(Layla)I gripped the wedding bands so hard they left indents in my palms, watching my fated mate Mason exchange vows with Princess Abigail of the Oakshadow Pack. The massive altar in our pack’s great hall where they stood was covered with a red carpet, so lavish it felt like it was mocking my pain.My wolf Ariel howled in anguish inside me, a sound that rang through my soul. Two years of secret meetings, stolen kisses in darkened corridors, whispered promises of forever—all thrown away for political ambition.“You have to understand,” Mason had told me in his office last week, not even looking at me as he dropped the bomb. “The pack needs this alliance with Oakshadow. I need this to become Chairman. Your background…it would only hold us back.”I nodded like the good Beta I was, swallowing my protests even as Ariel thrashed against our bond. He was right—my common birth would’ve ruined his campaign. The daughter of a lowly omega could never be Luna of the mighty Sapphire Sky Pack.Bu
(Layla)Mason threw open his office door so hard it slammed against the wall. “Get in here. Now.”I stepped inside, my neck throbbing where Samuel had marked me last night. The memories flashed through my mind—his hands on my skin, his teeth sinking into my flesh.“Who was it?” Mason demanded, pacing behind his desk. His wolf’s golden eyes flickered through, dangerous and wild. “Which wolf dared to mark you?”I crossed my arms. “That’s none of your business.”“None of my—” Mason’s fist crashed down on his desk. “You’re my Beta! Everything you do reflects on this pack!”“Funny how you care now,” I spat. “Where was all this concern yesterday when you were exchanging vows with Abigail?”His nostrils flared as he stalked toward me. “Don’t change the subject. I can smell another wolf all over you.”“Back off,” I growled, baring my teeth. “You lost any right to question my personal life when you rejected our mate bond.”“I did what was necessary for the pack!”“No, you did what was necessary
(Layla)I clutched my necklace tighter. Abigail’s gaze locked onto it, her thin, dark eyebrows rising.“That pattern…” She stepped closer, releasing Mason’s hand. “Those markings look exactly like the ceremonial pieces in my pack’s vault.”Mason glanced at it dismissively. “Must be a cheap copy.”“But look at those engravings,” Abigail insisted. “The craftsmanship is similar to—”“Abigail, dear,” Mason cut in. “Why don’t you browse the displays? I need to speak with Layla privately.”He gripped my arm, pulling me toward a small office at the back. The clerk opened his mouth to protest but Mason silenced him with a glare.“Let go of me,” I snapped, yanking free once we were inside.Mason pulled an envelope from his jacket. “Your resignation is approved.”“Give it to me.”“Not so fast.” He dangled it just out of reach. “I have a proposition first.”I crossed my arms. “Not interested.”“Your mother’s treatments.” Mason stepped closer. “I could take care of everything. The bills, the speci
(Layla)I turned Samuel’s card over in my hands like I had been doing for the last hour. I sat on my bed, staring at the elegant black lettering until it blurred.Call if you need anything. Money, protection—whatever.The implications made my stomach knot. One night of angry, drunken revenge was one thing, but this…this would be calculated. Deliberate.My phone screen lit up: HOSPITAL BILLING.I ignored it and walked to my closet. If I was going to do this, I’d do it right. The red dress hung at the very back, tags still attached. I’d bought it months ago for a pack formal that I’d never been able to attend, before Mason had crushed my heart.Tears spilled down my cheeks as I yanked it off the hanger. How has my life come to this? From respected Beta to potential mistress in less than a week.“I am sorry, Mom,” I whispered, unzipping the dress. “I never wanted this.”The silk slid cool against my skin. Perfect fit. The neckline dipped low, the hemline rode high. Exactly what you’d expe
(Layla)“My daughter Annie needs full-time care,” Samuel explained, tapping his fingers on the diner table. “She accidentally ingested wolfsbane and the accident left her legs paralyzed.”I stared at him across the booth, my red dress feeling ridiculous again as I remembered her.“Your daughter…”“Yes, my daughter.” His eyes narrowed. “Surprising?”“I just…” I shifted in my seat. “I didn’t know you had one.”I had never known him to have a public Luna, yet he had a daughter. Maybe I could be his Luna too…Ridiculous, I chided myself. You’re being ridiculous.“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Samuel motioned to the waitress. “Coffee, black.”“Same,” I muttered, needing something stronger than water.“Three weeks ago,” he continued once the waitress left, “Annie got into the wolfsbane garden. Doctors say the paralysis should be temporary, but she needs constant supervision until she recovers.”“And you want me to…”“Be her nanny. Five days a week, live-in position.” He pulled out
(Layla)“She’s mine.” Samuel’s declaration rang in my ears.Just minutes ago at our table, he’d insisted we were nothing but employer and employee. The contradiction made my head spin. One moment he acted like our night together meant nothing, the next he claimed me in front of Mason. What game was he playing?“Let’s talk outside,” Mason snarled, reaching for my arm.I twisted away. “Don’t touch me.”“Sorry Uncle,” Mason said through gritted teeth, “but I need to borrow her for a minute.” His fingers dug into my bicep as he yanked me toward the door.“Mason, stop!” I planted my feet. “Let go!”I stumbled in my heels, the concrete scraping my feet. He dragged me into the parking lot anyway, grip tightening when I tried to yank free. The asphalt scraped my heels as I stumbled.“How dare you, Mason! Take your hands off me!”“How could you get involved with him?” Mason demanded, spinning me around to face him. “My uncle? Really?”“You’re hurting me!”“He’s just a playboy who sees you as a
(Layla)Samuel’s fingers paused mid-scroll on his phone screen. Jack glanced back from the driver’s seat, then quickly focused on the road ahead.“It’s nothing,” he said finally, his voice low and casual, like none of this mattered at all. “I just didn’t want you to lose face in front of Mason. Not again.”“What?” I managed to choke out.His lips twitched. “You’ve already been discarded by him once. Thought it’d be satisfying to let him taste what it feels like to lose something. Or someone. The way you did.”I stared at him, mind racing. Was this whole thing—his claiming me, the job offer, his protectiveness—just payback against his nephew?It was easy to get lost in the memory, to let myself believe, even for a second, that there might have been something more to it. That maybe, just maybe, he saw me as more than a pawn in his game.But no. Of course not. This was Alpha Samuel, after all. The man who had a reputation for being as cold and calculating as he was devastatingly handsome.
