CHAPTER TWENTY FOURGRAHAMI really didn’t understand why I called for Zoey or why I even asked her to clean my office. I lied to her that the pack members were complaining about her, but it wasn’t technically a lie. They weren’t happy with her presence, they just hadn’t said it out loud.I didn’t mean to tell her those words but she had provoked me and I couldn’t take it back. For some reason, I felt drawn to her and I instinctively gripped her chin, and something in her eyes captivated me and made it difficult for me to look away, but I tried to brush it aside, and thankfully, Nicole came in just in time.Nicole still clung to me after Zoey left and when the door shut, I shrugged my shoulders and gently untangled myself from her, then I went to sit behind my desk.I pulled my tie to loosen it as I felt like I was suffocating. I didn’t understand what was going on, biy my chest felt tight.“Graham,” Nicole said in her usual childlike voice she used whenever she was with me. “I’ve mis
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVEGRAHAM“A news has reached me that Zoey is causing problems in the pack.” I said to Ronald the second he walked into my office.“And who told you that?” He stopped in front of my desk and asked like he just heard something ridiculous.“Who told me isn’t what matters.” I told him seriously. I had no idea why he was so interested to know who told me, but it wasn’t necessary.“It does!” He shot back and I could tell that he wasn’t going to give up, and as much as I didn’t want to tell him who told me, I just felt like I had to.“It’s Nicole,” I finally said, and I watched him, waiting for his response.“That’s a lie,” he countered me, to my surprise.“What?” I stared at him with wide eyes.“Yes,” he nodded. “It isn’t true. Zoey has been anything but trouble. In fact, it’s the pack members that are attacking her unprovoked. They segregate her and treat her like shit.”I raised a brow in surprise and confusion. I didn’t know why he was supporting Zoey so seriously but i
CHAPTER TWENTY SIXZOEY“Do you like need to drink blood everyday to survive?” Lily asked me as we took a stroll in the pack, and her question made me laugh.At first I didn’t know what to answer because I didn’t know how much vampires needed blood, but I quickly came up with something.“No,” I shook my head, still smiling widely, “You can say that I’m quite different so I can survive for a long time without blood. I just need to be well fed.” I rubbed my belly and my smile widened.“Well, I guess we’ll have to feed you all day, all the time.” She said while laughing.We both laughed as we walked forward and then, I tripped on something, and I stumbled forward but I was quick to stop myself from falling.I looked back and to my surprise, it was Nicole. I hadn’t seen her on time, and the worst of it all was that she stuck her leg out to make me fall down. This time, she wasn’t with her minions and so I thought she was just passing by and decided to act out.I took a deep breath to calm
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVENZOEY“What’s going on here?” Alpha Graham demanded angrily and that was when Nicole finally let go of me. She rushed to him and hid behind his back like she was scared or something.I just stared at her speechlessly, as I couldn’t believe what I had just experienced. “What is going on here!” He asked again, and this time, his voice was louder and sharper, making me flinch and unconsciously take a step back, but what I didn’t realize was that it made me look guilty.I opened my mouth to explain myself but before I could get a word out, Nicole beat me to it. “G..Graham,” she stuttered and sniffled, making her look fragile and vulnerable. “She… I was just passing by, and then she attacked me out of nowhere.” She lied without batting an eye, “S..she tried to suck my blood because she’s hungry. Graham, I’m so scared.” She hugged his torso and buried her face in his chest.“You did what?!” Alpha Graham gritted his teeth, barely holding back his anger.“That’s a lie!” I
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHTGRAHAMI stormed into my office, still fuming. How dare she speak to me like that? She had blatantly called me shallow minded to my face without an atom of fear. I would deal with her. I tried to brush off the thought of her, since it was settled that she’d be punished, but no matter how hard I tried, I kept thinking about her.I still couldn’t understand why she easily got under my skin and frustrated me so much. She annoyed me so much and when I gripped her neck, she looked so vulnerable and I wanted to rip her head off her body like I’d normally do to my offenders, but for some reason, I hesitated. I just couldn’t do that.“You did the right thing,” Nicole said and gently squeezed my arm, making me realize that she was still there. “Don’t let her get to you, okay?”I didn’t respond, I just sat down on my chair and tried to get some work done, but I couldn’t. The mere thought of her infuriated me, making me unable to concentrate.Nicole stood behind me and bega
