answer than I could. It didn’t. “I don’t know.” I said, which was technically true, if you just didn't count all the parts of me screaming otherwise.Lola’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, please. That’s the most suspicious ‘I don’t know’ I’ve heard all week – and I’ve had three customer complaints and a guy who claimed his espresso was ‘emotionally cold.’”I laughed despite myself. “Emotionally cold?”“He said it lacked soul. I gave him a biscotti and told him to take it up with his therapist.”I nearly spit my tea. “God, I’ve missed this.”“What, sarcasm and caffeine-fueled delusions?”“Exactly that.” I smiled, then let it slip. “And…