RAVEN’S POV:I frantically rushed out of the pack house, tying my hair into a lazy bun as I checked the time on my phone. It was half past seven, and I was meant to clock in at eight; at this rate, I'd be late. My eyes quickly scanned the area for a cab, hoping to catch one.It was yesterday when I received my employment letter to resume work today, and due to my excitement about the good news, Bethany managed to convince me to drink with her. I completely slept off last night and forgot to set an alarm, so I was getting late for work. So now, early morning on a Tuesday, I was struggling to get to work, half groggy, and a head aching with a hangover.However, to my dismay, there were no cabs in sight. Usually, cabs were always scarce in this area because most of the people had a car. And the only bus station available was a few streets from here. As I stood there, I contemplated going back in to persuade Bethany to drive me there, but I couldn't even be sure she had woken up yet.But
RAVEN’S POV:"Why are you late?" she questioned, her tone rather harsh as she glanced at her wristwatch before adding, "You are ten minutes late on your first day at work. Where is your commitment to this job?"I inwardly panicked, but I had to think quickly to come up with an explanation. I couldn't let this first impression ruin my chances at this job."I had an issue at the elevator," I replied calmly. "None of them were working, and I had to wait for a while before finding an alternative."She stared at me with a penetrating gaze for a few seconds. The look in her eyes told me she was trying to make me cower, so I held her gaze in return. Eventually, she seemed to realize there was nothing she could nitpick about since I explained sincerely."I hope it won't happen again," she finally remarked, her voice still stern. "Lateness is not allowed in this company."I nodded gently at this as I responded, "Yes, Ms. Williams. It won't happen again." I read the employee guide sent along wi
RAVEN’S POV:I turned to look at her, surprised by the confrontation. She soon reached me and stopped in front of me, standing a head taller due to her extremely long heels. She looked down at me with her nose upturned and eyebrows raised tightly.She gave me a condescending look as she mouthed, "Did you not hear what I said? How dare you ignore me?"I was initially stunned because I didn't recognize or know who she was. But since she seemed to be here to see the Alpha, I apologized even without knowing what I did wrong. "I'm sorry, ma. How may I help you?"She hissed, however, looking at me with contempt, but I was not in any way bothered. I've seen my fair share of them, and they don't bother me anymore. She then proceeded to approach the door of his office.Seeing that she was going to enter just like that, I quickly stepped forward, halting her. "I'm sorry, but you can't enter." Although my position was assistant secretary, I was meant to do receptionist jobs and inform the Alpha
RAVEN’S POV:"I need you to perfect the speed of your transformation. This is no good!"I could hear Bethany dictate from where I stood. I was by the window sill of my room, staring at the pack field downstairs and watching the pack members being trained. There was a huge crowd compared to the ones I've met at the dining.Bethany and Ethan, Tristan's beta, stood on the top of a pier as they directed the training. She crossed her arms under her bosom, a stern look on her face as she threw commands around. I didn't expect her to be in charge of the pack army; she really didn't look like a fighter. But now, staring at her, I could tell she was really suited for commanding just like Tristan.I watched as they transformed into their wolves at Ethan's command and took for the nearby woods at fast speed. It was a blend of colors, and I couldn't help but blink as I watched their running figures pierce through the quiet of the forest. Their transformation was fast, so fast that I could only se
TRISTAN’S POV:The car pulled into the driveaway, coming to an abrupt stop and Ethan turned off the ignition, before looking at me. “We’re here.”I nodded at him before grabbing my phone which was on the car’s dashboard. He also grabbed the suitcase on the shotgun which contained confidential documents for tomorrow. It still needed him to do some edits so seeing him grab them made me suspicious that was what he intended to do.That made me question him, “Off to bed, I suppose?”He simply glanced at me before shaking his head, gesturing with the suitcase he held. “Got to finish this.”“After all the stress from today?” I pressed. We both had a lot on our schedules today - both pack and the company matters. I was feeling like a damp rag right now so I was sure he must be feeling worse since he had to drive me around all day.He got down from the car and shut the door while I slid a hand in my pocket. Then, he replied with a resigned smile.“We both know I’ll get insomnia if I don’t fini
RAVEN’S POV:I was arranging the stack of files I needed to submit to the Alpha for approval when the door of his office opened abruptly. I instantly looked up, not expecting him to come out, but I stood up and greeted, "Alpha.""Where is Candace?" he asked, and I noticed he had his phone beside his ear, as though he was on a call."She's not in the office right now." Candace had just left a couple of minutes ago, as she told me she needed to deal with some errors with the planning team. I added, "She had to go to the factory due to an emergency, sir."He pursed his lips and removed his phone from his ear; likely, the call was not picked up. He questioned, "Have you heard of the collaboration plans with AnB breweries?""Yes, sir." I instantly nodded at this. I had, and in fact, I was the one who compiled all the information I could find on the Internet before submitting it to Candace."Good." Then, he looked at the files on my desk before ordering, "Okay, you come along with me. We ha
