The next day, I woke up to find that Gino had already left. I wasn't sure where he had gone, but it was a hard pill for me to swallow as I sat in the silent apartment alone. I stood up and walked over to the window. It was a breathtaking view, and I knew I was lucky to be here, but my thoughts soon wandered to my past. How did they feel that I had left the pack? Had Damon even noticed? I wondered how Sandra must be feeling. I had promised to call her, and still, I hadn't. I hesitated as my eyes fell on the mobile on the kitchen side that Gino had bought for me. I hadn't even used it. Maybe I should call my best friend to tell her I was okay and still alive. As soon as I picked up the shiny phone, I felt the nerves kick in. My fingers trembled slightly as I turned it over, the sleek surface reflecting my uncertain expression. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that Sandra would be relieved to hear from me, but the weight of guilt hung heavy in my chest. M
The weight of his words hung heavily between us, a reassuring balm to the sting of Trudie’s outburst. I let out a shaky breath, trying to process both the chaos of the moment and Gino’s presence as my anchor. “Thank you for handling that,” I said, my voice steadier now. “I didn’t expect someone from your past to show up like that, let alone to accuse me of… replacing her.” I stepped back, creating a little distance; I still wasn’t sure how to navigate this new territory. Gino moved as if to close the gap again, but something in my demeanour made him pause. “You didn’t replace anyone, Harriet” His sincerity shone through his bright, unyielding eyes. “I just… I never thought I’d be stepping into someone else’s shoes, even if it’s unintentional,” I confessed, feeling a warmth creeping into my cheeks. “It’s hard not to feel like you’re just going to slip back into that old life with her.” “There’s no going back for me, not now. You make me want to be better. You’ve alr
Damon’s POV I paced up and down the hall, trying my hardest not to lose my shit. How could Harriet leave me like that? Was she crazy? My thoughts kept returning to Harriet, no matter what I was doing, whether it be pack business, in the shower, or out in my wolf form for a run. Why could I not stop thinking about her? I mean, yes, ok, Aurora was beautiful, stunning and had a body that drove me crazy, but yet I found myself thinking about Harriet and imagining it was her underneath me when I was fucking Aurora. She couldn't make me feel half as satisfied as Harriet always had. I clenched my fists into angry balls of fury. I needed to know where Harriet had gone. How could I not even notice she had left? Yet her best friend claimed to know nothing of her disappearance. I took a deep breath to rein in the storm of emotions. My fingers threaded through my hair as I paced, the walls closing on me. The memory of Harriet's eyes—those soft, stormy blues that always wrapped me around he
“Alpha Damon, may I speak with you for a moment? It’s about Harriet.” I turned abruptly at Sandra's voice, the anxious tremor in her fingers betraying the calm she was trying to project. A low growl rumbled deep within me, driven by instincts I couldn't suppress—the primal urge to protect and the insatiable need to uncover the truth. Something was buried beneath her calm facade and twisted like a knot in my stomach. "I will give you some space," Lucas suddenly announced and disappeared. “What do you know? What are you hiding from me?” My words cut through the air, harsher than I intended, but the desperation clawing at my insides demanded answers. I wanted to shake the truth from her like the beast I was. "Damon, please," she breathed, inching closer yet remaining cautious. "She called me. She's okay—she's alive." Relief flooded through me, only to twist into confusion and rage. “And? What else?” I pressed, my impatience boiling over. “She said she’s happy,” Sandra con
Aurora placed her hands on her hips, glaring at me with disgust. My chest tightened as the accusation hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. “That’s not what this is about,” I replied, shaking my head, desperate to redirect the conversation. The truth of my feelings for Harriet was far more complicated than a simple affair; it was about bonds unbroken, choices unmade, and a connection that transcended mere lust. “Then what is it about? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you're still hung up on a woman who walked out on this pack!” Aurora's voice was rising again, sharper and more desperate, and I could see the breaking point of her patience. “She left to save herself. This is about her happiness, not some petty jealousy game you’re trying to play.” I took a step forward, making sure to keep my voice steady. “You may see this as just a crush or some pathetic fixation, but you don’t understand what Harriet means to me. I should never have let her go.” I swallo
Harriet’s POV Just as I was about to lose myself in the thrill of what would happen, my phone buzzed violently against the dresser, shattering the moment. I straightened up, my heart racing; a different kind of racing this time. I rushed to grab it, my fingers trembling when I saw Sandra's name flash across the screen. I opened her message quickly, scanning the text. My breath caught in my throat as a wave of panic washed over me. *Harriet. Damon is looking for you. He wants to talk. I thought you should know.* What did he want? Why now? Did he want to apologise? To explain? A thousand questions bombarded me, each more urgent than the last. Gino was in the other room, and despite everything, I didn’t want to burden him with my past—especially not with Damon resurfacing. Not when we were on the brink of something beautiful. “Harriet?” Gino called from the other room, and my heart lurched at the sound of his voice. I couldn’t let him see my panic. I texted Sandra back hurr
