I stood at the window of my top-floor office, staring out as the setting sun set London's skyline ablaze. It had been three months since the government had attacked the pack, since I lost everything that ever mattered. My fingers traced the smooth skin of my neck where Callum's mating bite should've been."Ms. Blackwood?" My secretary's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "The quarterly reports you requested."I turned, catching the slight tremble of her hands as she laid the thick folder on my desk. The musky scent of her fear teased my heightened senses-another reminder of what I had become."Thank you, Sarah." My voice came out flat, well-exercised. The CEO of Blackwood-Wolfe Industries didn't get the luxury of vulnerability. "Has there been any word from the Canterbury facility?""They're. still not responding to our inquiries." The woman fidgeted uncomfortably. "And Mr. Harrison called again about the missing shipments."I nodded to dismiss her. Alone, I plunged into the reports. S
"My God." The words escape in a whisper as I follow Callum deeper into the underground facility. The sterile corridor stretches endlessly, the soft hum of fluorescent lights flickering overhead. Each step echoes against the cold tiles, joining with the steady hum of machinery."Stay close," Callum whispers, his shoulders tensing as we pass through rows of sealed laboratory doors. Each bears the Wolfe Industries logo – his family's company. The antiseptic smell burns my enhanced werewolf senses, but beneath it lurks something metallic. Blood."You're sure about this?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice steady. Security cameras track our movement, their red lights blinking in accusation."The access codes haven't changed in twenty years." His jaw clenches. "Father never thought anyone would dare."The main laboratory doors slide open with a soft hiss. Callum's security credentials still work-small mercies. A holographic display springs to life, bathing the stark white room in an eerie blu
Rain lashed against the boardroom windows of Wolfe Industries as I smoothed my skirt, fighting to keep my cool. It was the scent that hit me first - James's expensive cologne mingling with something chemical, foreign. Wrong. Since my mating with Callum had improved my senses, I'd learned to trust my nose. Something was very wrong with my exhusband."Let's get started on the quarterly review," I said, my voice steady even though my heart was racing. Ten board members shuffled papers, checked their phones, completely oblivious to the predator sitting among them. James sat directly across from me, his perfectly pressed suit a stark contrast to the slight tremor in his hands."Before we get started," James interrupted, "I'd like to address the recent. irregularities in our R&D spending."My fingers tightened into fists around my tablet. "That's not on today's agenda.""I'm adding it to the agenda." James's smile wasn't reaching his eyes. "You've certainly been busy, haven't you, Olivia, s
Above him, fluorescent lights cast grotesque shadows on James's face; his features twisted in ways that didn't seem possible as he lay strapped to the examination table. I splayed my fingers against the reinforced glass, my heart hammering against my ribs. What had I done? It had seemed a good idea at the time-agreeing to this experimental procedure, allowing my ex-husband to volunteer as a test subject-but now it seemed like the worst decision of my life."Final preparations complete, Ms. Blackwood," Dr. Chen's voice came over the intercom. "Beginning transformation sequence.""Wait." James's voice broke. "Olivia, please. Just. come here for a moment."I hesitated, then nodded to the security team. They buzzed me through the airlock into the testing chamber. The first thing that hit me was the antiseptic smell, followed by the metallic tang of fear-sweat."What is it?" I asked, keeping my distance professionally.James's eyes met mine, and for a fleeting instant, the outline of our h
The sound of rain lashing against the glass walls echoed around Wolfe Industries' crisis command center. I pressed my fingers against the cold surface, watching James tear through another crowded street on the wall of monitors before me. My ex-husband, now a feral creature of my nightmares."Olivia, we have another sighting." Fiona's voice cracked through my thoughts. Her fingers flew across keyboards, coordinating with local authorities. "He's heading toward Covent Garden.""Show me." My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears. A new feed flickered to life; James was shown throwing a black cab through a shopfront. The beast he'd become moved with impossible grace, muscles rippling beneath matted fur. Every violent act was a personal accusation."This isn't your fault," Fiona said, reading my mind."Isn't it?" I turned to her. "If I hadn't let him kiss me that night—""The rival pack would have found another way to hurt Callum." Fiona's green eyes flashed. "They've been waiting for a
The morning mist curled around my ankles as I stood at the pack's border, watching an ancient werewolf emerge from the shadows. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, recognizing power that felt older than time itself. The air was electric with energy that tingled my skin."Olivia Winters." His weathered voice carried on the wind. "I've come a long way looking for you."Dominic and Rachel, my sentries, moved instantly onto either side of me. Their faces tight. The stranger raised his hands into the air and worn leather fell away, displaying symbols on his arms I did not recognize. Huge, its strap slung across his back, a pulsing ancient binding called to something buried deep in me."I mean no harm," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "I am Magnus Blackthorn, Keeper of Histories. And you, my dear, are far more than you realize."Callum appeared beside me, and the touch was at once comforting and electric. His hand rested on the small of my back, but even his light touch vibrated with t