CHAPTER TWENTY NINEZOEYI was expecting a serious punishment from Alpha Graham, something like locking me up again or maybe even sending me out of the pack, but he just told me to clean the whole pack by myself.Not that it was easy though, but it was far better than what I had expected and I was grateful for it. Perhaps Ronald pleaded with him on my behalf. I made a mental note to ask him later.I continued gathering the leaves that had fallen down and that was when I saw Lily passing by. At first, she didn’t see me but when our eyes met, she fastened her pace.“Lily!” I called out to her but she blatantly ignored me. I was sure that she heard me and it was obvious that she was ignoring me. But I still wasn’t mad at her, it only confirmed my suspicion that something was definitely wrong. I hadn’t known her for a long time but I could tell that she wasn’t ignoring me out of her own will. Something, or maybe someone, was making her act this way.I sighed and wiped the sweat from my f
CHAPTER THIRTYGRAHAM“It’s so good to see you, dear cousin.” I heard the familiar infuriating voice and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. “How long has it been? A year or two?”“Why are you here, Theo?” I sighed deeply as I looked up at him.“To see you, of course.” He had a smug smirk on his face as he pulled out a seat and sank into it. “Now tell me, cousin, did you miss me?”“Get the hell out of my office and out of my pack right now.” I told him calmly because I was definitely not in the mood to deal with his spoilt ass. “Go back to wherever you came from.”“Why should I?” He countered and swung his leg over the seat, to show me that he wasn’t going anywhere. “Why can’t I freely visit my cousin?”I sighed out in frustration. I was definitely not in the mood to handle this so I turned to Ronald who stood quietly by the side. “Please get him out of here.” I turned back to my work, expecting Ronald to take Theo out of my office like he normally did, but to my surprise, R
CHAPTER THIRTY ONEZOEYI stood outside and watched the chaos happen. My heart couldn’t stop hammering as I waited for them to come out of Alpha Graham’s office. I knew that they were the council members and it was obvious that they were here because of me.I bit my lips and fiddled with my fingers and I waited nervously. Soon the door opened and they walked out with Ronald behind them.They glared at me as they walked by, showing just how they disliked me. Ronald noticed this, and he gave me a reassuring smile but that wasn’t enough to ease my anxiety.I paced around the hallway, scared and worried, but then I made up my mind. I swallowed both the balls of nerves and my pride, and I knocked on Alpha Graham’s door. I had to beg him to forgive me.I knocked again when I didn’t get a response and normally, that should have made me give up, but I was determined. I took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in.He didn’t need to look up to know that it was me, “I’m not in the mood and
GRAHAMShe told me to let her go.The words echoed through my mind like a broken record that I couldn’t fix. I stood in the empty space long after she had disappeared, the scent of her still lingering in the air and mocking me with everything I couldn’t have.Let her go?How the hell was I supposed to do that?I walked back to the packhouse in silence, not even noticing the people who passed me or the curious glances that they threw my way. I went straight to my room and locked the door behind me. The walls felt too tight, and the air felt too still. My wolf paced restlessly inside me, growling low and angry, but I couldn’t calm him. I couldn’t even calm myself.I dropped onto the edge of the bed and ran both hands through my hair in frustration and gripped it like it would bring me some kind of restraint or peace. My chest burned. My mind screamed and all I could see were her eyes, Frankie’s glowing and calm eyes as she shattered every piece of me.“It was a mistake.”She said that a
ZOEYI stormed out of the woods and into my room and I could feel my heart racing, and I clenched my fists so tightly that it felt numb. I didn’t care how calm Frankie looked or acted, all I knew was that I was done being quiet.“You had no right!” I yelled, feeling my anger boil underneath my skin. “You told him to let me go! Why would you do that? Are you okay?”I could feel Frankie standing straight, instead of backing down and explaining things to me. It felt like I was staring straight at her and she was openly challenging me. Her glowing eyes were calm, like always and it infuriated the shit out of me. “He needed to hear it.”“No, he didn’t,” I snapped. “He needed me, he needed us. And what did you do in return? you broke his heart and made me seem like the bad person. Like there’s something wrong with me!”“He was already breaking,” she said quietly. “Don’t put all the blame on me!”I paced around the room, trembling with anger. “I felt it. I felt his pain, Frankie. His anger.