(Layla)The next morning, I woke up before the sun even had a chance to peek over the horizon. My alarm blared, and I slapped it off with a groan, dragging myself out of bed.Today was going to be a marathon, not a sprint. I had to finish organizing the Alpha Council archives by noon if I wanted to make it to my new nanny gig on time.Yeah, nanny gig. Even thinking it felt weird. Me, Layla Wilkes, former Beta of the Sapphire Sky Pack, now babysitting the Alpha’s daughter. Life had a funny way of humbling you.I stepped into the Alpha Council archives and barely had time to set my bag down before Amanda appeared.“These need updating before you go,” Amanda said, dropping a thick stack on my desk. Her mouth twisted. “Alpha’s orders.”I yanked open drawer B-12, inhaling decades of paper history. A fresh birth certificate caught my eye—some pup born into Mason’s pack last week. The ink still looked wet. I traced the family lineage section, noting the bloodlines. Unlike my own mysterious
(Layla’s POV)As we ate the dessert, Barbara dabbed her lips with a napkin and rose from her chair, smoothing her dress.“I think I’ll retire to my room now,” she announced, directing a meaningful look at Samuel. “It’s been such a long day of travel. Annie, darling, don’t stay up too late. Samuel…” Her gaze lingered on him, and she blinked slowly. “I’ll see you later this evening, perhaps?”She glanced at me briefly, a small, triumphant smile playing at the corners of her mouth before she turned away. “Goodnight, everyone. Enjoy the rest of your cake.”As Barbara’s footsteps faded down the hallway, Annie rolled her eyes dramatically. “She always does that. Acts like she and Dad have secret plans.”“Annie,” Samuel warned, though he looked more tired than angry.I took another bite of strawberry cake, savoring the sweet-tart flavor, but as I swallowed, a strange sensation swept through me—a light-headedness that seemed to come from nowhere. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my suddenly
(Layla’s POV)The declaration landed like a bomb at the dinner table. Barbara’s face froze in a rictus of a smile, her knuckles white around her wine glass.Samuel went completely still, his fork suspended halfway to his mouth.I stared fixedly at my plate, heat blazing across my face and neck in embarrassment.Nobody spoke, nobody moved. The only sound was the gentle ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner, marking each excruciating second of silence.My chest tightened with mortification at being put on the spot, as well as strange pleasure at Annie’s preference, and acute discomfort at Barbara’s obvious dismay.I couldn’t bring myself to look at Samuel, afraid of what I might see in his expression.Barbara recovered first, forcing a brittle laugh. “Children say the most outlandish things, don’t they?” She patted Annie’s hand condescendingly. “Sweetie, Layla is your nanny. That’s a very different relationship.”“So?” Annie challenged, stubbornly crossing her arms. “Dad can mar
(Layla’s POV)I’d never eaten somewhere that required three different forks before. The table looked ready for a magazine photoshoot, not actual humans eating food. Barbara had clearly pulled out all the stops, arranging fresh flowers in a low centerpiece and lighting tapered candles at each end of the table.“Sit here,” Barbara directed, pointing to a chair across from Annie’s specialized seat. “Samuel always takes the head of the table.”I followed her instruction, watching as she bustled around, straightening already-perfect place settings. She moved like she belonged here, like this was a routine she performed regularly. Her territorial behavior couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d peed on the furniture to mark it.Samuel wheeled Annie in, helping her transfer to her adapted chair. The little girl’s eyes went wide at the elaborate table setting.“Wow! It looks like Christmas!” she exclaimed, running her fingers along the edge of her fancy plate.Barbara beamed at the praise, ta
(Layla’s POV)I glanced at my watch as I gathered Annie’s completed worksheets from her table. Six o’clock already—time had slipped away during our extended therapy session.Annie had progressed to wiggling not just her toes but parts of her foot, small movements that represented huge neurological victories. Each twitch brought a fierce grin to her face that made the hours of repetitive exercises worthwhile.“You’re getting better every day,” I told her as I packed the worksheets into my bag. “If you keep working this hard, you’ll be taking steps before you know it.”Annie beamed from her wheelchair, tiny dimples appearing in her cheeks. “Dad says I’m tough.”“The toughest,” I agreed, zipping my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. “Same time tomorrow?”“You’re leaving already?” Samuel’s deep voice came from the doorway. He’d changed from his formal business attire into dark jeans and a charcoal henley that somehow made him look even more imposing than his suits.I nodded, picking up
