As Alicia stepped into Rhett's office, he anxiously asked, "Can you schedule an appointment for me with Mr. Howard?"
"He hasn't been at the apartment for a few days now. You could try emailing him or his Beta Lyon if you need to reach him," Alicia suggested, hoping to avoid contacting Damian.
Rhett scratched his head. "I already tried contacting Mr. Howard and his Beta last night, but I received no response. Allie, please, if you have Mr. Howard's private number, could you contact him for me?"
Alicia bit her lip and inquired, "May I ask why you need to speak with him?"
Rhett let out a sigh and explained, "As you know, something has gone wrong with Sapphire Bank, and now some of our clients, including myself, are unable to use our corporate accounts. I've heard that the Moon Halo Pack is interested in acquiring the bank. I was hoping that Mr. Howard could help."
"I would love to help you, Mr. Rhett, but I had a fight with him last night. He blamed m
"Alpha Damian?" Scott exclaimed, surprised to come face to face with the elusive King of Rogues so easily. He had planned to make multiple contacts with the beautiful designer from Shinfancy to gather information about Alpha Damian, as per the plan he sent to Alpha Victor.However, when Scott looked into Damian's eyes which turned light blue, he felt a sense of familiarity. Strangely enough, as Scott tried to recollect where he had seen Damian before, he felt a throbbing headache, and some fleeting images crossed his mind too quickly to grasp.Just then, Alicia returned to the dining area with a worried expression on her face. She immediately smelled the pungent aroma of lavender in the air and traced its source to her mate and best friend. She also noticed that the restaurant, which was earlier bustling with customers, was now empty save for a few.While she wondered why Damian was there, it was evident that Mae's presence made her happier."Mae, it's gr
"Are you kidding me? I've never seen you treat any of your dates that poorly. Where's your mate?" Alicia rolled her eyes in disbelief."It's no fun joking with the bunny who knows me best." Mae shrugged and pointed to Ellis, who was exiting her car. "There he is!""Ellis?" Alicia exclaimed in surprise, shouting the Alpha's name as he walked toward them. "Oh my god, he's your mate!"Ellis smiled at Alicia after giving Mae a kiss and said, "I won't introduce myself.""Of course, you don't have to," Alicia replied, feeling happy for Mae and Ellis. She sensed Ellis looking at Mae with more emotion than he had when facing Vivian. It was the kind of fascination that only a shifter could have for a mate.As the sound of police sirens came from the end of the street, the distant lights of police cars gradually approached.Ellis drove Alicia and Mae to the next block to avoid any unnecessary trouble and parked near a children's park."Allie, next time, make sure you're safe before you try to p
"Your company also has a design business?" Alicia asked, surprised by Damian's invitation."It didn't before, but I acquired an architectural design firm some time ago," Damian replied, his tone relaxed as if he was talking about buying a new suit.Mae returned from buying food with Ellis and warned Alicia after hearing Damian's offer, "Allie, think carefully about this offer. Once you're there, your paranoid mate might go crazy one day and curse you because of you talking to your colleagues or clients in the office, right?" She cast a sarcastic look at Damian, causing Alicia and Ellis to burst out laughing."Ellis, keep your mate's mouth shut!" Damian demanded with a frown.Ellis gave Mae a kiss and replied with a smile, "I'll only kiss my mate's mouth."The four of them sat on chairs in the children's park, enjoying two extra-large pizzas and a whole box of fried chicken nuggets while surrounded by swings made out of tires.Looking at the
Alicia hesitated to disturb Mae and Ellis as her father's birthday fell on a weekday and it could interfere with their work. After conveying her concerns to Martin, she added, "It's alright, Grandpa. I thought you and Lee might like to join since the party was enjoyable. I'll ask Tobias to speak with my father if possible." Martin agreed, "Alright, we'll do as you say. I'll have Carl prepare a gift." He was touched by Alicia's thoughtfulness and couldn't help but worry about Tobias' limited life expectancy and the future of such a kind-hearted girl. After hanging up, Martin disclosed Tobias and Alicia's situation to Lee and divulged details of Alicia's family background, "I had Carl look into Allie's family background. Her father allowed her stepmother to mistreat her, and she worked like a slave before her marriage. Despite this, she still agreed to her father's wishes and married Tobias." Lee was surprised and commented, "Allie always had a smile on her fac
