Five years later... ~King~ Kristopher and I strode into the conference room, our presence casting an immediate hush over the gathered group. Seven pairs of eyes, belonging to four men and three women, all clad in business attire that spoke of power and resolve, turned towards us. Each face was etched with a seriousness that showed the gravity of the situation. I was well aware of the reason for this assembly, and I felt a simmering fury inside me, a tempest barely contained. It seemed like lately, everything only served to fuel my anger. The urge to lash out pulsed through me, but I knew better than to act on it. My knuckles still bore the scars and bandages of recent outbursts. I took my place at the head of the grand oak table. Drawing a deep, steadying breath, I scanned the room, meeting the lowered gazes that avoided my own. The air was thick with unspoken words, waiting to burst forth. The recent passing of my mother had left more than just a void in my heart; it had plunged T
~Avery~ The conference hall bustled with the presence of suited businessmen and women engaging in lively conversation as I entered through the west door, flanked by an imposing entourage of security personnel. A hush fell over the room as I strode toward the podium. All eyes turned toward me, and though nerves threatened to overwhelm me, I plastered on a confident smile to conceal my apprehension. Despite my efforts, I couldn't shake the feeling that many in the audience could sense my anxiety. However, I was resolute, boosted by the silent mantra whispered by my wolf, Tia. 'You've got this, Ave.' Drawing in a deep breath, I allowed my smile to widen. My gaze swept across the room until it rested upon the comforting sight of my mother and Jane, and then on my precious twins, Julian and Julia. Their radiant smiles infused me with the courage I desperately needed. Marrying Alpha Duncan Bells had been a decision primarily made for the sake of my children's future, but I never a
~Avery~ The moment I stepped into the boardroom, faces already seated around the table turned to me with a gravity that told me everything I needed to know. This was serious. My mind raced. What new discovery could they possibly have made about me? Duncan was the only one who truly knew me. He was the only one who knew my good, bad, and ugly. He knew my former mate and knew the pack I had run from. Duncan was the only one who knew my real name. To everyone else in the room, I was Ava Bells. Since Duncan's passing three months ago, the pack had hurled one accusation after another my way, but I stood firm, countering each claim with the strength and resilience I had cultivated over the years. "Mrs. Bells?" My assistant's voice pulled me back to the present, offering me a chair. I took my seat, my gaze locking on Marcus. "I wasn't expecting another meeting after my address. Why wasn't I informed beforehand?" I inquired.Marcus met my stare. "It was impromptu, as I told
~Avery~ "There's no way in hell I'm going back to Silverpine Pack," I stated firmly, pacing back and forth in front of my mother and Jane. "Please, try to stay calm, dear. These are difficult times, and we must handle such matters with care and strategy," Mom advised, her voice a soothing balm in the tense air.I spun around to face my mom, frustration etched in every line of my body. "But not by returning to that pack. Not after the humiliation I went through. And to think I'll have to face King again. What if he plots some sinister scheme against me?" "You're overwhelmed right now, sweetheart. But let's not assume the worst of King. Remember, based on what you've shared after we left the pack, it was Regina who stirred the trouble. Deep down, you know he wouldn't harm you, not in the way you fear. You were both victims," Mom reasoned, her words a gentle reminder of the complexities of our past. "No, he never listened to me. He never loved me. He never wanted
~Avery~ As our vehicle crossed the border of Silverpine, my heart tightened with apprehension. The guards at the border were already aware of our visit, allowing us to pass without delay. Marcus sat across from me in the sleek black limousine, his gaze piercing. I attempted to maintain a composed exterior, concealing my trembling hands beneath my handbag resting on my lap. However, Marcus's keen observation seemed to cut through my facade, igniting a suspicion that he might be aware of the storm of fears swirling within me. I had previously requested Marcus to bring my mother and the children over the following week. My reasoning was to avoid the additional attention our arrival would attract today, especially from the curious eyes of Silverpine's members. I was not yet ready for them to meet my family. "You seem anxious," Marcus remarked, breaking the silence. "Is there any reason I shouldn't be?" I countered, meeting his gaze with a determined look, though my voice
~King~ The boardroom was filled with businessmen and women in smart attires, waiting for the representative from Bells Empire. I couldn't help but notice Kristopher, who seemed unusually distracted, tapping rhythmically on the table. His distraction had been noticeable since yesterday after we had received our special visitor. I guess I was about to find out why he was that way. Just as I wrapped up my thoughts, the door swung open dramatically, capturing everyone's attention. A woman, exuding an air of unmistakable confidence, stepped in, closely followed by an assistant who was carrying her bag and several files. Her entrance was so commanding that it immediately hushed the room. However, it wasn't the sudden quiet or her impressive confidence that froze me in my spot. It was the woman herself. Avery Frost, my long-lost ex, whom I had spent five arduous years searching for across the globe. The very same Avery, who once had nothing, now stood before us, a confident businesswoman
~Avery~ "Mom, there's no 'calming down' here. He embarrassed me in front of everyone. He's arrogant, proud, and just impossible to work with. I don't think I can handle working with him any longer," I vented my frustrations to my mother over the phone, hastily stuffing my clothes into my suitcase.The incident at Thornwood Empire had left me seething. King seemed to have taken it upon himself to infuriate me intentionally. I had hoped for a bit of professionalism since he had been in this company business before me, but instead, he chose to flaunt his arrogance and pride. My mother's attempts at soothing my anger were futile; I could barely contain my frustration. I had already made up my mind that as soon as our call ended, I would call Marcus and tell him that the deal was off and to come and pick me up first thing tomorrow morning. I also planned to relinquish control to Tia and run out of this frustration after that call. Despite my mother's gentle persuasion to take a
~Avery~ My office felt like a personalized haven, vast and welcoming, with an interior that seemed tailored just for me. The colours and arrangements resonated deeply with my preferences, creating a space I was genuinely fond of. King and his team had outdone themselves, and although I hesitated to admit it, I was certain King had chosen these particular hues knowing they were among my favourites. While we didn't talk much when we were married, we had shared little talks about our likes and dislikes, and other trivial things. It warmed my heart to realize he remembered my favourite colours. Back in Blue Moon Pack, Duncan had employed me as his confidential secretary, which made both of us always together. My office was also nice and comfortable, but it had been in a corner beside his office, nothing as spacious as this.Throughout the rest of the previous day, after King departed from my home, he occupied my thoughts and had even haunted my dreams even though he was the last pers
~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.”