The first breath burned like fire in my lungs. Every sensation crashed over me with brutal intensity—the scratch of Egyptian cotton sheets against my hypersensitive skin, the thunderous drumbeat of my own heart, the overwhelming cedar-and-rain scent that I knew belonged to Callum. My eyes snapped open, and the world exploded into painful clarity.Too bright. Too sharp. Too *everything*.I jolted upright, a primal sound ripping from my throat that I barely recognized as my own voice. The movement sent waves of dizzying information through my enhanced senses. Forty stories below, I could hear the rhythmic thrum of early morning traffic. The antiseptic tang in the air mixed with the metallic scent of blood—my blood—making my stomach roll."Easy." Callum's voice came from beside me, and I flinched at its intensity. He reached for me, but the moment his fingers brushed my arm, electricity shot through my transformed nervous system. The mate bond pulsed between us, stronger than ever, but i
My feet pound against cold pavement as I race through London's financial district, a cruel mockery of my usual confident stride in designer heels. Each step sends shockwaves of agony through my transforming body. The glass-walled skyscrapers that once represented my success now feel like prison walls, their reflective surfaces multiplying my distorted form as another wave of change ripples beneath my skin.God, the smells. The acrid stench of exhaust fumes burns my nostrils. The thunderous drumbeat of distant construction threatens to split my skull. Even the air tastes different – metallic, thick with the fear radiating from my own pores.A group of traders stumbles out of a nearby pub, their drunken laughter piercing my ears like shattered glass. I duck into a shadowy alley, pressing myself against rough brick as my bones begin to shift and crack."Turn right at the next intersection." Fiona's voice crackles through my earpiece, steady despite the urgency in her tone. "There's an ac
The scent of fear permeates my glass-walled office like a toxic cloud. My assistant Sarah's heartbeat thunders in my ears—the third time this morning I've caught her staring at me with barely concealed concern. The morning light streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows feels like needles against my sensitive skin, every sound amplified to excruciating levels. The gentle hum of laptops. The click of heels against marble floors. The thundering heartbeats of my subordinates.Two weeks. That's how long I've been trying to maintain this façade of normalcy since my world imploded. Since the night Callum Wolfe—billionaire CEO, alpha werewolf, and the man who turned my life upside down—saved me from certain death and awakened something primal inside me.I grip my Mont Blanc pen tighter, focusing on the feel of cool metal against my skin. *Control*. That's what Callum preached during our brief training sessions before I fled back to the safety of Blackwood Financial. Control your emotions. C
My heels clicked against ancient marble floors as I entered the Great Hall of the Wolfe Pack mansion, each step echoing like a drumbeat of doom. The weight of dozens of predatory gazes pressed against my skin. Werewolves. All of them. And here I was, the human who dared to catch their Alpha's eye.*Keep your chin up. Show no fear.* My INTJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging) brain cataloged every detail - the crystal chandeliers casting dancing shadows, the whispered conversations that my human ears couldn't quite catch, the subtle shifting of bodies as pack members positioned themselves. Strategic analysis was my comfort zone. Numbers, probabilities, risk assessments - those I could handle. Pack politics? That was another story entirely.A flash of red caught my eye as Fiona materialized beside me, her petite frame radiating protective energy. "Remember what we practiced," she murmured, guiding me forward. "You've got this, Olivia."We passed Alistair Blackthorn, his massive
My heels sank into the damp earth of Hampstead Heath as I followed Callum deeper into the woods, my newly enhanced senses overwhelmed by the symphony of night sounds. Every crunch of leaves beneath his feet sent shivers down my spine. The scent of pine and leather that clung to him made my wolf stir, despite my determination to keep my distance."Just a bit further," Callum's deep voice carried back to me. Even those simple words held too much power over me. I hated how my body responded to him – the way my heart raced, how my skin tingled with awareness. After James's betrayal, I'd sworn never to let another man affect me this way.The moon hung full and heavy above us, its silver light filtering through the ancient oaks. My fingertips tingled with the urge to shift, the wolf inside me responding to its pull. Fighting the change was like trying to hold back a tide with my bare hands."This clearing should work." Callum turned to face me, his amber eyes gleaming in the darkness. The m
Moonlight silvered my blood-stained hands as I stared at them in horror. Even my heightened werewolf senses couldn't comprehend how this had happened—how a moment of peace with Callum had shattered into chaos and suspicion."Show me your hands!" Callum's voice cracked with Alpha authority, sending shivers down my spine. The pack's heavy presence closed in around us, their judgment as thick as the fog rolling through Richmond Park.My heart thundered as I slowly raised my trembling fingers. The dried blood beneath my nails gleamed accusingly in the moonlight. *My* blood, from scaling that fence earlier. But how could I prove it?"Olivia Blackwood." Callum's words carried the weight of an executioner's axe. Each syllable seemed to physically pain him as his amber eyes burned into mine. "By pack law, you are confined to the sanctuary until this incident can be investigated."*An hour earlier...*The forest fight's aftermath had left visible marks—a tear in Callum's henley, mud streaking