"Let's switch things up. If you want me to play the part of your husband, we'll be quite affectionate around your family," Damian asserted, setting down his cup of black coffee.Alicia raised an eyebrow and rebutted, "But you haven't seen how unbearable my stepmother can be when she's displeased.""Worse than me when I'm angry?" Damian quipped.Recalling Damian's previous outbursts, Alicia couldn't help but feel that Mary's behavior such as smashing things and instructing her to do chores would be tolerable in comparison. She relented, "Fine, just don't make Mary angry. I don't want to embarrass my father.""So, you agree with my condition?" Damian inquired, a hint of amusement glinting in his deep blue eyes.Alicia sighed and nodded, feeling defeated."In that case, let's leave at 1:00 this afternoon!" Damian suggested cheerfully.Alicia was taken aback by Damian's proposal. "This afternoon? But I haven't booked a flight yet."Damian's expression soured at the mention of flying, remi
"Will?" Alicia called uncertainly, her voice carrying the young man's name."Oh, what an honor to be remembered by such a beautiful lady. Miss Alicia, nice to meet you. Will Hayden." Will introduced himself and continued, "I bet you were amazed by the Alpha's impressive driving skills. Beautiful flowers deserve to be handled with care. Oops, it seems there's a leaf in your hair," Will remarked playfully as he reached into Alicia's hair and extracted a rose from the back, showcasing his magic trick."Wow, thank you," Alicia exclaimed, surprise evident in her eyes as she extended her hand to accept the flower. Unexpectedly, Will's right hand suddenly broke.Alicia let out a horrified scream, dropping both the rose and the broken hand model. In a surprising twist, a bouquet of dried lavender flowers emerged from the empty sleeve."I heard from the Alpha that you like lavender, so I thought I'd give present them to the extra beautiful you with a special little trick" Will spoke sweetly to
Alicia scowled and stomped angrily, channeling her frustration toward Damian's questioning of her driving skills. "I've been practicing with a second-hand car for days. Of course, I can drive back to Seattle by myself! How dare he belittle my abilities! At least I don't switch lanes recklessly like he did yesterday, engaging in a wild race with another car. Let him know this! I will undoubtedly make it home safely and smoothly."Taking note of Alicia's words, Lyon nodded promptly. "Understood. Have a safe journey, then."With her resentment toward Damian fueling her, Alicia embarked on her journey back to her home pack, to be exact, her father's pack.As tomorrow marked Alpha Jason's birthday and the pack's 30th-anniversary celebration, every house in the village displayed festive decorations. Even the sign in the open space near the small square had two red balloons tied to it by a pack member. To prevent her stepmother from feeling envious upon seeing the new sports car, Alicia chos
Eric disregarded his mother's comment and noticed that Alicia was still holding onto her luggage and shopping bags. He furrowed his brow and approached her, snatching the belongings from her grasp without much care. In a cold tone, he questioned, "Why didn't you come inside earlier and give me the presents if you had brought them? I hate it when you leave my gift sitting on the doorstep for ten minutes.""Presents?" Jennifer and Mary perked up simultaneously, suddenly intrigued by Alicia's luggage and shopping bags.It was well-known in the pack that Alicia was married to an incredibly wealthy man. Even though Tobias wasn't the Alpha of the Golden Moon Pack for some unknown reason, there was no doubt that the Wilton Family was the wealthiest super pack in all of North America. Therefore, the gifts she brought for them must be of great value. Perhaps a limited edition designer handbag, a gold watch, or even a diamond necklace!Mary immediately put on her most gracious hospitality smile
