EDWARD’S POV"What are you trying to say?" I asked the council member who had just spoken. My eyes were narrowed as I stared at him, refusing to believe the words that had just come out of his mouth."I-I..I said you will have to produce a child within a year of being Alpha, otherwise your cousin can challenge you for the position."I slammed my hand against the desk in anger, rising to my feet. I couldn't believe this shit. What the fuck were they suddenly saying? Where did this alter to the rules suddenly come from?"What do you mean by that?” I asked him. “I am not blind, and I remember reading that will thoroughly. The only requirement to be Alpha was to get married, wasn’t it?”They all nodded. "Yes, Alpha. You are not wrong. But this…this is our basic law. Alphas of other small packs are given three years to produce a child, but you are only given a year as the Alpha of the territory. That is how it has always been."No way.I sighed and released a shaky breath in an attempt to
CLARA'S POV"What the hell were you thinking?!" Edward was yelling, the expression on his face the very definition of fury.I crouched deeper into the blanket I was wrapped in, still shivering as I slowly sipped on the hot tea I'd been served. I couldn't look him in the eyes, because I was scared to see the anger I knew was shining in them. My entire body ached from walking around that thick forest searching for a way out. Edward hadn't said anything to me when he rescued me, but the moment I was treated and my health proved to be in good condition by the doctor, he descended on me.I had nothing to say, no words to defend myself with, because I knew he was right to be angry.In the corner of the room, Lydia was sobbing violently, her arms wrapped around herself as she begged Edward. "P-Please Alpha Edward…please punish me instead. It's my fault that the Luna was almost harmed. I was too careless, I should have insisted on following her when she left the car.""That's enough," Edward
EDWARD’S POV"You asked to see me, Edward," Jaxon said as he walked into my office, bowing in greeting.I nodded, motioning him to the chair across mine. "You may sit." He obeyed."You may have seen or heard about the news circulating through several packs about my wife." I said. "Yes, I have.” He leaned forward. “Just a few minutes ago I was wondering what you planned to do concerning these rumors. They are quite vulgar. And although I know they are false, I still think something needs to be done about them."I leaned back and smiled. This was one of the reasons why I made Jaxon my Beta. He was smart and sharp, knowing exactly what to do and being able to differentiate right from wrong. "Good. That is why I asked to see you. Do you know which particular news network broadcasted these lies?""I do. I already instructed my secretary to prepare a list, and so far, the only networks are: Break News, Sky News, and Al Blue News."I nodded. "I will use them as perfect examples, so that nex
CLARA’S POV "Isn't that Beta Jaxon's driver?" Lydia asked, pushing her face to the window as she pointed at the car in the distance. We were seated in my car en route to Al Blue News office building. I turned to see who she was referring to. The car she motioned to was driving out of the building as we spoke, but I knew nothing of Beta Jaxon's driver, so I couldn't really say anything about it. "I think you might be mistaken," I told her. "What would a member of our pack be doing here?" Lydia craned her neck further out the window, eager to confirm. When she pulled back into the car, she faced me and shook her head. "I am a hundred percent sure that's him. He used to work for the Alpha before as well. I could recognize him anywhere." I didn't want to dwell on a random person right now. Plus, we were here for a reason, and I didn't want us to get distracted. "Whether it's him or not, that's not important. We are here for important business. Just forget about that. Let's
CLARA’S POV "I think you should get the pharmacist fired," Lydia said as we climbed into the backseat of the car. My mind whirled with thoughts as I tossed my options around in my head. I hadn't forgotten the role that pharmacist played in my misfortune all those weeks ago. But, was getting her fired enough punishment for that? The woman had blatantly refused to help me before I miscarried, and that was something I would never forget. Even though it might have been too late to save my baby, her help would have stopped me from crying and bleeding out on the street. I could have gotten some decency instead of the stares and disgrace I'd endured on the street. And to think that she was a woman. My fists clenched. I couldn't let that slide. After a few minutes of driving, we arrived at the pharmacy. I exited the car with my bodyguards and Lydia in tow. We walked into the pharmacy, and just like I prayed, the person at the counter was the same lady who had ignored me. A fla
NATE’S POV "Let's toast to the downfall of that bitch!" I laughed raising my glass to clink Isla's. Isla laughed as we sipped on our wine. We were seated in my office celebrating the success of our plan. I was confident it was going to go accordingly, but I hadn't anticipated just how well it would play out. It was even better than I expected. I'd heard from my sources that the news affected Clara so much that she went missing for hours. It had left her a mess, to say the least. Laughter bubbled in my throat as I imagined her crying and walking through the forest, trying to take her life. I almost wished I'd been there to watch, but it was satisfying nonetheless. "That bitch had no idea who she's dealing with. She must have thought her petty quality inspection would hurt me, but oh, she had no idea how far I could take it. Now she's the one crying," I laughed. "Even with all the money and power she has attained, she's still so dull and stupid. She couldn't even think of a g