My heels clicked against the marble floor of James's office building, each step echoing like a countdown in my head. The familiar scent of his cologne lingered in the air - bergamot and cedar, now tainted with something metallic. Blood.Security footage of his crumpled form played on loop in my mind. My ex-husband, the man who'd shattered my trust, now lay in a hospital bed because of what everyone thought I'd done. My newly heightened senses picked up whispers from the cubicles I passed. *Monster. Animal. Murderer.*If only they knew how right they were about the animal part.The glass walls of the executive floor loomed before me, a sterile fortress against London's rain-darkened sky. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, reading the tension in my muscles. Callum's training sessions echoed in my thoughts: "Control the beast, or it controls you." Easy for him to say. He wasn't the one being hunted by his own pack.I slipped into the security room, my corporate access card still valid. Eit
Rain lashed against the windows of VentureTech's corporate headquarters as I crouched behind a filing cabinet, my heightened werewolf senses picking up the steady hum of servers. The familiar scent of James's cologne lingered in the air, a ghostly reminder of my past life. My fingers trembled slightly as I typed in his old password—a combination of our wedding date and his mother's maiden name. Some habits die hard, even after betrayal.The monitor's glow illuminated my face as encrypted files populated the screen. Each click felt like a countdown timer, knowing security could discover my presence any moment. But I had to know the truth. The image of James's mutilated body flashed through my mind, driving me forward despite the risk."Level 3 security breach detected," a robotic voice announced overhead.My heart rate spiked, but I forced myself to remain focused. Being a werewolf had its perks—enhanced speed, strength, and senses. But right now, I needed my old skills: the razor-shar
Harsh shadows from fluorescent lights of the parking garage of Wolfe Industries proved unrelenting as I followed after Alistair into it. My heels, though clicking softly off concrete, barely provided an echo against the rains outside that drummed without a break. Our enforcer acted strange lately and there was only one way to determine exactly why."The security protocols have been updated, just like you requested.".I froze, plastering myself against a concrete pillar. Three unfamiliar werewolves stood with him near a service entrance, their postures tense."The access codes?" one of them demanded."All here." Alistair held up a thumb drive. "Everything you need."My heart hammered. Was our enforcer really betraying the pack? After everything Callum had done for him?Motion drew my attention. From behind another pillar, two more werewolves emerged, their eyes gleaming predatorily in the dim light. Every instinct screamed trap, but not for who I expected.The original three werewolves
My hands shaking, I traced the worn leather binding of the pack records. The setting sun cast long shadows across my office at Wolfe Industries, each darkening stripe a reminder of how much I stood to lose if I was wrong. Or right."Someone's been feeding to Edinburgh." I growled low to myself, scanning page after page of meetings that shouldn't have leaked. Last time the pack was betrayed-three dead. That couldn't happen again, but being on the investigating end into Callum's inner circle made me a traitor in my own right.A jarring knock yanked me out of my reverie. I slammed the journal shut as Fiona filled the doorway, her copper curls catching what was left of the light."Plan on sharing what's had you buried in the archives?" Her eyes went green, narrowing to pin me with that uncomfortably perspicacious stare that served her so well as beta."I-" The words caught in my throat as I weighed my options. Trust had gotten the last beta killed. Along with two others."Someone leaked t
The e-mail on my screen sent chills running down my spine."Just wanted to follow up on our discussion regarding the Q3 projections." Marcus's words stared at me, each sentence a red flag. We'd been trading together for a decade and a half. This was not Marcus."Something's wrong." I muttered, scanning the message again. The Marcus I knew never used phrases like "circling back" or "touch base." He was direct, almost blunt. This email read like a corporate template.A knock at my door jerked me out of that reverie. Callum filled the doorway, a commanding presence even in a perfectly tailored Tom Ford suit. But the tight set of his jaw told me he wasn't there to make a social visit."Board meeting in ten minutes," he said without preamble, amber eyes raking my face. "You found something."It wasn't a question. The mate bond between us hummed with shared tension, even if we tried to keep things professional at work."Marcus Chen's latest communications." I turned my laptop toward him. "R