Chapter 87: Legacy of the MoonMy hands were shaking as I looked at the parish records laid out before me on the British Library's wooden table. Something was not quite right. The dates, the lunar cycles, the deaths-they formed a pattern that I couldn't ignore."Three violent deaths, same full moon, 1847," I whispered, my fingernails elongating somewhat with the realization. "All from my mother's bloodline.""Fascinating discovery, isn't it?I jerked my head up at the now-familiar voice. Amelia Warren stood behind me, her presence immediately putting my nerves on edge."What do you want?" I kept my voice low, conscious of the other researchers nearby."Oh, I'm just admiring your. detective work." Her perfectly manicured finger traced the edge of one document. "Though you might want to look deeper into the Blackwood line. Your grandmother left quite a trail."Before I could say a word, my phone buzzed. Callum's name flashed across the screen."We need to talk," he said, not wasting wor
The ancient Celtic runes swirled in front of my eyes as Emilia's fingers quivered across the worn leather journal. My heart crashed against my ribs, each beat a repetition of the omen to be. The heat from the lamp couldn't dispel the chill in my bones."Olivia." Her voice broke. "The prophecy. it's about you."Callum's presence behind me shifted, his warmth radiating against my back. The lamp's glow cast long shadows across the pack library's wooden shelves, making the ancient texts loom like silent witnesses."What do you mean?" I fought to keep my voice steady."Five bloodlines must come together under the power of the crimson moon." The pattern that outlined the runes glowed beneath the touch of Emilia's tracing finger. "The Blackwoods- which is your family. Should one of these five fail, the ritual has to. This can't-"I turned, and fell, nearly stepping back onto Callum, my face beet red."A werewolf," Callum completed in a growl. "Your bloodline is no coincidence, Olivia. The Ma
Rain lashed against the windows of the executive suite of Wolfe Industries as I stared at the security footage playing on my tablet. My hands shook as I watched James-my ex-husband-stalk through the loading docks of our research facility."How did he get access?" I demanded, my voice sharp enough to make Fiona flinch."Amelia gave him the codes." Fiona's Irish lilt carried a growl. "She's been feeding him that experimental serum for weeks."My stomach lurched. The mate bond with Callum pulsed with shared anxiety-he'd felt my distress from across the city. "Show me the lab footage again."The video showed James injecting himself with a glowing blue liquid, his body convulsing as bones crackled with the transformation. But this wasn't a normal shift. The black wolf that emerged was grotesque, nearly twice the normal size."Olivia." Callum's voice came from the doorway, low with tension. He crossed to me in three long strides, pulling me into his arms. I breathed in his scent - pine and
James stood in Callum's office, and the mere presence made my skin shiver. His new form felt like ill-fitting skin with twitchy movements. Behind him, the full moon neared, cloaking everything in an ominous luminescence through the floor-to-ceiling windows over the panorama of London at dusk."I did this for you, Olivia," James said, shifting a step closer. His amber eyes flashed in that terrible rhythm of human and wolf. Terrifyingly too irregular. "To understand what you've become.""Back," I stammered, continuing my reverse pace. The shifting in James wasn't quite right - a perversely distorted sense in his energy - wrong."Afraid?" He let loose with a burst of manic-tinged laughter. "The great Olivia Blackwood afraid of her own husband?"Ex-husband," I corrected sharply. "And you're insane if you think this changes anything between us.""Everything's changed!" James lunged forward, grabbing my arm. His grip burned like fire. "You took everything from me when you chose him. Now I'l
I cross-referenced another bank statement, and the numbers on my screen all began to blur together. My wolf bristled beneath my skin, restless after hours being trapped in my office. But I had to find the connection. Had to prove Amelia's research wasn't just funded by concerned citizens."Got you," I whispered to myself, my fingers flying across the keyboard. Shell companies folded into shell companies, but they all connected to one base-PharmaCorp Global.My office door burst open. "Olivia." Callum's voice was tight with tension. Amber eyes locked onto mine, and instantly my wolf perked up at her Alpha's presence. "The board meeting's been moved up. They know."My heart stopped. "How?"Amelia." His jaw clenched. "She sent proof to every major shareholder.""I'll come with you." I stood, but Callum raised his hand."No. Stay here. Keep digging." His voice softened. "Please, love. This could save us all."He was gone before I could argue. I forced my attention back to my screen, the a