As the plane descended toward Paris, the city unfolded beneath us like a vibrant and alive painting. The Seine glimmered under the afternoon sun, flanked by majestic structures whispering stories of art and romance. My heart raced from the excitement of arriving in a new city and the prospect of finally letting go of the shadows of my past. When we landed, Gino's enthusiasm was infectious. “Welcome to Paris!” he said, his eyes sparkling as we disembarked. The familiar buzz of excitement enveloped us when we entered the terminal. The air smelled of coffee, baked goods, and something distinctly French that made my heart flutter. After the stress of navigating customs and collecting our luggage, Gino slipped his hand into mine, guiding me toward the exit. “I can’t wait to show you everything,” he said warmly. The sincerity in his voice made me forget if only for a moment, the anxieties waiting just at the edges of my mind. I could only smile and nod in response. The taxi ride w
“Yes,” I finally whispered, “She is my mate. I was too blinded by my own fears to see it before. I thought I was doing the right thing by choosing Aurora—a choice that was supposed to bind our pack stronger. But in the process, I let the one person who truly means something to me go.” Sandra's brows knitted together as she pieced together my conflicting emotions. “Alpha Damon, if you know that Harriet is your mate, you have to go after her. You can’t just sit here waiting for her to return. You owe it to both of you to try.” “I know!” I snapped in frustration, feeling the urgency in my veins. Time was slipping away. The longer I stayed here, caught in this tension, the more uncertain Harriet’s fate would become—who was around her, who was making her laugh, who was making her feel cherished. “I’ll help you,” Sandra said, her resolve solidifying like steel. “But you need to be prepared for anything. If she hasn’t moved on, she might not want to see you. You broke her heart, Damo
Gino’s POV When I stepped into that small, dimly lit room, I had to steel myself against a flood of memories that rushed back with a vengeance. Aurora. The very name sent a cascade of anger and regret through me. I had thought I had left that life behind and erased the past with a stroke of ambition and the determination to carve out something new. But looking at her now, defiant and stubborn on that sagging mattress, I felt the weight of our shared history settle heavily on my shoulders. Aurora had been part of my old pack, back when I was just another wolf trying to find his place in a world that didn’t care about the complexities of loyalty or betrayal. We had once been close, bound by blood, shared difficulties, and the unfiltered anguish of being part of something bigger than ourselves. It had been years since I walked away, trading in fangs and claws for business suits and boardroom tables, but there was still a flicker of that bond lingering in the recesses of my mind. An
Aurora’s POVI came to with a pounding headache, dark shapes surrounding me like shadows. The air was thick and musty, smelling of stale cigarettes and something sweet that made my stomach churn. As I blinked against the dimness, the jarring recollection of the last moments before my blackout hit me with the force of a freight train. Gino had been there, towering over me, eyes narrowed like angry coals. I had underestimated him, and that mistake had cost me more than I could bear.Panic began to swell in my chest as I pushed myself up, groaning at the ache radiating through my skull. I was in a small, sparsely furnished room, the low light straining to break through the filthy window. “What the hell?” I muttered, shaking off the remnants of disorientation. My instincts kicked in, hyper-alert, adrenaline coursing through me as I assessed my surroundings.I was trapped.Rubbing my temples, I sat on the edge of what appeared to be an old, sagging mattress, momentarily flustered by the re
Aurora’s POV The remnants of my conversation with Damon clung to the air like smoke that refused to dissipate. I paced the confines of my room, the walls feeling like they were closing in on me. How dare he think he could rekindle something with Harriet after everything that had happened? I had given him the world, and yet, he still pined for a woman he had already cast aside. It was infuriating. I had left him simmering in his own regrets after our last confrontation, and part of me reveled in his pain. Yet, the other part—the part that craved dominance and control—could not shake the feeling of annoyance that gnawed at me. It was one thing to hurt him, to see him broken and desperate, but the thought of Harriet standing in his way? That sent a surge of envy through me like molten steel. “What could she possibly have that I don’t?” I muttered, my reflection glaring back at me in the mirror. I was everything he ever desired—charming, beautiful, cunning. And yet, he chose to lame