My fingers traced the intricate patterns of the werewolf bloodlines on the ancient tapestry as if my life depended on it. The rain clawed at the leaded glass windows of Callum's study, casting wavering shadows across the scattered reports of recent pack attacks."These attacks aren't random." My voice cut through the tension-filled silence. "Look at the pattern, Callum. Every targeted pack has the same profile."Callum's pacing stopped. "What do you mean?""Large quantities of turned wolves. Human mates." I pivoted, facing him while my analyst's brain churned the numbers. "Someone is targeting specific packs. Those that don't fit into a certain. mold."Standing by the door, Fiona winced, readjusting her bandaged arm, still tender from last night's attack on our territory. "You think it's connected?""I know there is." I pulled out one of the reports. "The Thompson pack in Manchester-60% turned wolves. The Murray pack in Edinburgh-highest number of human mates in Scotland. The Chen pac
I squinted at my monitor, the endless stream of numbers and financial data on the screen beginning to blur. Midnight was long since past, but I couldn't stop-not now that I was getting close."Come on, show me what you're hiding," I muttered, cross-referencing another set of transactions.My office in London's financial district overlooked the glittering skyline, but I barely paid any attention anymore. Three days of obsessive digging through corporate records had left me running on nothing but coffee and determination.The soft ping of an incoming message drew my attention. Callum: "Three more disappeared from the Munich pack. Whatever's happening, it's accelerating."My fingers trembled as I typed out in response: "I might have something. Give me an hour."Before me lay encrypted files that painted none-too-comforting pictures of a network of shell companies, each funneling in barrels of money for research facilities studying "genetic anomalies in canine DNA." It was one of those co
The musty scent of ancient parchment filled my lungs as I traced my fingers over the crumbling manuscript. Isabella's sharp intake of breath beside me broke the heavy silence of the London Pack House archives."Olivia, look at this." She quivered, her finger dancing to a part of text; ancient runes danced across the dimly lit area. "When pure blood meets tainted, the old ways shall rise again."My heart stuttered. "What's that supposed to mean?""It's a prophecy." Isabella's voice had dwindled down to a whisper. "One speaking of purifying bloodlines."Above us, footsteps-Callum in his office-dealt with the constant stream of messages from traditional Alpha families. Every step sounded just like the cadence of doom approaching."There's more," Isabella said, her finger tracing the page. "The prophecy speaks of a ritual. something about the purifying of the wolf-blood."A cold shiver ran down my spine as my phone buzzed. From Fiona: *Where are you? Emergency.*"We need to tell Callum,"
The ancient oak doors loomed before me, carved wolves seeming to leap in the flickering torchlight. My fingers brushed against Callum's suit jacket, seeking reassurance I wasn't ready to admit I needed."Ready?" Callum's voice was low, meant only for me."As I'll ever be." I squared my shoulders, thanking whatever star aligned to grant me a designer dress worthy of a lot more poise than I currently owned. "Though I still think bringing a former human to the Alpha Council may be perceived as.insensitive.""You're my mate." His jaw worked his tone final. "They'll deal with it."It seemed that the groan of the heavy doors as they swung open had echoed along the private wing. The setting sun was shining through the stained glass window, casting blood-red shadows on the teak surface, where twelve ornate chairs were drawn up to a huge circular table. My enhanced senses picked up mingled scents of anxiety, ambition, and something darker that stirred my wolf uneasily.Viktor Petrov was the fi
The smell of fear thickened in the war room as reports kept coming in. My fingers flew over the keyboard, following a web of financial deceit through Wolfe Industries. "Got something," I said, tugging Callum's attention from his phone. "The authorizations all came from a single terminal in the executive wing. Terminal ID matches." I let the words trail off, blood turning cold."Matches what?" Callum asked. There was an edge in his voice."Amelia's office."The silence that followed was resounding. Amelia Thornton - pack elder, board member, and the woman who'd warned me about a rising power. Had she been playing us all along?"That can't be," Fiona cut in. "Amelia's family has been loyal to the Wolfes for generations.""Numbers don't lie." I turned the laptop toward them. "Every transfer, every shell company, all traced back to her terminal."Callum's phone buzzed again. His face clouded over as he read the message. "Viktor wasn't the only one. They found the Swedish Alpha's body. Sam
The moon cast long shadows across Callum's office, where stacks of missing persons reports littered his normally pristine desk. I clutched the financial documents in my hands as the weight of what I had found hit me squarely between the eyes."Callum," I called, the tension evident in my tight voice. "We have a problem."He glanced up, his amber eyes flashing in a heartbeat. Same effect my heart got, despite all we had survived so far. "What'd you find?""Someone has been siphoning funds out of Wolfe Industries." I fanned the documents out over his desk, nudged the reports detailing the missing werewolves out of the way. "Shell companies. They all belong to various known hunter organizations. Systematic transfers-the dates go back months.""Show me." Callum's voice held that razor's edge I'd become so familiar with-the Alpha strangling his anger.I indicated the records of the transactions. "Here. Regular payments, always just shy of the reporting threshold. Whoever did this, knows ou