I quaked and replayed for the third time the recorded shot from surveillance cameras. Amelia's secret facility gleamed on screen in all clinical white and beige, and then he appeared-the figure of James meticulously recording how captured werewolves struggled and writhed through transformation."Olivia." Callum's voice held concern tight as he stood a step behind. "You really don't want to go over this again.""I do." It cut deeper than James's infidelity ever had. "He's working with Amelia to develop a 'cure' that's nothing but torture.""We have enough evidence." Callum's hand settled on my shoulder. "The pack alphas are waiting."Turning from the screen, I met his amber gaze. "How many did they experiment on?""Too many." His jaw clenched. "But we'll end this. Tonight."It was already chaotic when we entered. Five London alphas prowled the marble conference room, centuries of rivalry crackling between them."This is a waste of time," Marcus snarled, his massive frame towering over
My body shook with strange power coursing through my veins. Shattered glass crunched beneath my feet, scattered across the marble floors of Wolfe Industries' headquarters. The full moon's ethereal glow filtered through the broken windows, casting long shadows across the destruction."Olivia." Callum's voice was tight with concern. "Your eyes."I caught my reflection in a shard of glass. Where my green eyes once were, brilliant gold now blazed back at me. The power rising inside was ancient, primal-something far beyond the normal werewolf strength I'd grown so accustomed to."What's happening to me?" My voice shook as another wave of energy pulsed through my body.Callum took a step toward me, then stopped, once more. My mate was one of the most powerful Alphas in London, but even he acted cautious against the force emanating from my skin. Through our bond, I felt his amazement and uncertainty."The prophecy," he breathed. "It's actually happening."The screech of helicopter blades cut
Chapter 89: ConvergencePain rips through my body as another wave of silver fire courses beneath my skin. Through blurred vision, I catch my reflection in the penthouse window – ethereal symbols pulse across my arms in an ancient script I shouldn't understand but somehow do. My fingertips trace the glowing marks, each touch sending sparks of electricity through my nerve endings."She's burning up." Marcus's worried voice sounds like it comes from afar. "The Proto-Lycian markings are spreading at a speed I have never seen. At this rate.""At what rate?" I demand in my hoarse voice. "Tell me what's happening to me!"The pack healer gives a glance at his assistant. "The ancient bloodlines stir within you. But the blend of First Born and witch ancestry-it's unprecedented."I try to focus on the London skyline beyond the glass, but my enhanced senses are going haywire. The heartbeat of the city pounds in my ears-thousands of footsteps, whispered conversations, and. something else. A primal
The ancient Celtic runes swirled in front of my eyes as Emilia's fingers quivered across the worn leather journal. My heart crashed against my ribs, each beat a repetition of the omen to be. The heat from the lamp couldn't dispel the chill in my bones."Olivia." Her voice broke. "The prophecy. it's about you."Callum's presence behind me shifted, his warmth radiating against my back. The lamp's glow cast long shadows across the pack library's wooden shelves, making the ancient texts loom like silent witnesses."What do you mean?" I fought to keep my voice steady."Five bloodlines must come together under the power of the crimson moon." The pattern that outlined the runes glowed beneath the touch of Emilia's tracing finger. "The Blackwoods- which is your family. Should one of these five fail, the ritual has to. This can't-"I turned, and fell, nearly stepping back onto Callum, my face beet red."A werewolf," Callum completed in a growl. "Your bloodline is no coincidence, Olivia. The Ma
Chapter 87: Legacy of the MoonMy hands were shaking as I looked at the parish records laid out before me on the British Library's wooden table. Something was not quite right. The dates, the lunar cycles, the deaths-they formed a pattern that I couldn't ignore."Three violent deaths, same full moon, 1847," I whispered, my fingernails elongating somewhat with the realization. "All from my mother's bloodline.""Fascinating discovery, isn't it?I jerked my head up at the now-familiar voice. Amelia Warren stood behind me, her presence immediately putting my nerves on edge."What do you want?" I kept my voice low, conscious of the other researchers nearby."Oh, I'm just admiring your. detective work." Her perfectly manicured finger traced the edge of one document. "Though you might want to look deeper into the Blackwood line. Your grandmother left quite a trail."Before I could say a word, my phone buzzed. Callum's name flashed across the screen."We need to talk," he said, not wasting wor
The morning mist curled around my ankles as I stood at the pack's border, watching an ancient werewolf emerge from the shadows. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, recognizing power that felt older than time itself. The air was electric with energy that tingled my skin."Olivia Winters." His weathered voice carried on the wind. "I've come a long way looking for you."Dominic and Rachel, my sentries, moved instantly onto either side of me. Their faces tight. The stranger raised his hands into the air and worn leather fell away, displaying symbols on his arms I did not recognize. Huge, its strap slung across his back, a pulsing ancient binding called to something buried deep in me."I mean no harm," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "I am Magnus Blackthorn, Keeper of Histories. And you, my dear, are far more than you realize."Callum appeared beside me, and the touch was at once comforting and electric. His hand rested on the small of my back, but even his light touch vibrated with t