My eyes widened as I looked at him, taken aback, and I pointed at myself as I didn't even expect that he ordered the food for me. "Me?"He simply stared at me for a moment before questioning, "Aren't you hungry? Why didn't you eat with us earlier?"I blinked - I didn't think I was allowed to eat with them even though I was feeling really hungry. Even Mr. Clinton's assistant didn't eat.He didn't seem to care about my response, though, as he returned his attention to his phone, and I stared at the different dishes on the table. They were indeed portions for only one person. However, there were varieties of side dishes.I was hesitant to eat as I felt rather awkward that he would buy me a meal himself. But since I was hungry anyway, I grabbed the cutlery and began to eat. The silence was loud, and the only sound was my fork against the plates.He simply sat there busy with his phone and didn't pay attention to me, lessening the embarrassment I felt as I ate.---"Did you hear that the Al
TRISTAN’S POV:I was busy on the phone, replying to Bethany's messages. She seemed to be rather invested in Raven and was eager to poke nose like always. She informed me that Raven asked her if she could train with her, which made me wonder why she didn't ask me directly. At the thought, I remembered she didn't have my number. It made me wonder if she had a phone at all; I didn't recall ever seeing it on her.While I typed, I couldn't help looking up as Ethan suddenly increased the volume of the song playing from the stereo. I was seated in the front passenger seat, unlike how I was always seated in the back seat. We were on our way to Velvet, a high-class bar in the city centre. Since it was night and since we weren't on any official business where anyone would recognize us, I took the chance to sit beside him. On normal days. Ethan wouldn't agree as he was always about protocol shit and all. He always wanted to follow orders, which wasn't to my liking. After all, even though he had
AUTHOR'S POV:"Congratulations, Miss Raven. You're three months pregnant," Dr. Foster announced with a warm smile, his eyes reflecting genuine joy. The test results were on top of his desk as he closed the papers.Raven blinked, disbelief etched across her face. "Pregnant? But... how?" she stammered, her mind still catching up. It felt like the walls were suddenly closing in on her.The doctor chuckled. "Well, it seems you fainted earlier because of more than just fatigue. You're going to be a mother." He handed her the test result, and Raven's trembling hands took hold of it.She sat there for a couple of seconds, trying to process the situation. She had fainted at the office earlier that day, so she came to the hospital, but surely, she was not expecting to be told she was pregnant."Thank you, Doctor," she managed to utter, her thoughts racing. As she exited the office, the weight of the news sank in, leaving her stunned.As she walked along the hospital hallway, she ran into Larson
TRISTAN’S POV:I stared at the screen, my eyes glued to the footage Ethan had managed to salvage from the hotel's security system. Frustration simmered within me as I realized there was a critical gap – the moment Seraphine supposedly plunged into the water was missing. Deleted. Gone."Can't you retrieve that part?" I asked Ethan, my voice tight with worry.Ethan sighed, shoulders slumping. "I went to Jasper's place, watched him try, but even he couldn't get it back. It's like it vanished."Disturbed, I knew that missing piece was vital to proving Raven's innocence. No matter how fiercely I could protect her, I couldn't let a stain tarnish her reputation. I pondered the options – interrogate Seraphine, force a confession, but the risks loomed large. Accusations of me using my power to bully could tarnish my position without solid proof. Not to mention, it would affect Raven - they'd accuse her of messing with my head."We need that footage, Ethan. Find a way," I urged, worry coursing
RAVEN'S POV:An uneasy vibe buzzed in me as Tristan and I shuffled down the hospital hallway. Seraphine supposedly woke up, but it still felt surreal. What happened still feels like a dream to me, and I was unable to come to terms that she had almost died.When we reached the door of the VIP ward she was staying in, a crowd awaited – her family. I didn't realize she had so many relatives, and even Tristan's mom, Luna BlackClaw, was there.The moment we appeared, all gazes fell on us, especially me. Their glares screamed judgment, but I held my cool, knowing I didn't do what they accused.Probably sensing my unease, Tristan held my palm and rubbed it, an attempt to reassure me, so I shot him a forced smile, not wanting him to worry.Luna BlackClaw jumped on me first, fuming, "How dare you show your face here?"She looked very furious, and if one didn't know, they'd think Seraphine was her daughter. I would have been intimidated, but the conviction that I did nothing wrong made me meet