"It's probably because of this." Ellis rubbed his nose, then pulled out his smartphone and played one of the most popular short videos on Tik Tok for Tobias.The video was uploaded by Mae, Ellis' mate.In the video, Tobias was staring intently into a microscope.As Mae was filming, she asked him.[Hey, you loser who cheated on your wife with a double identity and ended up being locked up by your grandfather relying on your wife to save you, have you researched a potion that restores the shifting ability of your perfect wife yet?]Tobias remembered it was this morning when Mae visited here to check on the progress of his potion research, like a cold and incapable boss asking in the coldest of tones why your report was done as well as shit before the deadline of an unprecedented project.Annoying enough to make him want to blacklist her from the Wilton Family."You know what? Ellis, I'm thinking about letting your damn mate experience what it's like to be on the Wilton Family's blacklis
"Allie!" Tobias shouted and then glanced at Lee.Lee, witnessing the unfolding chaos, reacted swiftly. He aimed his gun and, with a single shot, ended the life of one of the men restraining Tobias.The gunshot reverberated, momentarily freezing Martin's wolf and the others in the lab. Lee, facing Martin's wolf, expressed regret but stood firm, "I'm sorry, Martin,I can't watch that girl die."Seizing the opportunity, Tobias shifted into a massive black wolf that took up nearly half of the lab and shattered the glass prison with ease.With unparalleled strength, Tobias' wolf attacked Martin, the older gray wolf feeling the sting of his waning power as the younger wolf sank its teeth into his neck.However, just as Tobias prepared to deliver the final blow, Martin shifted back into his human form.Tears streamed down his face as he pleaded desperately, "Toby, I am your grandfather. Don't kill me."The giant black wolf narrowed his eyes and showed him fangs sharper than knives. It looked
The cold atmosphere within the laboratory seemed to thicken as Martin's unnerving smile lingered."Looks like you two had a nice chat," Martin remarked, his voice carrying a sinister edge. "The full moon is on duty. So, Allie, shall we get started?"The pale light of the full moon cast an otherworldly glow, setting the stage for the impending challenge. Alicia and Tobias exchanged a glance, a silent reassurance passing between them.Alicia, her composure unwavering, nodded gracefully and stood up. She held Martin's gaze, firm and unyielding, as she made her request, "You must release Tobias now."Martin, as if amused by her audacity, merely shrugged. With a subtle gesture, he signaled the lab staff, dressed in pristine white attire, to release Tobias from his glass prison.The mechanical hiss of unlocking echoed in the glass sterile room as Tobias was yanked up from the bed by Lee and led towards the exit of the glass room. His eyes locked onto Alicia.As Tobias passed by her, he stop
"You hid your special healing powers from me. So we're even." Tobias joked and winked at Alicia instead of telling her the truth.If they hadn't been in this damn glass prison, Tobias would have chosen to take her in his arms and tell her all of his story, instead of what he was doing now, where he looked like an object to be dissected on a lab table."You're still in the mood for jokes?" Alicia raised an eyebrow and twisted Tobias' arm a little harder, "Tell me why? Otherwise, I'll never say a word to you again."Tobias pretended to grimace in pain and then sighed at Alicia, "I'm sorry. As a husband, I don't want to drag my wife into danger. As a lead of rogues, I can't bear to keep my luna ready to fight at all times. ""You think you're cool to say that, huh?" Alicia asked, tears flowing from her eyes and brushing her cheeks.Tobias forced a small smile and wanted to wipe the tears from Alicia's face, but since his wrists were still pinned to the bed, he couldn't."Now I don't go w
Alicia's heart raced as she stared Martin."You see, Martin," she spoke with a steadiness that masked her inner turmoil, "If you try to take this ring by force, I'll swallow it and shift. Then...”"Shift? Seriously?" Martin’s look turned gloomy as he interrupted Alicia’s words."Lee, you must not inform Allie that the serum she was injected by me was able to temporarily seal her shifting abilities, right?" After the words, Martin turned to Lee.Lee pursed his lips and told Martin. "I did. But she didn't seem very surprised when she heard about it."Martin frowned and shifted his gazes to Alicia again only to find her meaningful smile."Didn't expect it, huh? That serum you talk about is nothing to me." "Well, that’s a real surprise to me." Martin sighed and wore a sad face to tell Alicia, "Go ahead and swallow the ring, kid. I've got doctors here who specialize in dissecting corpses."Then he raised his head and ordered Lee who was standing behind Alicia, "Lee, you know what to do ne
