Ainsley stood over Eloise’s unconscious form, his eyes scanning her prone body. His mind was in turmoil, but his focus was sharp. He didn’t break the mental link. His gaze was locked on Eloise as she lay motionless on the bed.He moved closer, his hands trembling with a mixture of frustration and confusion. He pushed her aside gently and, with a steady breath, lifted her shirt.As her shirt slowly moved upward, his eyes fell on her waist.What he saw stopped him cold.A gruesome, jagged scar marred the skin on her left side. Ainsley’s pupils constricted, his heart thundering painfully in his chest. The breath caught in his throat.Our mate... Adrian’s voice was pained, distant. I can’t feel her... not properly. The words cut through Ainsley’s mind like ice. There was only the faintest breath, the shallow pulse beneath her skin, and that was all that marked her as his mate.“Who did this?” Ainsley’s voice was icy, his tone as cold as a blizzard, his words sharp with the promise of wrat
Suddenly, Eric recalled what he had said to Eloise earlier. He had told her she had disappointed him, blamed her for changing. Now, as he thought about it, he was filled with regret. It wasn’t him who had been suffering all these years.Eric continued, “When I checked on her earlier, she wasn’t in a serious condition. I don’t know why she fainted again, but I suggest you take her to the hospital now. She’s been through a lot, drowning, running a fever, and fainting. Even healthy werewolves couldn’t handle that, let alone her. Werewolf herbs might alleviate the symptoms, but it’s our strong resistance that helps us recover. Eloise doesn’t have her wolf anymore. She may be more vulnerable than humans.”“Okay. I’ll take her to the hospital now,” Ainsley responded.“Okay. See you there,” Eric replied before hanging up.Ainsley stood by the bed, looking down at Eloise. Eric’s words echoed in his mind: “Don’t you know that your attitude towards Eloise and the disposition you show have deter
Ainsley watched Eloise with a strange, almost obsessive gaze. His thoughts, tangled in a web of confusion, betrayed the feelings he couldn’t quite understand. How had it come to this? She was just a woman, an important one, yes, but nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, the more time passed, the deeper the pull grew, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something in him had awakened.What the hell is going on? Ainsley demanded, his voice sharp and uncertain, spoken not aloud but in the privacy of his mind.His wolf, Adrian, answered instantly, his tone firm and unyielding. She’s our mate.Ainsley’s heart thundered in his chest as the word echoed in his thoughts. Mate. The concept had always been something distant for him, something he hadn’t truly believed in. But Adrian was insistent. We werewolves need to be with our mates. That bond... it’s what keeps us whole. It’s what keeps us happy.Ainsley said nothing in response. The silence between them hung heavy, thick with confusion. He tr
“What’s wrong?” Ainsley asked, setting aside the document he had been studying. His gaze shifted to Eloise, a subtle arch in his brow that spoke volumes of his curiosity.Eloise hesitated before asking, her voice laced with a quiet concern, “Is Mavis okay?”At the sound of her question, a sharp edge darkened Ainsley’s mood. The gentleness that had once lingered around him evaporated in an instant.Eloise, how dare you ask about her? Ainsley thought bitterly. How can you even pretend to care about someone else, when you’re drowning in your own mess?Eloise’s lips tightened, but she didn’t falter. She pressed on, her tone unwavering. “Alpha Williams, you were wrong to do what you did to her. I want to beg you to spare her life. As for the rest, you can do whatever you want…”Ainsley scoffed, his face twisting in disbelief. “I didn’t know you were such a hypocrite,” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “You can be friends with people who’ve hurt you so deeply?”Eloise, despite th
“Well, since you love your job so much, work hard for it.” Ainsley’s voice was cold, his eyes hard as stone. “In one month, transfer a million dollars to my card, and I’ll let you go. Otherwise, it won’t matter where you run. You’ll never be free.”Eloise felt the blood drain from her face, but she didn’t flinch. She couldn’t. She had no choice but to accept it. A million dollars in a month? Her mind raced, trying to find a way out, but she knew there was none. Not now.“Alpha Williams, you’re right,” she said, her voice steady, though her heart was a chaotic mess inside her. “I still owe you a million dollars. You ordered me to pay it back within a month.”She didn’t fight him. She couldn’t afford to. She had nothing left. Eloise had long ago learned to swallow her pride and accept whatever came her way. She had no other option. Her debts, emotional and financial, were far too great.“Very well,” she continued, taking a slow, controlled breath. “I’ll be going to work now.”Ainsley’s
When Eric heard Ainsley's words, he was filled with a mix of frustration and disbelief. Typically, tasks like this were left to the pack’s doctors, but now he found himself being summoned to take on a job that seemed beneath him. He couldn’t help but feel resentful as he moved forward, preparing the IV.“Eric, wait a second, do you know how to do this?” Ainsley’s voice cut through the air, dripping with doubt.Eric’s hand trembled as he tried to find the right vein, but in his haste, he struck the wrong one. Ainsley’s expression soured immediately, his gaze growing colder with each failed attempt. “If you can’t, I’ll get someone else to do the job. Don’t force yourself.”Eric, who had always prided himself on his skills, clenched his jaw. His face tightened in determination. “Keep still,” he snapped. “If I don’t get her on a drip, I’ll write you a letter of resignation tomorrow and go home to help my father gather herbs.”Ainsley’s jaw tightened. He didn’t have time for games, but Eri