GRAHAMThe fire in the fireplace had burned low, leaving the office in a soft atmosphere. I leaned back in my chair, fingers under my chin, staring at the dying fire. The taste of Zoey still lingered on my lips—sweet, warm, intoxicating. I shouldn’t have kissed her. No. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that I wanted to do it again. A growl tore from my throat, raw and frustrated. My wolf snarled in my chest, restless, torn between two instincts—one that howled for my mate, Frankie, and another that burned for Zoey’s fire, her defiance, the way she looked at me like I was both the storm and the shelter. This is wrong. But it didn’t feel wrong. And that terrified me. I squeezed my eyes shut, dragging a hand down my face. The bond between mates was sacred. Unbreakable. So why did my pulse race for someone else? Why did my blood heat at the memory of Zoey’s fingers tangled in my shirt, pulling me closer like she never wanted to let go? A whisper of presence brush
GRAHAMThe Pack House was in its usual state of controlled chaos when we arrived. Warriors lounged in the common area, some sparring, others nursing drinks. A few pups darted between legs, yipping excitedly, while the elders watched from their usual spots near the fireplace, shaking their heads at the younger generation’s antics. And then there was Roland. Leaning against the doorway like he’d been waiting for us (which, knowing him, he had), my Beta raised a brow as Zoey stepped inside behind me. His gaze flicked to the bruise on her temple, the hospital bracelet still stubbornly clinging to her wrist. “Zoey,” he said, voice carefully neutral. “You okay?” Zoey’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, now you care?” Roland blinked. “What?” “Don’t play dumb,” she snapped, jabbing a finger at him. “You snitched.” I crossed my arms, watching the exchange with mild amusement. Roland had always been terrible at lying under pressure. “I didn’t—” “You told him,” Zoey accused, jerking a thumb
GRAHAMThe scent of pine and wildflowers still clung to the air inside my Jeep, even after she’d vanished into the trees. Frankie. My mate. My wolf had been restless for weeks, aching for even a glimpse of her, and today—today she’d been *close.* Not close enough to touch, not close enough to speak to, but close enough that my lungs burned with the memory of her. I exhaled, leaning back against the seat, my fingers tapping against the leather seat. The pack warriors were spread out nearby, waiting for my signal to move. But for now, I just wanted to savor this—the quiet, the lingering trace of her, the way my pulse had finally slowed for the first time in months. Then— Knock. Knock. Knock. I turned my head, and my breath caught. Zoey. Her hair was piled messily on top of her head, loose strands framing her face. A hospital bracelet dangled from her wrist, and there was a faint bruise blooming along her temple. She looked exhausted. She looked alive.I rolled down the window
ZOEYI stepped out of the café, the door swinging shut behind me with a satisfying click. The air outside was crisp, fresh—unlike the suffocating, latte-scented tension I’d just left behind. Charlie’s words still prickled under my skin, but for once, I didn’t care. I’d won that round. Hannah and Lily were waiting for me across the street, their faces etched with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. Why were they nervous? Hannah waved enthusiastically, nearly smacking a passerby in the face. Classic. Time to go back to the pack, I thought, grinning. Back to Graham—BAM. Something hit me. Hard. One second, I was mid-step, feeling victorious. The next, the world spun, tilted, and then— Black.--- Beep. Beep. Beep.My eyelids felt like they’d been glued shut. I groaned, trying to lift my arm, but something tugged at my hand. What the—? I forced my eyes open, blinking against the blinding white light. Sterile walls. A weird plastic tube sticking out of my arm. A machine b
**GRAHAM**He nodded sagely. "Yep. Left a while ago." My grip on the pen tightened. "And where, exactly, did they go?" Rowand shrugged. "Human world, apparently. Something about Hannah’s friend having a baby." The pen snapped in my hand. Ink splattered across the desk. Rowand blinked. "Uh. You good?" I stood up so fast my chair nearly toppled over. "They what?" Rowand leaned back, holding his hands up. "Hey, don’t shoot the messenger! I just thought you’d want to know—" "Who let them leave?" My voice was dangerously low. Rowand swallowed. "Uh. Ronald?" I stormed out of the office, Rowand scrambling after me. "Graham, wait—" I didn’t wait. The packhouse was bustling as usual—warriors chatting, kids running around, the usual chaos. But right now, all I could focus on was the fact that my mate—well, technically my mate’s human form, who I was still trying to figure out how to handle—had waltzed into the human world without so much as a by your leave. I found Ron
**GRAHAM** The pack council chamber smelled like old leather and older wolves. The elders sat around the massive oak table, their faces carved from generations of bad decisions and worse tempers. And right in the middle of it all, like a peacock in a den of wolves, stood Kelvin Walker—Alpha of Moonstone, cheater of mates, and current pain in my ass. He’d stormed in unannounced, demanded an audience after accusing me of stealing his mate, and now here we were. "Alpha Graham," Kelvin began, his voice dripping with false diplomacy, "I come before your council to address a grave injustice." I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed. "Get to the point, Kelvin. Some of us have actual work to do." His eye twitched. "You stole my mate." The room went dead silent. Then Elder Fergus, who was roughly as old as dirt and twice as dusty, coughed into his fist. "That’s a serious accusation, Alpha Kelvin. Best tread carefully." Kelvin ignored him, jabbing a finger in my direction. "Zoey
CHAPTER EIGTHYZOEYThe moment I collided with Charlie in the supermarket, my blood ran cold. Her smile was all teeth—sharp, practiced, and utterly fake. “Zoey,” she cooed, like we were long-lost sisters instead of bitter enemies. “What a surprise.” I forced my fingers to unclench from the bag of chips I was holding. “Charlie.” She tilted her head, eyes flicking over me with that familiar, calculating gleam. “You look… different.” A pause. “Alive. I honestly thought Silvercrest would’ve killed you by now.” I matched her smile, just as hollow. “Disappointed?” She laughed, light and airy, like we were sharing a joke. “Oh, Zoey. Always so dramatic.” Then, without missing a beat, she looped her arm through mine like we were best friends. “Come on. Let’s catch up. There’s a café next door.” I wanted to rip my arm away. I wanted to scream. But Hannah and Lily were already watching us with wide eyes, and the last thing I needed was a scene. So I let her drag me out of the store