~Avery~ “You two seem quite close,” one of the Alphas standing with us remarked with a teasing grin. “No!” I blurted before I could stop myself. "We’re not fond of each other in that way and are not close. We’re merely partners, discussing work matters.” Turning towards King, I sought his agreement. “Isn’t that right, King?”A flicker of something unidentifiable crossed King’s gaze—was it annoyance or anger? Then his jaw tightened, puzzling me. I wondered why he had that expression. Surely, he wasn’t expecting me to tell these men that we were close. We were married, but that had been a long time ago, and even then, we were not close. “Honey?” a soft female voice interrupted us.Our attention shifted to Regina, who stood not far off, offering King a warm smile, blatantly ignoring my presence. I couldn’t help but smirk inwardly, stepping back from King as if giving them space. “Hey, love,” King greeted, moving towards Regina and gently tucking a lock of her hair be
~Avery~Fear wrapped its cold fingers around my heart as I was surrounded by the chaos of screams and the menacing growls of our attackers. Everyone was running helter-skelter, and from where I was huddled, I could see them. The rogues fierce and powerful, were pushing people aside without mercy. They were searching for something or someone. I couldn't help but wonder how these wild, unruly rogues had managed to break into Alpha Cassius' pack, let alone disrupt his party. But they were known to be brute and reckless. Shivers of fear ran down my spine as the thoughts of my kids raced through my mind. Tears sprang to my eyes as I recalled how my conversation with my mom had ended that evening. I wished I had not been too harsh on her. If only I could take them back. I felt utterly defenceless and was torn between the urge to transform into my wolf form and the desperate hope for a miracle. I made a silent prayer to the moon goddess to save me.Suddenly, a rustling sound from behin
~Avery~The morning sun hadn’t fully risen when the shrill ring of my phone jolted me awake. Something warm and heavy was draped over me. I turned to see King lying beside me, his arm snugly wrapped around my waist. I flung his arm away like a rag doll, my heart racing as I checked under the blanket to make sure I was still fully clothed. To my immense relief, I was. My little freak-out must’ve woken him up because he let out a sleepy groan. Ignoring him completely, I snatched the persistently ringing phone from the nightstand and saw it was Mom’s name glaring accusingly on the screen.“Good morning,” King mumbled, voice thick with sleep.I shot him a look that could kill were they bullets before practically leaping out of bed and diving for the bathroom. Every muscle screamed in protest as I slammed the door shut. Phone pressed to my ear, I whispered into the phone.“Hey Mom, Good morning.”“Avery! You okay, honey? Sleep alright?” Her chipper tone felt like nails on a chalkboard this
~King~ I strode through the double glass doors, held open by two burly warriors. My mood was still as stormy as the sky before a downpour, thanks to Avery's infuriating accusations this morning and her relentless mission to ghost me. Sure, I wanted her back, but I wasn't desperate. Why did she act like I was a wasp buzzing around her? As I made my way through the hospital's sterile corridors, nodding at subjects who bowed as I passed, my thoughts raced. Kristopher lay in a room ahead, unconscious and bandaged like a mummy after fighting off a pack of rogues. He had fought valiantly, but before help could come, he was deeply wounded and was still unconscious from so much loss of blood. This attack bothered me so much. It hadn't happened in my pack, but it had been aimed at someone under my protection. I had barely slept last night, as I mulled over the attack. Why Avery? Why target her? My wolf grumbled in agreement, a low growl in the back of my mind. I had already sent a message,
~Avery~ I turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door, leading the way into the new apartment with my mom and the twins following close behind. The place was spacious, just right for all of them. Divah, my help, had assured me it was safe and comfortable, and I had fallen in love with it the moment I walked in. It would serve as a perfect sanctuary for my mom and the twins until I got things sorted out. I was surprised to see that Jane, my new friend from Blue Moon Pack, tagged along with my family. Jane was reliable; I had put her to the test in various ways, and she had shown herself to be trustworthy. She had been recommended to me by my mother's friend whom we hid in her house then. When we had first met, she had just lost her job and had volunteered to look after Julian and Julia while Mom and I were at work. "Welcome home!" I exclaimed with enthusiasm as I turned around to face them. But Mom just stared at me blankly. I had put on dark shades to hide the brui
~King~ Our bags were whisked away to our rooms by servants as the King of Kram guided us into his grand party. It was a sight to behold, filled with men and women dressed in royal attire, oozing with regal charm. Avery and I felt somewhat out of place in our English clothes, but no one seemed to pay much attention to us. As we strolled through the gathering, all heads turned to acknowledge the king's presence with respect. King Omar made his way to the grandest table, where everyone bowed in reverence. King Omar took his seat at the head of the table, while I sat beside him. Avery chose a seat far away, opposite me, between two handsome young men with charming smiles. It irked me. Had she taken offence at my introduction of her as a business partner to Omar? But I doubt that. "You seem quite distracted," Omar observed, his words drawing my attention away from where I was initially focused. "Do I?" I replied, trying to focus on him. The king had decided to tell me a