After the cloth was removed, Mavis immediately relaxed. She had been gagged for so long that she couldn't help but cough, her face turning red from the strain. Her vision blurred for a moment, but when it cleared, Ainsley's feet appeared in her line of sight. For a brief second, Mavis paused, the overwhelming emotions of fear and frustration almost drowning her. Suddenly, she felt a harsh grip on her chin, pulling her head up sharply. The force was enough to make her eyes widen in shock. She saw Ainsley's eyes dangerous and full of malice."I'm in a bad mood right now. I don't have much patience. You better answer whatever I ask you..." His voice was cold, each word dripping with icy authority.Mavis's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down her spine. Ainsley's grip tightened, and she felt the pressure digging into her jaw. It hurt, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not show weakness. The pain was overwhelming, but she fought to stay composed. Ainsley's hand, gloved i
Mavis felt Ainsley’s disdain like a cold blade slicing through her heart. His voice, dripping with venom towards Lucian, made her stomach churn. Every insult, every cruel word about the man she loved, felt like a personal wound. But she couldn’t speak, couldn’t defend him. Fear held her tongue in place.How dare he say that about Lucian? Her mind screamed, but the words couldn’t escape her lips. Her gaze flitted between Ainsley’s cold face and the floor beneath her, desperate for the strength to speak, to challenge him, but the courage failed to materialize. She knew the danger of antagonizing him, the fear of what he could do. He wasn’t just any man; Ainsley was the Alpha of the Litha Night Walker Pack, ruthless, calculating, and untouchable.Her heart ached for Lucian, the man she admired with every fiber of her being. Lucian deserves more than this. He deserves respect, she thought bitterly. But there was nothing she could do at that moment. Her hands, clenched into fists by her si
Ainsley returned to work after resting for a few more days. When Jacob called him……………Ainsley didn’t hesitate. He glanced at Ellison, who looked back at him curiously.“You don’t mind, do you?” Ainsley asked, already picking up the phone before Ellison could even respond. But Ainsley knew this call wasn’t from Jacob.His chest tightened. His voice remained calm, but every nerve in his body stood on edge, waiting and wanting.Then……..“Let the Anthony Group go,” her voice came, stiff, emotion coiled tightly beneath the surface.Ainsley leaned back in his chair. His grip on the phone tightened. It was her. That damn voice, he hadn’t heard it in days, and yet the second she spoke, his entire world tilted.He smiled slowly and coldly, and said in a voice that burned with longing masked as mockery, “Are you begging me now, Eloise? Or is that just your way of dressing up pride in pretty words?”Ellison's blood ran cold.Eloise! The name slammed into his chest like a fist. He stared at Ains
The conference room turned thick with tension as people were afraid Ainsley would make a comeback. If so, they would suffer.Ainsley sat still, the usual fire in his gaze dulled. No color touched his cheeks; he looked neither angry nor defeated.“Ainsley,” one of the shareholders snapped, almost too quickly. “It’s done. Step down from your position. You’re no longer CEO of the Williams Group.”Another chimed in, his voice tremulous but thrilled, “Yes. You heard the board, get the hell out of the building.”Chairs scraped, papers rustled. Tension rolled like a wave about to crash.But then, a voice rang out, cutting clean through the noise. It was steady, almost too steady.“Who said the final vote had been cast, or have I suddenly been removed from the shareholders? Because the last time I checked I happened to be one of the shareholders.”The room fell into a shocked hush, people’s heads snapped toward the source. Gasps rippled across the boardroom. Faces turned pale.Ellison’s brows
Eloise’s brow twitched slightly. Her calm gaze faltered for a second.Jacob caught it. That tiny flicker of emotion sent a surge of rage through him. He threw the apple aside.“Aren’t you worried? "Don’t you care what could’ve happened to him?” he snapped, his eyes burning into her face.Eloise turned her head away. “I didn’t ask him to.”Jacob stood. His voice was firm, serious. “No, you didn’t. But maybe you should’ve. You could hate him, you could curse his name. But don’t act like you don’t care. Because when you collapse, your body answers what your mouth refuses to say. The only treatment you responded to was his touch.”She clenched her jaw. “He locked me in that place. I don’t care how long he sat by my bed.”Jacob stared at her. “Then tell him that. Not to me. "You keep telling everyone you don’t care, but your hands were shaking when he touched you.”She didn’t answer.“During the years you were gone, Ainsley searched for you like a possessed man,” he added, his voice sharp
