~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 couldnât 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 herâbecause 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 Axelâs 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 couldnât resist leaning dow
~King~ Kristopher pulled up in front of Alpha Oliverâs 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 âPackhouse Cops.â I had given the Council a heads-up about Oliver, tossing in some evidence to spice things up, but I didnât 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. âAlpha King, Luna Avery, Beta Kristopher, Miss Jane, and Gamma Axel,â he greeted, nodding like he was about to hand out awards. âWhatâs
~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. Kingâs hand tightened around mine, as if he was trying to reassure me, that I was safe with him beside me. âItâs crazy how the Steels have been the bane of our existence,â he muttered, his voice edged with irritation. It had been two whole days since Oliver Steelâs 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 hadnât tracked them down, but that was a nightmare for another day. Oliver had lost everythingâhis status, his rank, even his pack. The Wolf Council had stripped him bare. His beta was in charge for no
~Avery~ King followed me into the kitchen like a man on a mission, clearly craving some alone time. We hadnât had a moment to ourselves in days, not since that unsettling visit to Oliverâs cell. And boy, had things gotten complicated since then. Turns out, after some digging, we discovered that what Oliver said about Kingâs 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 Kingâs arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back into his chest. I couldnât 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~ âIâm all ears,â I said, slipping off my apron, already bracing myself for the same tired story. Cassius always had something up his sleeve. âThis isnât something I can say over the phone. I need to see you.â I sighed, rolling my eyes even though he couldnât see it. âCassius, come on. You should know by now Iâm over all this. Iâve got a lot on my plate.â âI swear, I wonât take up much of your time,â 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. âFine, Iâll let King know andâ" âNo!â His response was so quick it nearly made me laugh. âHe doesnât need to know. Iâm not going to bite, Avery. Just come alone. Iâll text you the address, and itâll be in a public place. We need to meet as soon as possible.â Before I could fire back with some excuse, I caught sight of King heading toward the kitchen. âIâll speak to you later,â I said, hanging up and slipping my phone back into my pocket j
~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 shouldnât have agreed to meet Cassius without letting King or anyone know. I donât 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 knelt at the centre of the grand hall, surrounded by the esteemed members of the Silverpine pack. My gaze remained fixed on the ground, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Deep down, I wanted to meet King's eyes, for I believed he was the only one who would believe me, but they had kept me from him since last night. In this pack, they despised me, and no one would entertain the notion of my innocence, even if I pleaded otherwise. Beta Kristopher, who had never held much regard for me in this pack, rose and positioned himself before me. I had always been seen as unworthy of the Luna title. I was only but a mere rogue who was captured to come and serve as a slave, but I somehow became the Luna because King, my mate needed a Luna. The pack members had never truly accepted me, and today seemed to mark the end of my reign. I had fallen before I had the chance to rise. "It appears we are all present now," Kristopher announced, as Sammy, my closest friend, entered the hall.
~Avery~ Throughout the day, my thoughts were stuck on King, gnawing at every memory of him and I found myself yearning for his return. With no enthusiasm for my classes or training, I pulled the classic "I'm sick" card, but really, it was a case of lovesickness. I holed up indoors, reminiscing about last night's events until the sky blushed with the colours of sunset. Eventually, I peeled myself off the bed, dragged myself to the window, watching and waiting for my mate's return like a heroine in a romance novel. My mind buzzed with questions. Why had King touched me last night? Was he going to come back tonight? Was this his way of accepting me? Tia, my wolf, was practically doing backflips in excitement, making it impossible to sit still. Just then, Sammy's voice cut through my thoughts via the mind-link, snapping me back to reality. "Ave, you alive over there?" "Very much so," I chirped, barely able to contain my giddy delight. "Thank the goodness, you sound fine. The serva
~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 shouldnât have agreed to meet Cassius without letting King or anyone know. I donât 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~ âIâm all ears,â I said, slipping off my apron, already bracing myself for the same tired story. Cassius always had something up his sleeve. âThis isnât something I can say over the phone. I need to see you.â I sighed, rolling my eyes even though he couldnât see it. âCassius, come on. You should know by now Iâm over all this. Iâve got a lot on my plate.â âI swear, I wonât take up much of your time,â 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. âFine, Iâll let King know andâ" âNo!â His response was so quick it nearly made me laugh. âHe doesnât need to know. Iâm not going to bite, Avery. Just come alone. Iâll text you the address, and itâll be in a public place. We need to meet as soon as possible.â Before I could fire back with some excuse, I caught sight of King heading toward the kitchen. âIâll speak to you later,â 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 hadnât had a moment to ourselves in days, not since that unsettling visit to Oliverâs cell. And boy, had things gotten complicated since then. Turns out, after some digging, we discovered that what Oliver said about Kingâs 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 Kingâs arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back into his chest. I couldnât 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. Kingâs hand tightened around mine, as if he was trying to reassure me, that I was safe with him beside me. âItâs crazy how the Steels have been the bane of our existence,â he muttered, his voice edged with irritation. It had been two whole days since Oliver Steelâs 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 hadnât tracked them down, but that was a nightmare for another day. Oliver had lost everythingâhis 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 Oliverâs 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 âPackhouse Cops.â I had given the Council a heads-up about Oliver, tossing in some evidence to spice things up, but I didnât 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. âAlpha King, Luna Avery, Beta Kristopher, Miss Jane, and Gamma Axel,â he greeted, nodding like he was about to hand out awards. âWhatâs
~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 couldnât 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 herâbecause 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 Axelâs 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 couldnât 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 wasnât the only thing gnawing at my nerves tonight. One of my men had casually mentioned that Alpha Cassius had dropped by Averyâs 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 heâs just that friendly. I didnât buy it. Not for a second. Cassius doesnât do âfriendly visits,â especially not to Blue Moon. There was definitely something fishy about his timing, and I wasnât about to let it slide. If that slea
~Avery~ I wonât 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 didnât 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 dayâthe day I would finally take the reins as CEO, wresting control from Marcusâs slimy fingers. Walking down the lobby, I nodded back at the people who greeted me with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Some looked thrilled, othersâĶ not so much. Probably Marcusâs loyal minions. Whatever. As I neare
~King~ âHow much more damage has that conniving witch done?â 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 Reginaâs ashes off the floor. âWe need to tread lightly,â Axel cautioned, his voice calm but eyes sharp as ever. âIf she so much as catches a whiff of our plan, sheâll make sure every shred of evidence vanishes faster than my patience during a boring meeting.â 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 wouldnât turn into yet another colossal headache for us. Evidenceâwe needed it, and we needed it fast. âAnd we need to confirm itâs the right printer,â Axel added. âWe canât go off half-cocked. The serial numberâs our ticket.â