"Hey guys," Rhett began, addressing the group of designers in the conference room."As you all know, Alpha Damian Howard appointed Allie as his landscape designer, but Lily expressed some concerns about this decision, given Alpha Damian's identity and background. So I gave her the chance to be part of the project if she had any good suggestions." He turned his gaze to Lilith and Alicia, who were sitting across from him.Lilith was beaming with confidence, while Alicia appeared to be lost in thought, preoccupied with something else entirely."Thus far, I've received drafts of Lily and Allie's designs. However, I've found a serious problem," Rhett announced, turning on the projector. On the screen appeared two general outlines of designs that looked eerily similar. Rhett flipped through slides, showcasing the garden, pool, and sculpture designs. They were almost identical.Alicia stared at the screen in disbelief. How could Lilith's design be almost identical to hers? She felt like her
Rhett's face quickly turned ashen upon hearing Damian mention the contract, and his heart skipped a beat. He had completely forgotten about the most crucial document. Alpha Damian had appointed Alicia as the sole designer for the entire project, rendering it irrelevant whether she had plagiarized or not.What mattered most was that Shinfancy Studio had violated the contract, and the breach could have serious consequences for their reputation, especially with the King of Rogues as the client."I'm sorry, Mr. Howard. It was my mistake. While I did allow my Beta to provide some excellent ideas for your courtyard design, I did not authorize her to complete the entire design. I will ensure that she will definitely not be involved in this project again," Rhett quickly apologized, turning off the projector."Is that all? Are you always this lenient with employees who violate the contract?" Damian asked, his black eyebrows furrowed."Mr. Howard, please let me speak on behalf of my boss. Alpha
"Are you insane?" Alicia blurted out as soon as she got into Damian's car, her heart pounding with anxiety.She had a sinking feeling that her name would soon be plastered all over the gossip pages. She had already imagined the headlines: "BREAKING NEWS! Socialite Alicia Wilton Revealed to be King of Rogues' Mate!" or "BIG NEWS! The King of Rogues' Mate is the Wife of Tobias Wilton, the Eldest Son of the Wilton Family!" She couldn't believe that her life had turned into a nightmare in just a few hours.It was only a matter of time before the news reached the Wilton family. If she was lucky, she might be asked to divorce Tobias and be banished from the Golden Moon Pack. If she was unlucky, she might be secretly executed as punishment for her disloyalty to the Wilton Family. Alicia didn't think the former was very likely, given that meeting her best friend Mae was the luckiest thing that had happened to her since childhood.Damian, however, seemed unfazed by the attention his announceme
The car glided smoothly to a stop in front of Alicia's apartment building. As Alicia opened the car door, she turned to Damian, who seemed to be in a sour mood and flashed him a warm smile. "Thank you, Mr. Howard, for all your help today," she said.For a moment, Damian's irritation melted away under Alicia's bright smile. He even forgot to insist that she call him by his first name.Alicia then turned her attention to Lyon. "And thank you, Mr. Lyon, for restoring the CCTV footage to help me. You were cool! Really! "Lyon's eyes widened in surprise at Alicia's effusive praise. He had never received a genuine thank you from anyone outside of the pack before. His chest swelled with pride. If Alicia became the Luna of the Moon Halo Pack, he thought, maybe it would not be a bad thing."Miss Scarlett, you're too kind," Lyon replied with a smile.As Alicia walked towards the entrance of her building, Damian turned to Lyon with a steely expression, "Lyon, I don't want to see that redhead des
Alicia couldn't believe her bad luck.Yesterday, she had rejected Damian's invitation to the wine auction on Friday night at the Times Hotel, only to learn today that her boss, Mr. Rhett, had scheduled an office party at the same place on the very same night. She had to wonder if Damian had somehow orchestrated the coincidence.She typed out a message to Damian, asking if he had anything to do with the party, but quickly deleted it. Regardless of his involvement, she knew she would have to attend the event.Suddenly, she caught a whiff of lavender in the air and looked up, expecting to see Damian standing in front of her. Instead, it was Emma, the building receptionist, holding a huge bouquet of lavender."Alicia, your present has arrived!" Emma announced a mischievous smile on her face.Alicia was stunned. "For me? Who sent it?""The florist said it was a mysterious gentleman," Emma replied, sounding jealous.Alicia placed the bouquet on her desk and read the card, which read: "For m
"What's up? Too stunned to talk?" Damian asked Alicia, who was speechless with surprise in front of him."Wait! Why did you move into this apartment and even my upstairs?" Alicia asked, still digesting the fact."Because you're here!" Damian replied with a shrug."But I made that very clear to you yesterday," Alicia said."Fine! Then let me give you a few legitimate reasons— it's close to downtown and convenient for my business, and this community is harmonious and provides me with a safe and comfortable living environment," Damian gave Alicia two reasons she could live with."Well, I can't imagine the King of Rogues seeking a safe living environment," Alicia said, looking up and down in shock at the Alpha who had an aura of foreboding around him."The King of Rogues? I don't like that term. Is whoever took that nickname a fan of royalty in the Middle Ages?" Damian frowned, but then quickly smiled at Alicia again. "But that nickname feels good coming from you."The atmosphere became a
"How long have you been working as a janitor in this apartment?" Damian asked, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.Lee looked up, startled by the sudden interruption. "Oh! For about a year now, sir," he answered cautiously."Putting a veteran in the position of apartment janitor. You can tell the manager in charge of this apartment that he's wasting resources," Damian said, his sarcasm not lost on Lee."Ah, please don't say that. I'm just a wreck, and I'm grateful to Mr. Alston for allowing me to be the janitor here," Lee replied, his voice tinged with gratitude. He shook his left arm, which had lost its palm, a gesture that spoke of his past struggles.However, he soon felt something was off. "How did you know I was a veteran? I've never mentioned it to anyone.""It was just a hunch," Damian replied nonchalantly, masking his true intentions. He gave Lee a friendly smile and asked, "Can you tell me something about the neighbor living downstairs from me? I just moved here and
Lyon could hardly believe what he had just witnessed.In mere seconds, Alpha Damian had released the drunken man, who had passed out from a lack of oxygen, and caught Alicia as she stumbled. With the same ease as he had shifted into a wolf, Damian now shifted back into his human form, his pure blue eyes slowly reverting to their natural deep blue as the black fur that had covered his skin dissipated."Are you alright?" Damian's voice was gentle as he held Alicia close to him. She looked up at him, and as the lavender scent of her mate flooded her senses, her heart rate began to slow.In an act of chivalry, Damian took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around Alicia, shielding her. "It's okay now. Let's get out of here," he said soothingly.As they walked towards the other elevator, Damian instructed Lyon,"Lyon, leave him alive. I'll deal with him tomorrow.""Got it." Lyon took out his phone, scanned the man's face, and quickly identified him as Scott Collin, an Alpha of a pack owned
"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