The car reeked of blood. It was the only smell Ainsley could register; thick, metallic, and heavy in his nose and mouth. He stirred with a low groan, his body aching as if it had been crushed from the inside out. Pain throbbed behind his bandaged head, spreading like wildfire through his skull and down his spine.He tried to move.“Don’t move,” Jacob snapped from the front seat, spinning around. His voice cut through the air like a blade. “You scared the hell out of me, Ainsley. What the fuck were you thinking?”Ainsley winced. His hand reached for the door handle, but it slipped off weakly. His head dropped back, the world spinning.“I passed out again, didn’t I?” he muttered.Jacob’s hands clenched the steering wheel, so tightly his knuckles turned white. “You did more than that. You nearly fucking died. You collapsed in front of a hundred people like your damn soul left your body.”He turned fully to face him, his eyes blazing like fire. “Do you understand what that looked like? Yo
Suddenly, Ellison stood up and pushed Ainsley hard. He said, “Let her go. You’re so selfish! Didn’t you hear her? Eloise has no intention of going with you!”Ainsley, caught off guard, stumbled backward. His usually fierce and commanding presence, like a true Alpha, was broken at an unexpected moment. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.Gasps echoed through the crowd, the people’s eyes widened in shock. Even the air seemed to stand still.Jacob’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and knelt beside Ainsley. “Ainsley, are you okay?” His voice cracked with concern as he reached to cradle his head. But his palm came out wet. Jacob looked down and froze. His fingers were stained red.“What is this?” he whispered, stunned.Blood!A sharp silence followed. Ellison, noticing the shift, stepped forward instinctively, but Hank had already rushed past him, panic flashing in his eyes. “Alpha Ainsley?”Eloise’s eyes widened. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, she see
Ellison stood frozen on the stairs, halfway down, his hands clenched tightly on the railing. He’d come down to stop Ainsley, to intervene, but when he saw the fire in Eloise’s eyes, the way she held herself back from launching another object, he couldn't move. Not yet.Ainsley’s cold voice echoed through the tension-filled room. “What else do you want to throw at me? I’ll get it for you.”Ellison stepped forward, breaking the thick silence. “No need to bother you, Ainsley. I’m free right now, and I’ll help her.”Hank took a step, ready to intervene, but Kelly subtly blocked him with a glance.As Ellison reached the floor, he picked up a broom lying nearby. The scrape of the handle against the tiled floor felt too loud in the quiet. He offered it to her with a calm face, but sarcasm glinted in his eyes.“Ma’am, here you go.”Eloise looked at the broom, then at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “A broom?”He nodded once, the corner of his lips lifting in a crooked smile.“Ma'am, flu
Lucian, unfazed, threw his jacket to the ground in front of Ainsley. “Fine. Let’s see what happens,” he said before he turned and left.Ainsley stayed where he was, watching Lucian’s departure with steely eyes. The tension still hung in the air, thick and unresolved.“We’re going to Waikiki Beach this afternoon,” Ainsley said after a long pause. “I’m sure she’s there. I need to find her.”Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Eloise paced restlessly in her room, her nerves fraying with each passing moment. Her thoughts spiraled. She had been hiding, but it was all falling apart now. Ainsley was coming for her.No, she told herself. I can’t let him find me. Not again.Then, just as the wind picked up, a familiar warmth brushed against her.Her body stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t have to turn to know he was there. The scent of him, so unmistakable, overwhelmed her senses.Ainsley stood behind her, his presence enveloping her. His arms wrapped around her alm
In the car, Ainsley gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white as he sped toward the airport. His mind was spinning. Without thinking, he reached out to Jacob through their mind link. His voice was sharp, his words clipped with urgency.“Do you know Remmy?” Ainsley asked, his tone barely contained as anxiety surged through him.Jacob’s voice crackled through the link, his confusion evident. “Why are you looking for her?” He didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation.Ainsley’s voice hardened, desperation creeping into his words. “She knows where Eloise is.”Jacob didn’t hesitate. “Understood,” he said, his voice steady despite the tense situation. “I’ll handle it. Do you need me to book you a flight?”“No need,” Ainsley replied immediately, his tone resolute. “I’m heading to the airport now.”As Ainsley disconnected the link, he pushed the accelerator harder, the engine roaring as he raced back home to grab his ID. Every second felt like an eternity, the pressure mountin
“Ellison! "I don’t want to bet anymore!” Eloise shouted at the stage, her voice rough and hoarse, like a desperate cry.“It’s too late,” Ellison’s lips moved, his words like ice. He’d made a decision. Instead of leaving, he wanted to win the bet. More than that, he wanted her.Memories flooded Eloise’s mind, sharp and vivid. In her eyes, Ellison at that moment seemed just like her in the past, lost, defiant, and broken.But Ellison didn’t deserve it! Not after everything.She walked toward the center of the stage, her steps deliberate, her heart pounding with emotion. She bent down and picked up the white shirt from the floor. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, and then she reached for Ellison’s hand, which rested on the zipper of his suit pants. Her voice was low but commanding, “Come with me.”Ellison stood frozen, stunned by the sudden seriousness of her expression. His heart skipped a beat.The audience below the stage began to murmur, their annoyance growing louder. “Who are