With trembling fingers, Alicia retrieved a necklace from an old wooden box under the bed.All the stuff in that box belonged to her mother. She touched the necklace which adorned with a photograph capturing the essence of her mother.The woman in that old photo possessed clear blue eyes and flowing blonde hair. Alicia wore it around her neck, clutching the pendant.Mom, please, please do help me and give me courage to save Tobias. My moon god, please grant me a protection of my baby growing in my body. A silent prayer escaping her lips.Lee sighed and then drove Alicia to the St. Crescent Medical Center.through the sterile corridors of the looming danger—the St. Crescent Medical Center.“Oh, no...” Stepping into the heavily guarded lab, Alicia covered her mouth in shock at the scene before her. Mae, Ellis, and a host of Alphas lay unconscious on the cold floor like a pile of subjects waiting to be experimented on.But the sight that pierced Alicia's heart was her mate, Tobias, ensna
"During our trip to Europe, Martin formed an alliance with Alpha Asher, Mae's brother from the Greenfield Pack. Asher is the 101st Alpha, prepared by Martin for himself after being cured," Lee revealed, his voice a low murmur."Martin invited Alpha Asher to Los Angeles for Mae and Alpha Ellis's Luna Ceremony. Now Alpha Asher is likely drugged and unconscious in the medical center already."Alicia, her heart quickening, absorbed the weight of Lee's revelation. The pieces of the puzzle began to click together. "Why Asher? What does Martin need from him?""It is estimated by Arthur that the shift powers from 100 Alphas can cure Martin's tumor. After he had used Tobias’ shifter power, theoretically he still needs 99 alpha's of shapeshifting power.""But he was no longer satisfied with just curing his tumor. His doctor modified and upgraded Nora's machine to rejuvenate the elders using shifting power. That’s the Martin's plan.""In fact, I planned to release Alpha Asher secretly. But I’ve
Lee, seemingly hesitant, absentmindedly patted his jean pocket before revealing。"After reuniting with Martin, he told me what happened during the thirty years I was away. Martin was diagnosed with a tumor twenty-five years ago. At that time, Arthur, Tobias's father, was a genius alchemist in the pack. He created a potion that could inhibit the growth of the tumor.""But Martin gradually developed resistance to the potion. Arthur unintentionally discovered that the power generated during Alpha shift could suppress cancer cell growth. His mate, Tobias's mother Nora, even designed a machine to extract shifter powers.""However, after Arthur and Nora experimented on themselves, they found that the cancer cells in Martin's body were extremely resilient. Their combined shifter powers could only restrain the growth of cancer cells, not eliminate them. Moreover, after the extraction of shifter powers, Arthur and Nora couldn't regain their power and permanently lost their ability to shift.""
Alicia experienced a beautiful dream after being injected with an unknown potion by Martin.In the dream, she found herself in the presence of her late mother, Olivia, who had passed away a decade ago. The warm glow of the setting sun illuminated Olivia as she worked with her sewing machine."Mom!" Tears filled Alicia's eyes, and she couldn't help but cry out."Allie, you look beautiful," Olivia said, opening her arms in a familiar gesture, the same mom who always called her "Allie" with a soft smile."Mom!" Alicia rushed to her mother, embracing her and pouring out her heart about the hardships she had endured."My boss took advantage of me, and I lost the job I loved; my friend Mae lied to me, and I lost our friendship. My husband, my mate, was a liar, and I rejected him. Job, friendship, and love — I have none left.""Mom, will you take me with you? Please," Alicia pleaded, looking up with teary eyes."My sweetie, I can't take you with me. You know you're not alone now, right?"Ali