I took a deep breath, leaning against the counter, searching for clarity amidst the conflicting thoughts swirling in my mind. The café buzzed with energy—the clink of cups, hushed conversations, laughter. All of it felt distant, like I was watching from behind a glass wall, unable to break through. “Harriet?” Gino’s voice pulled me back to the present, concern etched on his face. “You alright? You seem… off.” “Yeah, I’m okay,” I lied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Just... a bit overwhelmed by everything.” “Look, I really appreciate you being here,” he said, his tone less casual now. “But I need you to be all in. You’re not just my assistant; you’re an integral part of this. I value your insight.” I nodded, the weight of his words sinking in. I knew he saw my potential, but did he truly understand the depth of my insecurities? That his validation was like air to me, essential yet elusive? “I want to be,” I said, my voice faltering. “But sometimes it fee
A chill ran down my spine as I read the words. The casualness of the café around us faded into an echo, and all I could focus on was the name that had been a ghost in my life for far too long. I didn’t want Gino to see my reaction, so I took a breath and tried to manage the confusion swirling within me. “Harriet? You okay?” Gino’s voice was laced with concern again, pulling me back to reality. I could see the shadow of worry crossing his features as he sensed my shift. “Yeah, just... a message from a friend,” I stammered, turning my phone facedown on the counter. I couldn’t bring myself to explain. The last thing I wanted was for him to question me, to sense any thought of Damon’s lingering effect on my life. I desperately wanted to keep this moment between us—a fresh beginning unmarred by the past. Gino frowned slightly but ultimately shrugged it off. “Alright, if you say so. But you know I’m here if you need to talk about anything.” I nodded by instinct, thankful for his g
Damon pov My heart sank into my stomach as I realised the café was empty of Harriet but full of strangers. I could picture her sipping coffee, her laughter mingling with the sounds of the bustling café. I turned away from the counter, insisting that I wouldn’t give up, not now.“Let’s ask the barista if she saw where Harriet went,” Lucas suggested, his voice steady and calming amidst the turmoil inside me.“Right,” I replied, trying to muster determination. Approaching the counter again, I placed my palms against the cool surface and leaned in slightly. “Excuse me,” I told the barista, a young woman with dark, curly hair. Did you happen to see a woman leave here? Her name is Harriet.” The woman glared at me. “Why would I remember when I see a lot of people?” She rolled her eyes and tutted rather rudely. I swallowed hard, momentarily taken aback by her dismissive attitude. “I understand, but she’s critical to me. It would be a huge help if you could think back briefly.”“Look, I don’
Harriet The air was crisp outside the café, a sharp contrast to the cozy warmth we had just left behind. Gino and I strolled down the bustling street, and I watched as people rushed by, lost in their own lives, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing within me. Gino’s laughter was infectious, echoing in my ears as he recounted a funny mishap from the office. I wanted to engage fully, to soak in the joy of this moment with him, yet the shadow of Damon loomed larger with every step we took. My mind raced, an endless loop of worst-case scenarios taunting me. "What’s next on the agenda?" Gino asked, pulling me back to earth as we stopped at a crosswalk. The flashing red hand signaled for us to wait, and I could feel my heart pounding, not from excitement but from a sense of impending dread. “Um, maybe we should schedule a brainstorming session with the rest of the team?” I suggested, forcing myself to focus. “We could really benefit from some diverse perspectives.” Gino nodded
I felt the weight of disappointment crush me as the stranger’s face blurred into the crowd again. The joy of hope had flashed briefly before it extinguished, leaving me in a dark pit of frustration and concern. “Damon, we need to keep looking,” Lucas urged, his voice steady despite my anxiety rising. He looked around, scanning the people moving past us like a human tide. “Let’s try the next few stalls quickly.” We made our way through the vibrant market, the scent of fresh paint and canvas mixing with the air that smelled of artisan coffee and sweet pastries. But every second stretched painfully, and each time a woman walked by with a wisp of dark hair or a smile that resembled Harriet’s, my heart jumped, only to drop once again when I realised she wasn’t the one I was searching for. “What if she left Paris?” I said aloud, struggling to keep the fear from my voice. The thought lingered, taunting me. What if I had lost my chance to find her, to tell her how I felt? “Let’s n
Damon piv Lucas shifted awkwardly beside me as I turned to face the newcomer. The man stood with a commanding presence, his arms crossed and a glint of authority in his eyes. A wave of tension surged through the air, thick enough to slice. “I'm Gino,” he said, his tone calm and condescending. “And I suggest you let her go. You have no business making claims on something you so casually tossed aside.” “What would you know?” I growled as Lucas stood between me and this guy with whom Harriet seemed to be smitten. Harriet snuggled into the man and smiled up at him, she looked so happy. I saw the way that her eyes twinkled when she looked at him but at me she looked empty. “I am happy with my life now. There is nothing for you here.” Her words stung me. I hated to see her so at ease with someone else that should be me. I felt my Wolf become restless but knew this was not the place to let him take over. Beta Lucas was determined to prevent anything from happening. He