(Layla’s POV)Annie stared at me suspiciously, her small nose wrinkling. “Why is your face all red?”“Is it?” I touched my cheek self-consciously. “I just walked quickly, that’s all.”“You look mad,” Annie observed, closing her math workbook. “Did Auntie Barbara say something mean? She can be mean sometimes.”“Everything’s fine,” I assured her, pulling out her spelling list. “Let’s focus on these words for your test tomorrow.”Annie wasn’t fooled. “I heard Auntie Barbara and Dad yelling. Were they fighting about you?”I sighed, deciding a partial truth might satisfy her curiosity. “Your aunt is protective of you and your dad. That’s natural for a family.”“She doesn’t like other women around Dad,” Annie confided, taking a sip of her water. “She got mad at the grocery store lady once just for helping him find pasta sauce.”Despite everything, I couldn’t help but laugh at this image. “That’s a bit extreme.”“Auntie Barbara says she and Dad belong together because Mom’s gone,” Annie conti
(Layla’s POV)The burning water trickled down my wrist as Barbara and I stared at each other, neither of us moving. Her green eyes glittered dangerously, her red painted lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure. Behind her, Samuel rose from his desk, his face giving nothing away.“Well, well,” Barbara said coldly. “Eavesdropping on private conversations now? Is that part of your nanny duties?”My cheeks blazed with heat, but I forced myself to meet her gaze. “I was getting water for Annie.” I held up the glass as evidence, water still dripping from my fingers.“Right outside our door? How convenient.” Barbara stepped into the hallway, her arms crossing over her chest. “And how much did you hear?”“Nothing,” I lied, wiping my wet hand on my jeans. “I was just passing by.”“With your ear pressed to the door?” Barbara asked skeptically. “Do you think I’m stupid, girl?”“Barbara,” Samuel warned, appearing behind her in the doorway.She ignored him, moving closer to me. “You know what I
(Layla’s POV)Annie’s bedroom looked like it had been hit by a small, controlled tornado. Books and papers littered her desk, colored pencils rolled across the floor, and her tablet balanced precariously on the edge of her bed.She’d been in the middle of several projects before my arrival, and then Barbara’s, had distracted her.“Let me guess,” I said, surveying the chaos as I maneuvered her wheelchair to the desk. “You started homework, got bored, switched to drawing, got bored again, and moved on to your tablet?”Annie grinned sheepishly. “I was waiting for you. Math is more fun when you explain it.”“Nice save,” I chuckled, gathering up the scattered papers. “But flattery won’t get you out of fractions today.”I found her math workbook beneath a pile of sketches—surprisingly good drawings of wolves running through forests. Annie had talent beyond her years, capturing movement and emotion in just a few pencil strokes.“These are really good,” I told her, setting aside the artwork ca
(Layla’s POV)I stared at the woman standing beside Samuel, momentarily frozen in place by her unexpected presence. She looked to be in her early thirties, perhaps five years older than me.The room suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. I became acutely aware of my simple jeans and t-shirt, of my hair pulled back in a practical ponytail, of the dust and sweat from massaging Annie’s legs. Next to this woman, I felt like a grubby child.Those calculating green eyes swept over me, assessing and dismissing me in seconds. Her high and thin eyebrows arched questioningly as she turned to Samuel.“And who might this be?” she asked, her voice cultured but cold, like expensive champagne served over ice.“This is Layla Wilkes,” Samuel replied, gesturing toward me. “She’s Annie’s nanny and tutor. Layla has been instrumental in Annie’s rehabilitation.”I forced a polite smile, trying not to fidget under her scrutiny. “Nice to meet you.”The woman’s ruby lips curved in a smile that never reached h
(Layla’s POV)The alarm clock’s shrill beeping jolted me from sleep, dreams of Frank’s threats still clinging to my consciousness.I opened my eyes to a room still in disarray from Frank’s break-in—drawers half-emptied, belongings scattered across surfaces.I’d been too exhausted last night to continue cleaning up.After a quick shower and breakfast with Mom, I gathered my things for Annie’s session, mind still roiling over Frank’s ultimatum.Ten thousand might as well be a million—impossible to produce on my current income. Even with the Chairman election pending, Samuel would notice such a large sum missing from pack accounts. And Mason…No. I wouldn’t involve either of them in this mess. Frank was my problem to solve.As I opened the front door, a metallic clink caught my attention. I looked down to find a set of car keys lying on the welcome mat, a small silver wolf charm dangling from the keyring.“What the…?” I murmured, bending to pick them up.I stepped outside, scanning the p