Pain. Searing, all-consuming pain. It tears through every cell of my body like molten lava, reshaping me from the inside out. I try to scream, but my vocal cords are transforming, making my cries come out as half-human, half-wolf howls.The basement of Callum's penthouse spins around me, ancient runes carved into stone walls pulsing with an eerie blue light. Their magic contains my thrashing body, keeps me from hurting myself – or others – as the change takes hold. The metallic scent of my own blood mingles with sweat and fear, overwhelming my heightening senses.Through the haze of agony, I catch glimpses of Callum's face. His amber eyes never leave me, filled with a mixture of guilt and desperate love that makes me want to both cling to him and claw his eyes out. He did this to me. He took my choice away."I'm sorry," he whispers, the words falling uselessly between us. "I'm so sorry, love."Another wave of pain hits, and I arch off the bed, bones cracking and reforming. My fingers
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
I sat in some daze, staring at the email from James in my phone, my fingers quivering around it. What nerve he had after what he did, after destroying my heart and my belief in him, to make an appearance now? It was sent at 3:47 AM, no doubt because his drunkenness had demanded to feel exonerated or simply just heard. I just felt far too knackered to open it.The sudden, soft knock on my office door startled me. Callum filled the frame, broad shoulders looming wide, while amber eyes bore into mine with intensity; still, the same shock that sucked my breath away, without fail. Even months into whatever this was between us, I still hadn't gotten used to the raw power he gave off, the way he filled any space not just physically but with some sort of primordial energy that set my skin tingling."You're working late," he said, his voice low, rich. The sound chased an involuntary shiver down my spine. My wolf-still such a strange, strange concept it was-started to stir beneath my skin, reco
The storm clouds brewing across the London skyline are a perfect reflection of my mood. From my corner office window in Canary Wharf, I watched as lightning flashed out across the distance, casting an eerie gloom on the jagged edges of steel and glass that comprise the financial district. My reflection stared back-fractured across the rain-spattered glass-chestnut hair falling loose from its usually pristine bun, green eyes shadowed with exhaustion. My phone buzzed again-seventh time this morning. Callum's name flashed across the screen, and my stomach twisted into knots. I let it go to voicemail, just like the others. Amelia Thornton's words at last night's pack gathering still swam in my head: "Alphas are just like human men. They can't help but stray." The words hit too close to home, dredging up memories I struggled hard to keep buried: James tangled in our sheets with my best friend, his lies, his excuses, his betrayal. I'd sworn I'd never be that foolish again, to never trust s
Rain lashed my face as I stalked through London's financial district, the metallic scent of blood hanging thick in the air. My designer heels clicked against wet pavement – probably the last time I'd wear Louboutins to a werewolf battle. But then again, I hadn't exactly planned on joining this fight when I left my sanctuary an hour ago.A helicopter searchlight swept across Canary Wharf and lit up the chaos beneath. My enhanced vision saw it all: government forces closing in upon Callum's reduced pack; the gleam of arms designed to take down a werewolf; and then Callum himself, resplendent in his Tom Ford suit, torn and stained with blood as he faced the head of his people; those amber eyes ablaze with defiance.My heart clenched with his presence. Three months apart hadn't dulled a thing between us, despite how hard I'd tried to ignore the mate bond. Even now, standing in the shadows with my own contingent of newly turned werewolves, I could feel his presence pulling at something deep
The bitter taste of betrayal coats my tongue as I watch the tactical teams advance through the security feeds. Their black body armor gleams under the estate's floodlights, each weapon bearing the telltale shine of silver inlays. My hands shake against the cold metal of the desk, and I force myself to keep breathing as familiar faces flash across the monitors.Fiona's fierce red curls whip through the rain as she barks orders to the younger wolves. Alistair's massive form shepherds cubs toward the safe rooms. And Callum.my chest constricts as I spot him coordinating the defense, his commanding presence a stark reminder of everything I've destroyed."Alpha, they're breaching the east perimeter!" A young wolf's panicked voice crackles through the surveillance audio. I flinch, knowing it was my intel that exposed that vulnerability. The government's "containment protocols" are executing exactly as I'd outlined them, believing I was protecting innocent humans from dangerous creatures.God