Harriet’s POV I leaned back against the cool seat of the taxi, watching the cityscape blur past. Gino sat beside me, his excitement palpable as he discussed our travel plans. "The airport is only about twenty minutes away. We'll have plenty of time to grab our bags and make our flight," he said, his voice light and animated. I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere, grappling with a storm of emotions. The reality of my choices settled heavily on my shoulders as I recalled Damon’s fierce expression from earlier—the pain etched across his handsome face as I turned away from him. Seeing him again had broken open the walls I had been trying to build around my heart. Gino glanced at me, the concern deepening his features. “Hey, are you okay?” “Yeah, just… thinking,” I replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. I felt guilty for the distraction swirling in my mind, but I couldn’t help it. Damon had been a constant in my thoughts, a haunting presence I couldn’t shake o
Chapter One “Harriet, you know we can’t be together; you are an omega, and I am the alpha of this pack. We can’t be anything more than lovers.” Damon stated as he laughed coldly in my face I felt a sting of rejection and disappointment as Damon's words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had been hoping that he would see me differently, that he would see past the societal norms that dictated our roles as omega and alpha. But it seemed he was just as bound by those norms as the rest of the pack. I tried to keep my emotions in check, but it was hard to hear him dismiss our feelings like that. I felt like I was just a means to an end for him, a way to satisfy his desires without real commitment or love. "I thought you felt something for me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I thought we had something special." Damon's laughter sent a chill down my spine. "You're an omega, Harriet. You're meant to be loyal and obedient. You're not meant to be loved or cherished
Harriet’s POV I leaned back against the cool seat of the taxi, watching the cityscape blur past. Gino sat beside me, his excitement palpable as he discussed our travel plans. "The airport is only about twenty minutes away. We'll have plenty of time to grab our bags and make our flight," he said, his voice light and animated. I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere, grappling with a storm of emotions. The reality of my choices settled heavily on my shoulders as I recalled Damon’s fierce expression from earlier—the pain etched across his handsome face as I turned away from him. Seeing him again had broken open the walls I had been trying to build around my heart. Gino glanced at me, the concern deepening his features. “Hey, are you okay?” “Yeah, just… thinking,” I replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. I felt guilty for the distraction swirling in my mind, but I couldn’t help it. Damon had been a constant in my thoughts, a haunting presence I couldn’t shake o
Damon piv Lucas shifted awkwardly beside me as I turned to face the newcomer. The man stood with a commanding presence, his arms crossed and a glint of authority in his eyes. A wave of tension surged through the air, thick enough to slice. “I'm Gino,” he said, his tone calm and condescending. “And I suggest you let her go. You have no business making claims on something you so casually tossed aside.” “What would you know?” I growled as Lucas stood between me and this guy with whom Harriet seemed to be smitten. Harriet snuggled into the man and smiled up at him, she looked so happy. I saw the way that her eyes twinkled when she looked at him but at me she looked empty. “I am happy with my life now. There is nothing for you here.” Her words stung me. I hated to see her so at ease with someone else that should be me. I felt my Wolf become restless but knew this was not the place to let him take over. Beta Lucas was determined to prevent anything from happening. He
I felt the weight of disappointment crush me as the stranger’s face blurred into the crowd again. The joy of hope had flashed briefly before it extinguished, leaving me in a dark pit of frustration and concern. “Damon, we need to keep looking,” Lucas urged, his voice steady despite my anxiety rising. He looked around, scanning the people moving past us like a human tide. “Let’s try the next few stalls quickly.” We made our way through the vibrant market, the scent of fresh paint and canvas mixing with the air that smelled of artisan coffee and sweet pastries. But every second stretched painfully, and each time a woman walked by with a wisp of dark hair or a smile that resembled Harriet’s, my heart jumped, only to drop once again when I realised she wasn’t the one I was searching for. “What if she left Paris?” I said aloud, struggling to keep the fear from my voice. The thought lingered, taunting me. What if I had lost my chance to find her, to tell her how I felt? “Let’s n