Raven’s POV:I held a glass of wine as I looked around the hall. I was attending Madison's engagement ceremony, and there weren't a lot of people in attendance, as the marriage was not aristocratic, and there were a lot of gossip about them in the pack. Not to mention, it was no news that her father wanted her to marry a richer and well-known man, not her mate. They were all everybody was talking about and giving their two cents of advice on like they knew it all.But as I stared at Madison's figure walking around the entire hall arm in arm with her mate, Christian, I could tell she was happy with the man she ended up with. And I was happy for her because it meant that not all mates were assholes, and they complemented one another well.However, as I saw Madison approaching me with Christian, I placed the wine glass in my hand on the table some distance from me. I didn't want to toast her and have to drink the wine.Firstly, because I had promised Tristan that even though he wasn't th
TRISTAN’S POV:I smiled, seeing the sheer fear and shame that ran through their spines upon seeing me. "Isn't it rude to start a meeting without me, the main topic of the so-called abdication?"As I spoke, I strolled to my seat and settled down. Lucas frowned, but he was soon back to being haughty. That made me frown at his closed-mindedness - how could he be foolish enough to rely only on one piece of evidence that wasn't conclusive enough?"Which rule of the council talks about members not holding a meeting behind the Alpha King?" I questioned as I tapped on the table, intending to drag it out and give them chills."Ru...rule 15," one of them managed to speak while the rest of them frowned, but they all seemed to have regained their composure.I was about to respond when Lucas coldly snorted, "That doesn't include an abdication gathering in the case of a bad Alpha King."That made me perk up, and my gaze found his. "Oh really? How bad of a King am I that you all respectable Alphas w
Lucas paced back and forth in his dimly lit study, a sense of urgency in his voice as he spoke into his phone. "Make sure the meeting room is ready, and no one should tip off Tristan. We can't afford any slip-ups," he ordered.The door swung open abruptly, and Nadia stood there, a hand on her now heavily pregnant stomach. Anger flashed in Lucas's eyes, but he held back his initial impulse to shout at her for barging in. Instead, he ended the call, turning his attention to Nadia. "What are you doing here?" he inquired, attempting to keep his tone steady.Nadia, however, was not in the mood for pleasantries. She stormed toward Lucas, pushing him in the chest. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, frustration evident in her voice.Perplexed, Lucas responded, "What do you mean?"Without wasting a moment, Nadia thrust photos into his face. "Someone saw you with another woman last night. They're spreading rumors about us," she accused, her eyes ablaze.Lucas glanced at the picture
AUTHOR'S POV;Tristan diligently sorted through the crates in the pack house, the rhythmic hum of activity disrupted as Ethan approached. "Someone's looking for you, Tristan," Ethan said, a frown creasing his brow.Tristan raised an eyebrow, setting down a box. "You know pack members aren't supposed to disturb me at work. Who is it?"Ethan hesitated, then leaned in, voice low. "Alpha Odette."Tristan's surprise flashed across his face. "Alpha Odette? What does she want?"Ethan shrugged, a wary expression in his eyes. "I don't know, but be careful. She's always scheming."A wry smile played on Tristan's lips. "You've never liked her, have you?" Not that he was fond of her either, but he happened to help her three months back to deal with a rogue issue when his investigations led him to her pack, and he realized she was just always scheming and plotting, but her personality wasn't all that bad.Ethan scowled. "And you shouldn't either. Just be cautious."Tristan chuckled, waving Ethan o
RAVEN’S POV:I lay in his arms as he tousled my hair playfully. He didn't go back to the pack office to work, and we just lay together in silence in his room."She just came in like that, and I thought she was a pack member at first," he explained, looking at me, and I couldn't help but smile at how he seemed to forget she was also a pack member."She is a pack member," I corrected, and he only muttered, "Oh.""You're too cold," I couldn't help telling him. He always avoided her, and even before what happened tonight, his stepmother had been trying all sorts of means to push them together, causing further ruin to their relationship.But he was unbothered, unlike me, as he shrugged. "I've always been this way. No need to pay attention to irrelevant people."I chuckled at this, half worried I was ruining his relationship with other people but also pleased that he was avoiding having anything to do with his ex.Just then, he sat up and leaned to get something out of his bedside drawer. I
Tristan's fingers danced across the keyboard in the dimly lit pack house office, the hum soft in the background. Suddenly, the tranquil air shattered as the thunderous noise of running feet echoed from the nearby field. He sighed, his attention disrupted by the unwelcome commotion, reaffirming his disdain for working in the pack house office.Just then, a soft chime emanated from his phone, a welcome distraction. Raven's message illuminated the screen, and a grin replaced Tristan's earlier frown. "How's your headache?" she inquired, a simple yet thoughtful question that melted away his lingering discomfort.His thumbs swiftly responded, typing out his improved condition. As he hit send, an unexpected knock echoed through the room."Come in," he muttered, granting entry to the interrupter, anticipating a curious pack member who had heard he was around and wanted to bother him with something basic.However, when the door swung open, revealing Seraphine in a provocative black dress, Tris