Damon's POV “What a sight, Damon,” she drawled, leaning against the door frame with an air of superiority. “You pacing like a caged animal, and for what? To win back your precious Harriet? How adorable.” I clenched my jaw, fighting against the rising tide of anger and frustration. “What do you want, Aurora?” “Oh, I think you know,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I just couldn’t help but overhear your little heart-to-heart with your Beta about how much you miss your omega. It’s like watching a soap opera unfold—the tragic hero pining after his lost love. But lo and behold, she’s with someone else now!” “Enough.” My voice came out harsher than intended, and I felt Lucas’s eyes dart back and forth between us, sensing the tension thickening like a stormcloud. “Enough?” Aurora laughed, the sound harsh and cutting. “It’s rich coming from you, Damon. After all, you’re the one who cast her aside for me. Look how that turned out. You thought you could juggle two live
Damon’s POV I paced the hall and glanced at the big clock every few seconds. I noticed the concern etched on my Beta’s face. “Alpha, you need to think this over properly, you can’t just force Harriet back to the pack.” He sighed and his words echoed in my ears. I stopped and ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. "You don’t understand, Lucas. Harriet isn’t just another pack member to me. She’s… everything." Lucas crossed his arms, his brow furrowing deeper. "I get that. But you can’t treat her like she’s a possession. She chose to leave for a reason. She looked happy with that Gino guy. We need to respect her decision." “Respect?” I scoffed, throwing my hands up in exasperation. “How am I supposed to respect the decision that ripped my heart out? I chose the pack, for our future, but now it feels like I’ve lost both women. They both deserved better than what I offered.” Lucas took a step closer, his voice lowering. “You need to face th
Harriets’s POV As I nestled deeper into Gino's embrace, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. His heartbeat thudded rhythmically—a steady reminder that I wasn't alone in this moment. It felt surreal, almost magical, as if I had stepped into a new reality where trust and hope could flourish. “You really mean that?” I asked, pulling back just enough to gaze into his eyes. I needed to see the sincerity in them, to solidify this newfound faith we were building between us. “Absolutely,” he replied, his voice firm yet gentle. “I’m not going anywhere. You can take your time, and we can figure this out together.” The sincerity in his expression tempered the last remnants of my anxiety. With each passing moment, I found myself shedding the layers of doubt that had become second nature. I wasn't just a liability or a burden; I was a partner, someone worth loving and experiencing life with. “What if I don’t know how to let go?” I asked, the question slipping from my lips before I cou
Harriet’s POV As I sank onto the bed beside Gino, the tension in the air began to dissolve, replaced by a fragile, yet comforting peace. The evening light filtered through my curtains, casting a soft glow around us. I could feel his presence like a steady heartbeat, grounding me as I grappled with the swirl of thoughts and emotions that had taken residence in my mind. “Do you—” I started, hesitating. “Do you really mean what you said? About not viewing me as just a contract?” His answer came swift and sure, “More than anything. You’re not just a piece of paper to me, Harriet. You’re a person—a wonderful, vibrant person. And I want to know all of you, not just the parts that fit neatly into a box.” There was something in his tone that melted the remaining doubt in my heart. He didn’t see my past as a shadow to be evaded; instead, he seemed to embrace it as part of who I was. It was a radical shift from the way I had been treated before, where my identity had been dictated
Harriet’s POV I hesitated, staring at the screen as it vibrated on the bedspread. Sandra’s name lingered there, a reminder of the world outside this moment, a world filled with rules and expectations. Gino's steady gaze anchored me, even as uncertainty flickered in the back of my mind. “No,” I finally said, determination creeping into my voice. “I don’t want to.” “Good,” he replied, relief washing over him. He took another step closer until there was hardly any space left between us. “Harriet, stay with me right now. Let’s talk about this. About us.” I swallowed hard, my heart racing, feeling the weight of his words. This was a pivotal moment, one I had both longed for and dreaded. Could I truly let go of the fear that had burrowed itself into my bones? “Gino…” I started but he interjected, his voice firm yet tender. “Just listen for a second. I don’t want to pressure you, but I need you to understand how serious I am. This isn’t just about the contract anymore; it’s a
Harriet’s POV Gino had booked us in a hotel for the night with separate rooms so I could get some sleep before we headed back to the office the next morning. I still couldn’t get over the fact that Damon had turned up out of the blue with Lucas. He was crazy and it made me think about everything. Everything that had happened since I left that pack. He had chosen someone else over me and I couldn’t just forget the pain and hurt that had consumed me. And on the other hand, I had agreed to be Gino’s fake wife and yet here I was confused even more because I was longing for him. To be wrapped up safely in Gino’s arms. I sat on the bed and bit my lower lip. I rested my hands on my lap and wondered why Damon would think it was okay to try and win me back. He had chosen Aurora after all. "You're an omega, Harriet. You're meant to be loyal and obedient. You're not meant to be loved or cherished. You're just a tool for us to use and discard when we're done with you." I shook my head to try