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 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
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
I stepped up onto the podium, circumscribed on all sides by ancient stone, my armor of choice-a charcoal-gray, well-tailored suit-pressed firmly against my skin due to the weighted animosity gaze. Thirty pairs of eyes-interested, hostile-naked in some-drilled into me while fluorescent lights with unrelenting harshness cut across both the strange-yet-familiar face in surreal light-and-dark ballet, a player on tensions within the very walls."The attempted breach of our digital infrastructure last month proves we can no longer separate pack security from corporate security," I said, my voice firm despite the low growls of dissent rumbling from the traditionalists' corner. My gaze met Marcus Blackwood's burning amber eyes across the huge oak table, noting how his claws scored deep marks into the ancient wood. "Our enemies are evolving. They attack with keyboards as often as claws."The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. I fought the urge to touch the marking bite on my throat
But before anyone could respond, another alarm blared. Several red dots materialized on the security map, converging on our position."They're inside the building," Fiona growled, her eyes aglow amber. "Moving fast through the lower levels."I cursed under my breath. "They must have had inside help to get past the initial barriers." My gaze shot to Amelia, but the she-wolf was watching the screens with apparently genuine concern."Doesn't matter now," Callum said. "Alistair, take half the council and secure the upper floors. Fiona, you're with me on point. The rest of you, defend this chamber. If they breach our defenses, this is where we make our stand."He turned to me then, his eyes softening for just a moment. "Olivia."Don't even think about telling me to hide," I cut him off, already pulling up the schematics for the building on my tablet. "I can coordinate our forces more effectively from here."A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "I was going to say be careful." He pressed a
I met her gaze steadily, though my heart was racing with fear. "You're wrong about one thing, Amelia." My free hand slipped into my pocket, my fingers closing around a small device. "I'm not just clever with computers."And before she could do anything, I slapped the button. Suddenly the hallway was drenched with ultrasonic waves at a frequency calibrated to incapacitate transformed werewolves. Amelia shrieked, her partial shift gone as she stumbled back clutching her head.I didn't waste the opportunity. Throwing myself into the server room, I slapped my hand on the emergency shutdown panel. The servers chugged through their kill sequence as red lights started to strobe."No!" David yelled, racing to stop him. It was too late.A roar of pure rage echoed up and down the corridor. I spun to see Callum charging towards us, his great wolf form brimming with fury. Behind him came Fiona and Alistair, with more pack members close behind.Amelia tried to shift, but the ultrasonic waves held
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
"Consider it done," Elena Volkov said firmly. "Go save your mate."Callum didn't waste time responding. "Alistair, organize the medical team. We need the anti-silver treatments developed by pharmaceutical. Fiona, coordinate from here." He was already moving toward the door."Where are you going?" Alistair asked, though he already knew the answer."To get Olivia.""Callum," Fiona called, her expression grim as she studied the biometric readings from Olivia's tactical gear. "Her heart rate's dropping."The Alpha paused, his face a mask of controlled fury. "Then I'd better hurry."I drifted in and out of consciousness, aware of voices around me but unable to respond. The silver burned through my system, preventing my werewolf healing from closing the wound."Stay with me, Olivia," Lucas urged, his hands pressing against my side. "The extraction team is coming."Silver poisoning was a unique agony—like acid in the veins, burning from within. I'd experienced it before, but never this sever
The damp air of London's underground tunnels clung to my skin, rank with the smell of sulfur and centuries of decay. I signaled the team to halt, my eyes adjusting to the darkness."Scent markers ahead," Lucas whispered, his military training evident in his precise movements. "Two hundred meters.""Everyone clear on the objective?" I asked, adjusting the tactical pack containing Amelia's stolen files against my back.Sophia nodded, her dark eyes gleaming amber in the low light. "Get in, confirm virus distribution points, get out. No engagement unless necessary.""And if it becomes necessary?" I challenged."Then we make them regret ever hearing the word 'werewolf,'" Lucas growled, his fingers flexing as if already imagining claws extending.The three younger wolves—Elliot, Zara, and Dominic—exchanged nervous glances. They were pack members Callum had reluctantly agreed to include after I'd insisted we needed their specialized skills."Stay focused," I told them. "Remember your trainin
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