~Avery~ King wasn't doing me any favours by suggesting I retire for the night. Honestly, I was having a blast, squished between the two charming princes. But deep down, I was exhausted. I couldn’t just sit there all night avoiding being alone with King, not after the intense looks he had been shooting my way all through dinner. And let’s not even start on how my traitorous body reacted to those looks— it worried me the most. Despite my best efforts to deny it, I knew I still wanted him. It was a truth I desperately wanted to tuck away in a dusty corner of my mind. Giving in wasn’t an option. Things were way too complicated now, especially with my two precious kids involved. As we walked side by side, heading back to our various rooms, I made sure our bodies didn't touch. I also tried to occupy my mind with other thoughts that didn't involve his power and strength— in bed, of course. But those naughty images kept flashing through my mind like a highlight reel from a steamy movie. The
~King~ Fuck Avery! My body ached, and my blood sang with the most unbearable frustration I had ever experienced. I still couldn't shake off the memory of last night and how it had ended. Avery had flat-out refused to have sex with me and had even thrown me out of her room like yesterday's garbage, even though her body language had been screaming out objections as she pushed me away. No woman had ever done that. No woman had ever rejected me. My phone rang for the second time, prompting me to toss aside the blanket, finally abandoning any remaining hope of sleep. Reaching for the cell phone on the nightstand, I slid out of bed and slipped into my slippers. I shuffled over to the big bay window, throwing the curtains open to let the morning light flood in. Kram's morning sky was clear as crystal. I cracked open the window, and the exotic blooms from the palace gardens drifted in, mingling with the heavy fragrance of lilies that perfumed the room. It reminded me that life goes on, eve
~Avery~ I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes after noon, my heart racing, my stomach doing somersaults. What was I even thinking coming here? I told myself it was for closure, to put an end to this once and for all, but deep down, I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to meet Cassius without letting King or anyone know. I don’t know. Cassius had not done anything to me, but I had been wary of him since he told me about his feelings, and I felt he was hiding something from me. But it all could be my imagination too. But after the feeling of being watched which, I had been getting lately, I think I needed to hear what he had to say because he sounded pretty urgent on the phone. I parked my car, sat for a moment, and exhaled, mentally preparing myself. This meeting was going to be quick. In and out. That was what I promised myself. But a part of me kept telling me I had no business here, but curiosity is a dangerous thing. I had to know what Cassius wanted to say. The moment I
~Avery~ “I’m all ears,” I said, slipping off my apron, already bracing myself for the same tired story. Cassius always had something up his sleeve. “This isn’t something I can say over the phone. I need to see you.” I sighed, rolling my eyes even though he couldn’t see it. “Cassius, come on. You should know by now I’m over all this. I’ve got a lot on my plate.” “I swear, I won’t take up much of your time,” he insisted, his voice smooth like he was trying to charm his way out of detention. I hesitated, knowing this was probably a bad idea. “Fine, I’ll let King know and—" “No!” His response was so quick it nearly made me laugh. “He doesn’t need to know. I’m not going to bite, Avery. Just come alone. I’ll text you the address, and it’ll be in a public place. We need to meet as soon as possible.” Before I could fire back with some excuse, I caught sight of King heading toward the kitchen. “I’ll speak to you later,” I said, hanging up and slipping my phone back into my pocket j
~Avery~ King followed me into the kitchen like a man on a mission, clearly craving some alone time. We hadn’t had a moment to ourselves in days, not since that unsettling visit to Oliver’s cell. And boy, had things gotten complicated since then. Turns out, after some digging, we discovered that what Oliver said about King’s father was horrifyingly true. The man had been running a dirty side business beneath the surface, and King had been carrying around a false image of his father this whole time. As I stirred the food in the casserole, I felt King’s arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back into his chest. I couldn’t help but smile as I tilted my head to catch his scent, a mix of cedar and something distinctly him. Before I could even playfully protest, his lips were on mine, and it was clear he had been starving for this kiss, as though it had been an eternity since we had last been like this. But even in this moment, something felt off. I had that weird sensation of being