Harriet The air was crisp outside the café, a sharp contrast to the cozy warmth we had just left behind. Gino and I strolled down the bustling street, and I watched as people rushed by, lost in their own lives, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing within me. Gino’s laughter was infectious, echoing in my ears as he recounted a funny mishap from the office. I wanted to engage fully, to soak in the joy of this moment with him, yet the shadow of Damon loomed larger with every step we took. My mind raced, an endless loop of worst-case scenarios taunting me. "What’s next on the agenda?" Gino asked, pulling me back to earth as we stopped at a crosswalk. The flashing red hand signaled for us to wait, and I could feel my heart pounding, not from excitement but from a sense of impending dread. “Um, maybe we should schedule a brainstorming session with the rest of the team?” I suggested, forcing myself to focus. “We could really benefit from some diverse perspectives.” Gino nodded
Damon pov My heart sank into my stomach as I realised the café was empty of Harriet but full of strangers. I could picture her sipping coffee, her laughter mingling with the sounds of the bustling café. I turned away from the counter, insisting that I wouldn’t give up, not now.“Let’s ask the barista if she saw where Harriet went,” Lucas suggested, his voice steady and calming amidst the turmoil inside me.“Right,” I replied, trying to muster determination. Approaching the counter again, I placed my palms against the cool surface and leaned in slightly. “Excuse me,” I told the barista, a young woman with dark, curly hair. Did you happen to see a woman leave here? Her name is Harriet.” The woman glared at me. “Why would I remember when I see a lot of people?” She rolled her eyes and tutted rather rudely. I swallowed hard, momentarily taken aback by her dismissive attitude. “I understand, but she’s critical to me. It would be a huge help if you could think back briefly.”“Look, I don’
A chill ran down my spine as I read the words. The casualness of the café around us faded into an echo, and all I could focus on was the name that had been a ghost in my life for far too long. I didn’t want Gino to see my reaction, so I took a breath and tried to manage the confusion swirling within me. “Harriet? You okay?” Gino’s voice was laced with concern again, pulling me back to reality. I could see the shadow of worry crossing his features as he sensed my shift. “Yeah, just... a message from a friend,” I stammered, turning my phone facedown on the counter. I couldn’t bring myself to explain. The last thing I wanted was for him to question me, to sense any thought of Damon’s lingering effect on my life. I desperately wanted to keep this moment between us—a fresh beginning unmarred by the past. Gino frowned slightly but ultimately shrugged it off. “Alright, if you say so. But you know I’m here if you need to talk about anything.” I nodded by instinct, thankful for his g
I took a deep breath, leaning against the counter, searching for clarity amidst the conflicting thoughts swirling in my mind. The café buzzed with energy—the clink of cups, hushed conversations, laughter. All of it felt distant, like I was watching from behind a glass wall, unable to break through. “Harriet?” Gino’s voice pulled me back to the present, concern etched on his face. “You alright? You seem… off.” “Yeah, I’m okay,” I lied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Just... a bit overwhelmed by everything.” “Look, I really appreciate you being here,” he said, his tone less casual now. “But I need you to be all in. You’re not just my assistant; you’re an integral part of this. I value your insight.” I nodded, the weight of his words sinking in. I knew he saw my potential, but did he truly understand the depth of my insecurities? That his validation was like air to me, essential yet elusive? “I want to be,” I said, my voice faltering. “But sometimes it fee
Lucas regarded me with a steady gaze, his hands resting on his knees as he listened. “Look, Alpha, we can’t change the past. You made mistakes, but dwelling on them won’t help your situation now. What matters is what you do next. You have the chance to make things right, to talk to her. Focus on that.” I nodded, but the weight of my regrets felt suffocating. The swirling emotions of love, betrayal, and longing wove through my thoughts as I imagined Harriet in Paris, in the arms of a man who wasn’t me. The plane's ascent was a cruel metaphor for my life—ascending into an unknown future, while I was tethered to the past by a thread that seemed all too fragile. “Do you think she’ll even want to see me?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the hum of the engines. The thought sent chills down my spine; what if she had found happiness elsewhere? What if I was too late? “Only one way to find out,” Lucas replied, firm yet gentle. “You need to be honest with her. Show her how you fee
The view from the large glass windows was mesmerizing, but it offered little comfort against the rising tide of insecurity brewing within me. Paris, the City of Light, where dreams sparkled against a canvas of architecture and culture—yet standing there, I felt only shadows creeping in, darkening the vibrant view. With Gino in the spotlight, I knew he was likely unaware of my turmoil. The confident persona he projected was contagious, illuminating the room and capturing the attention of everyone in attendance. But there I stood, seemingly invisible, trapped in a whirlwind of self-doubt. I pressed my forehead against the cool glass, watching people move below like fragments of a bustling movie scene. Couples strolled hand in hand, laughing and sharing, their carefree spirits contrasting starkly with my internal struggle. I felt like an outsider to my own life, stuck in a narrative where I had yet to define my role. In the quiet behind the din of the meeting, my mind wandered b