CLARA'S POV I could see the anger flashing in Nate's eyes as I called the director of health. Mr. Gregory was the director of health for the territory, meaning that he could overrule an Alpha's orders regarding health matters. The only person he was inferior to was the Alpha the territory, Edward, my husband. And it was clear by the look on Nate's face that he knew this. I put the phone on loud speaker so the entire room could hear the conversation I was about to have with Mr Gregory loud and clear. "What can I do for you today, Luna Clara?" He asked. "I need you to file for the suspension of licence of a certain Mr Albert who owns a pharmacy in Breakstone Pack. I also want his pharmacy shut down due to his inability to render unbiased health care and services." I demanded. "Alright, Luna Clara. As long as you are the one asking me to do it, I will get it done immediately without further questions." Mr. Gregory responded. With a smile, I ended the call. Albert's smi
NATE'S POV "How could she do that? How could she fucking do that?!!" I screamed, flinging the glass cup in front of me so hard that it smashed against the wall and shattered into pieces. I landed a violent kick to my desk, sending it tumbling down to the ground. There was so much pent up rage in me, I had to let it out somehow. That fucking bitch. Oh, how I wanted Clara's head on a platter. I couldn't believe she did that to me. I couldn't let her get away with it. I just wouldn't. "Nate…" Isla called out to me, her voice shaky. She was standing at a corner of my office, trying to calm me down. But it proved usesless because I was irritated by the sight of her face. I wasn't in the mood to see anyone around me right now, least of all, Isla. She took a timid step toward me. "Nate, please just try to ca–" "Don't fucking tell me to calm down!! How do you expect me to calm down when that low life bitch is trying to humiliate me in front of the entire pack?! That bitch has g
CLARA’S POV “I just don’t understand him,” I muttered under my breath at the back seat of the moving car and shook my head. What is he doing to me? “What did you say, Luna Clara?” Lydia turned in her seat to glance at me, her brows raised in curiosity. Oops. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud. I flushed lightly, managing to compose myself before she noticed. I sighed, waving a dismissive hand. “It’s nothing, Lydia.” She studied me for a second, her brows knitting together in suspicion. But then she nodded, turning her attention back to the passing rows of flowers outside the window. I let out a trembling breath, my thoughts drifting back to Edward. He’d been acting so strangely lately—more affectionate, more attentive. It wasn’t like him. Not that he wasn’t kind before, but this…this was different. And I couldn’t make sense of it. Was I reading too much into it? Or was there something I missed? Or maybe I hoped he was actually paying attention to me. Was I delus
CLARA’S POV FLASHBACK—Years Ago A shove from behind sent me crashing to the floor, my head slamming into the wall. Pain shot through me and I groaned, squinting my eyes at the same time. “Why are you even here?” one of my bullies sneered as I rubbed my head. “You don’t belong here, yet I see you everyday.” “You’re just a weak, useless Omega,” another added. “You’ll never fit in. Why don’t you go back to your parents? Go find a school for people like you!” Their words tumbled out, all hitting me at the same time. I pressed against the wall, forcing myself up. My head ached, and my vision blurred with unshed tears. I fought them, tightening my hands because I didn’t want them to see me cry. That would only make it worse. As I struggled to stand, a sharp kick to my stomach knocked the breath from my lungs and I crumbled down. I gasped, a tear slipping down my cheek because the pain was too intense. “Look at her,” the one who kicked me laughed. “She can’t even cry r
CLARA’S POV I looked around in admiration as we breezed through the estate gates, the wind dancing in our faces and stirring a warmth in my heart. “Lydia.” She looked sideways at me, her face calmly drawn into a smile. “Yes, ma’am?” “I plan to launch my own company,” I announced, flipping my hair backwards and away from my eyes. We were walking through the estate on an evening stroll, the calm in the air just what I needed to clear my head. “Do you have anything in mind?” She asked, and I tilted my head to the side, thinking for a moment. Then I shrugged. “Well, it has to be something I’m passionate about, you know. Would make it even more fun.” “And if I may ask, ma’am, what are you passionate about? Is there anything you can think of? There must be something you like doing… something that makes your heart race,” Lydia pushed on, and I laughed, suddenly nervous, a fleeting memory of me tangled in the sheets with Edward crossing my mind. That was the new passion…
CLARA’S POV I stood in front of Edward’s door, trembling, debating whether to turn around and disappear. But my conscience wouldn’t let me. After my shower, I had tossed and turned for nearly an hour, unable to shake the feeling of guilt from our earlier conversation. It gnawed at me, growing stronger the more I tried to ignore it. Eventually, I gave up, climbed out of bed, and found myself here. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I said something to him for my outburst. A word of apology, maybe? Taking a deep breath, I knocked and waited. I got no response. I knocked again and still no response. I raised my hand to try again when the door suddenly swung open, Edward stepping out. He stood there in nothing but a pair of low waisted trousers, my eyes roaming his chiseled chest and defined abs before I realized I was doing that. I swallowed hard. Focus, Clara. “Can I come in for a bit?” I asked, my voice smaller than I intended. He held my gaze for a moment before si
CLARA’S POV I took a slow sip of water, twirling my fork between my fingers. No matter how many times I picked it up, I couldn’t seem to bring myself to eat. Maybe it was because Edward sat directly across from me, his sharp green eyes stealing glances when he thought I wouldn’t notice. I wasn’t used to him staring this much especially when I didn’t know why. But what surprised me even more was that he’d insisted we have dinner together. Lately, he either wanted to have breakfast, lunch or dinner with me. It wasn’t a bad thing but being close to him made me feel things, it brought back memories I had tried so hard to forget. He cleared his throat then, drawing my attention. “So,” he began, his voice casual but probing, “what have you been up to these days?” His gaze lingered on mine. “I heard you left the pack today. What’s going on?” I straightened slightly at his words, wondering why he was asking. “How did you hear that?” A slow smirk tugged at his lips.