~Avery~ As King and I stepped into the prison, the air was thick with that unique scent of old concrete and metal, the kind that makes your skin crawl. The walls seemed to absorb every echo, like they were listening in on every secret. King’s hand tightened around mine, as if he was trying to reassure me, that I was safe with him beside me. “It’s crazy how the Steels have been the bane of our existence,” he muttered, his voice edged with irritation. It had been two whole days since Oliver Steel’s arrest, and we were just starting to breathe again. It felt like we had been holding our breath for weeks. Still, even with that small relief, the unspoken problems lingered, particularly the rogue wolves with those strange tattoos who had tried to take me at Alpha Cassius' ball. We still hadn’t tracked them down, but that was a nightmare for another day. Oliver had lost everything—his status, his rank, even his pack. The Wolf Council had stripped him bare. His beta was in charge for no
~King~ Kristopher pulled up in front of Alpha Oliver’s packhouse, with our warriors' cars trailing behind us. But the sight that greeted us was anything but expected. The Council police were already there, swarming the place like they were filming an episode of “Packhouse Cops.” I had given the Council a heads-up about Oliver, tossing in some evidence to spice things up, but I didn’t expect them to go full-on detective mode and ransack the place like it was a crime scene. I slid out of the car and swung the door open for Avery. Kristopher, Jane, and Axel followed, looking as confused as I felt. We had come to see Oliver get cuffed and carted off to the werewolf equivalent of Alcatraz, but it seemed we were in for more than just a simple arrest. One of the police officers, spotting our little ensemble, made his way over, looking all official. “Alpha King, Luna Avery, Beta Kristopher, Miss Jane, and Gamma Axel,” he greeted, nodding like he was about to hand out awards. “What’s
~King~ "Wakey, wakey, Mrs. CEO," I teased, grinning down at Avery, who was comfortably nestled in my arms, looking like she belonged there forever. She had returned to Silverpine last night, finally claiming her rightful place at Bells Empire. I couldn’t be prouder. But, of course, she was utterly exhausted from her grand takeover, so she pretty much collapsed into bed the second she got in. Me? I stayed up a little longer, just staring at her—because why sleep when you can marvel at perfection? Eventually, sleep caught up with me too, and I drifted off with her still in my arms. I had also filled her in on all the latest developments, including how we had involved the Council, thanks to Axel’s brilliant advice. The cherry on top? Oliver Steel, the guy behind those pesky threats, would be behind bars by tomorrow. Avery groaned, stretching like a lazy cat in the morning sun, before yawning and blinking up at me with a smile that could melt stone. I couldn’t resist leaning dow
~King~ I paced the length of our hideout like a caged tiger, my heart doing that annoying thing where it thumps against my ribs. My thoughts were spiralling, each one more anxiety-inducing than the last. What if these guys double-cross us? What if the plan goes south? And seriously, how long does it take to create a distraction and grab a stupid machine? Are they doing this in slow motion? And that wasn’t the only thing gnawing at my nerves tonight. One of my men had casually mentioned that Alpha Cassius had dropped by Avery’s company. Oh, just a little visit, no big deal. Yeah, right. I had called Avery, fishing for details, but she was a locked vault. Her explanation? Cassius had a meeting nearby and thought he would stop by to say hi. Sure, because he’s just that friendly. I didn’t buy it. Not for a second. Cassius doesn’t do ‘friendly visits,’ especially not to Blue Moon. There was definitely something fishy about his timing, and I wasn’t about to let it slide. If that slea
~Avery~ I won’t lie; when King left me here on my own, I felt like a lone soldier abandoned on the battlefield. The empty spaces seemed to echo with my uncertainty, and I had that sinking feeling of being all alone. But I knew I had to keep it together. I had to stand strong, for myself, if nothing else. Sure, I was torn between wanting to scream and curl up in a ball, but hey, one crisis at a time, right? I didn’t know how I was going to run this company from Silverpine if King and I got back together. I guess that was a bridge I would cross when I got there. For now, the mission was simple: reclaim my company from the clutches of Marcus and those conniving board members. Today was the day—the day I would finally take the reins as CEO, wresting control from Marcus’s slimy fingers. Walking down the lobby, I nodded back at the people who greeted me with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Some looked thrilled, others… not so much. Probably Marcus’s loyal minions. Whatever. As I neare
~King~ “How much more damage has that conniving witch done?” Kristopher snarled, his frustration practically vibrating through the room after I finished recounting the whole printer-and-ink drama in the library. If words could kill, we would be sweeping Regina’s ashes off the floor. “We need to tread lightly,” Axel cautioned, his voice calm but eyes sharp as ever. “If she so much as catches a whiff of our plan, she’ll make sure every shred of evidence vanishes faster than my patience during a boring meeting.” That little nugget of wisdom sent my heartbeat into overdrive. Knowing Regina, she probably already had the printer in the back of some getaway truck by now, laughing maniacally as she drove off into the sunset. I rubbed my forehead, praying that this wouldn’t turn into yet another colossal headache for us. Evidence—we needed it, and we needed it fast. “And we need to confirm it’s the right printer,” Axel added. “We can’t go off half-cocked. The serial number’s our ticket.”