Rain lashes against the windows, each drop an icy reminder of the storm that rages outside and inside me. I am standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse office that belonged to Callum; my ghostly reflection against the blackness, watching the city lights blur through the downpour. It was only days ago when I first stood in this exact spot, feeling as if I were finally meant for this world. Now, the mate bond between us pulsed like a wounded animal, reminding me with every beat what I was going to lose.Behind me, the silence is broken by the sound of papers landing on the desk. I don't need to turn around to know what they are – surveillance photos, each one a nail in the coffin of my betrayal. Week after week of meetings with government officials, each image timestamped and annotated with damning precision. My throat constricts as I catch a glimpse of myself passing files to Agent Richardson – files containing the pack's defensive positions, their safe houses, the
I'd never felt so caged as I did this very moment, surrounded by those glass walls of Wolfe Industries's top floor conference room. Rain pounded against the panes, casting jumping shadows across the scattered documents telling the story of our deepest, darkest fears in black and white. My fingers betrayed my tension, quivering around a surveillance photo as my stomach churned its guilt over what I had pulled."The books don't lie," Fiona said, the slightest quiver to her voice as she gestured to her tablet. "The government's werewolf taskforce is being funded through a web of shell companies." Her fingers drummed a nervous rhythm on the mahogany table as she spoke, each tap echoing my racing heartbeat.Callum's broad shoulders were tense, his powerful frame cast in shadow as he paced before the pack council, his eyes churning like the stormy London skyline. I couldn't tear my eyes from him, even as shame threatened to suffocate me. Every step he took was like another nail in the coffi
The glow of my computer screen was harsh in my office as midnight approached. Rain pelted the floor-to-ceiling windows of Wolfe Industries, mirroring the turmoil in my mind. My phone buzzed again-another message from Amelia demanding information about the pack's plans.I stared hard at the scattered financial reports detailing the growing government pressure on suspected werewolf-owned businesses. Each sheet was another noose tightening in the pack's neck, in Callum's neck. My chest tightened at the thought of him, of my growing betrayal.There came a gentle tap on the door. Standing in it was Callum, whose amber eyes filled with so much concern, my heart yearned at the very fact. Then he approached towards my working desk with a steaming cup of tea in his hand, exactly the way I liked, releasing the fragrances of camomile and honey into the air."You're working too hard," he whispered, setting the cup beside me. His fingers grazed mine; a shiver ran through my skin. "Everyone else we
In the growing darkness, I make a decision that will change everything. I open a new document and begin typing – not to Amelia, but to Callum. Every secret shared, every manipulation attempted, every moment I realized my love for the pack outweighed my fear of Amelia's threats. My fingers fly across the keyboard, pouring out truths I should have told months ago. When I finish, I hit send. Lightning illuminates the London skyline as I wait for either redemption or final betrayal, the weight of divided loyalties reaching its breaking point. The door opens. Callum stands there, his phone in his hand, my confession fresh on the screen. His face shows no emotion, but our bond thrums with pain, anger, and underneath it all, a desperate need to understand. "Why?" he asks simply. "She threatened the pack," I whisper. "Said she had evidence of illegal operations, enough to destroy everything you've built. I thought... I thought I could protect you all by playing along, feeding her harmless
The London skyline blurs through the rain-streaked windows of Callum's study as I stand before them, my reflection a ghost in the darkened glass. The storm brewing outside mirrors the tempest in my chest, where pack bonds pull and twist with each betrayal I commit. Dark circles shadow my eyes – evidence of nights spent wrestling with decisions that tear me apart. "Send the information by midnight, Olivia. Don't disappoint me again." Amelia's text message glows accusingly on my phone screen. My finger hovers over the reply button as memories assault me – Callum teaching me to howl at the moon, his hands gentle on my shoulders, his smile proud as I found my voice. The pack welcoming me, trusting me, making me family. And here I am, preparing to betray them all. The door creaks open behind me. Through our bond, I feel Callum before I see him, his presence both a comfort and a knife to my gut. He wraps his arms around my waist, nuzzling my neck in a gesture that once brought only peace.