NATE’S POVI sat at the head of the table, barely listening as one of the board members droned on about stocks. My mind was elsewhere, thinking about the mess Clara was making and how she was wrecking everything and everyone around me.I wondered how long it would take for Jack to get rid of her. And if it would take time, I could deal with her slowly until her time was up. As I was lost in thought, something in the board member’s rambling caught my attention and snapped me back. “Hold up.” I straightened in my chair, my focus turning back to the room. “What did you just say?”“The company stocks… they’re dropping too fast,” the man repeated, his eyes scanning the room like he was seeking support from others. My brows furrowed. “And what are you doing about it?” I demanded, leaning forward and fixing him with an icy stare.“Er—uhm…” He stammered, looking for an answer.I clenched my jaw, breathing through the rising anger coursing through me. Was everyone determined to piss me off
NATE’S POV I slammed my phone down on the table, exhaling sharply. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. The investment deal I’d been counting on had just collapsed because of Clara. She was ruining my life, and the effect was driving me crazy. How the hell did a weasel like her even dare? Was this the same Clara who had once been completely under my control? The timid, pitiful Omega I had married? I scoffed, shaking my head. Impossible. Standing, I stalked to the cellar, grabbing a bottle of wine and a glass. I filled it to the brim, inhaling deeply as I tried to exhale every ounce of frustration boiling inside me. I needed to relax, to stop the inevitable migraine that was about to explode in my head, another gift from the chaos that bitch had unleashed in my life. I thought having to deal with the gossips was enough. But no. Investors were actually withdrawing from my company. “Bad publicity?” I scoffed, shaking my head bitterly. Did they not know every publicity is good? Lifting my glass,
CLARA’S POV“So,” I pressed on, tilting my head. “Do you remember?”Lisa’s jaw tightened, her eyes burning with fury as she glared at me. “That was a long time ago.”But beneath all that stubborn defiance, I saw it, the look of panic creeping in. She was trying so hard to act unfazed, but the cracks were showing. She was scared.“No, Lisa,” I countered smoothly. “That was just two years ago. Two years ago, you made my life hell even when I did everything to please you.”She let out an exasperated sigh, throwing her hands up. “So? What do you want me to do about it? It’s in the past, isn’t it? Why don’t we just forget about it and—”I let out a bitter chuckle, shaking my head as I watched the once fearsome, sharp-tongued Lisa begin to crumble before me. “You were so confident when I walked in here, weren’t you? What happened? Why are you trembling now?”She stared at me, silent. Her lips pressed together, and I could see how she was struggling to fight her tears. One thing about people
CLARA’S POVMy heels clicked sharply against the tiled floor of Urban Style as I stepped into the fashion boutique, Lydia striding briskly behind me, a document and bag in hand.The moment I entered, all heads turned. Some gazes held admiration, others envy but whichever it was, I met them head-on with a knowing smile.I had chosen this Molly dress deliberately, a statement piece designed to command attention and turn every head when you walk into a room. The mirrored fabric caught the light with every step I took, and paired with my red-bottomed Louboutin, it was impossible to ignore.The dress was blindingly red. My lipstick, just as bold. Too flashy? Maybe. But I didn’t care.Once, someone had told me I’d never look good in high fashion. That bold colors and dramatic dresses would never suit me.Well, I was about to meet that someone in this store, in this damn dress, looking every bit as stunning as she said I never could.I came to a stop in the middle of the store, my gaze locki