MILAOne thing I could say about the rich: they knew how to throw a party. If this was a typical night, I might have been content sipping champagne, nibbling on canapes, and pretending not to eavesdrop on the secretive whispers of the elites.But tonight wasn’t about enjoying myself. At least not in the normal way. I had too much to do and people to fuck with. The moment I saw Arianna and her entourage, I pushed the button in my purse and just waited.And waited.I started to excuse myself, but Tyler had other plans. He practically dragged me around the party introducing me to people in the industry, his charm on full display. Every conversation turned into some wild story about him that, without fail, ended with him in his boxers–or less.“I can’t help that fact that I have a natural affinity for being naked,” he laughed, drawing a few chuckles from the crowd. Then he leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Want me to prove it?”I narrowed my eyes at him, fighting the smil
MILA“Alpha Tyler! I’ve been trying to get your attention all night.” Mirabella practically squeezed between us, making a point to size me up, which I didn’t mind. I had to keep Tyler at a distance for Rayne’s horny sake.“As you can see, I’m a bit preoccupied,” Tyler began. “So…”“Yeah, I can tell,” Mirabella interrupted, her voice carrying the kind of sweetness that could make my teeth ache. “Someone’s been monopolizing all your time.”She shot a glance in my direction.“It’s not monopolizing when they’re here willingly,” I said, matching her fake sweetness. “But I can understand why that concept might be… unfamiliar to you.”Mirabella faked a laugh before grabbing onto Tyler’s arm. “Ty, would you give me a moment please? Girl talk and all. Maybe a few drinks?”Tyler looked at me as if he wanted confirmation. I didn’t want to waste my time with her but whatever. She was on my shit list anyway. I gave him a subtle nod and we both watched him disappear into the crowd before Mirabella
MILAJulia watched me with a confident look on her face, but I could smell the fear coming off her skin. She tried to laugh it off. “What is this? Some kind of fantasy of yours? A little girl on girl action?” I moved to block the door when I saw her eyeing it. “Not quite,” I smiled. “But it will be.”Before Julia could say another word, I lunged for her, grabbing her head and bringing it down into my knee. She stumbled back, holding her nose and looking at me with a shocked expression.“What the fuck!”“That’s for Jenna.”Julia distanced herself from me as I slowly approached. Surprisingly, she stood her ground when she noticed I wasn’t going to let her escape.Good girl. Julia grabbed her broken nose, and popped it back in place, her hand trembling as she wiped the blood from her lip.“Jenna? How is little ol’ Jenna doing?” she asked with a bloody grin. “Heard she lost a piece of herself. Maybe I should send her a ‘Get Well’ card.”I stalked forward, the edge of my vision blurring
GABEI stepped away from the window in my old office after watching the flashing lights of the van taking Leo away. “Guess the party’s over.”I closed my laptop, taking a look at the redesign I did for Mila’s office. I tried to make it as personable as I could. Granted she had changed much, so hopefully I remembered enough to get her going.“We should tell her who she is to us,” Spencer urged.He’s been bugging me to tell ever since he found out. Wolves were so one-track minded. Let’s not worry about the fact that we were still mated to Arianna, right? None of this made sense.“Do you remember what she said to us the first time we saw her?” I reminded him. “I broke her heart, Spencer. I can’t just expect her to forgive us because there’s a possibility she’s our mate.”Even saying it sounded strange. I continued to decorate the room, carefully placing pictures of her older designs and textiles on the wall. Suddenly the door opened and Tyler rushed in like he was running from someone.
MILAThe moment I kicked them out, I took a tour of my new office, feeling a sense of belonging. I won’t lie and say the personal touches were amazing, but the fact that Gabe was the one who did it made everything a bit complicated. What’s so complicated? He’s an asshole just like the rest of them. I thought, staring at the colored pencils on my desk and the treadmill tucked underneath it. Seriously, Camila must’ve had something to do with this. No one and I mean no one knew about the treadmill.I shook my head not wanting to delve into it deeper. I had to stay focused on the plan. The night was still young and there was still some damage I could do. I texted Camila to deliver the little gift I had for Luna Emily and Alpha Troy, while I tried to stir up some drama on the news. I pulled out my phone and called Laura.“Hey, I think it’s time to leak some information?”“Already ahead of you,” Laura answered happily. “Looks like our little hacker already did it. The news should be reporti
ARIThe gala was dead, my parents left with no word, Julia was found beaten in the women’s restroom, and Gabe was still a no-show. I called the packhouse and everyone kept saying he was in the office. So I decided to check myself. When I opened the door to his office, I was surprised to see so much had changed and Mila was standing near the desk. Of course it was her. That huge silhouette was unmistakable in the low light.“Oh,” she said, her lips curving into a smile that made my stomach churn. “Luna Arianna. Fancy seeing you here.”“Really?” I asked coolly, stepping fully into the room. “I would think out of the two of us, I would make more sense. What are you doing here?”She leaned against the desk with her arms crossed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but this is my office now. This is what happens when you’re a success, ya know.”This girl was starting to become a real headache. “You can’t be serious? Gabe wouldn’t just give you his office.”“More like he decorated it himse
GABEThe scent of blood filled my nose as Spencer growled low, his presence pressing against my mind. We moved forward, eyes scanning the women’s torn attire, and the red streaks on the floor. Mila.She’s hurt. The realization hit hard, the pull to her undeniable. She must’ve seen it in my face because she shook her head slowly, her eyes a silent plea. I couldn’t move to her anyway as Arianna practically flung herself into my arms.“That beast attacked me,” she cried, her arms wrapped around my neck, face buried into my chest. Even as she did this, my eyes were on Mila. The need to comfort so strong, I felt myself pulling Arianna’s arms off of me. That didn’t stop her from clinging on as her hands gripped my arm. She continued. “She has to be banned from this pack immediately.”“Banned?” That word felt heavy in my mouth. “Really, Ari?” I looked at Arianna as if she was crazy and she almost took a step back. She recovered and a hateful look spread across her face when she looked at M
MILAWhat the fuck was he doing? And why was I letting him?The moment his tongue touched my skin, I nearly fell to the floor, but his grip kept me planted. I wanted to pull away but it felt… so good. I had half a mind to make another cut.No, focus you fool! I shook my head, deciding on placing my anger someplace else.“Rayne, you could’ve healed us.”Hey, I’m good but I’m not that good,” Rayne protested, her voice low and amusing. “Alpha’s and Luna’s attacks are much more difficult to heal. You know that. Besides, I don’t protest this. Let him lick our wounds.”“You have no control,” I snapped, even as my body betrayed me, leaning into his touch.“Said the woman who decided to get into two fights,” Rayne retorted. “Now this is more my lane.”When he finished, Gabe looked up at me, and my heart raced. There, in his light brown eyes that were flashing gold, was desire–no, an animalistic hunger–and my body responded. My panties could no longer keep the desire from sliding down my leg.
MILAI stared at the elegant gold printed acrylic invitation with a velvet black pocket adorned with a circular crest and thought how tacky. I walked towards the entrance where VIP guests stopped on the makeshift red carpet, cameras flashing. I bypassed it all, wanting to get this day over with. I had one goal and that was to get Amira back on my team. Deveaux fancied her and he loved her and I used it, I would be one step closer to being better than Arianna.I walked over to the bouncer when I noticed Randall and Leo having a very tense conversation.“Come on, Randall, just this once,” Leo said, gesturing towards the entrance. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. I deserve to be in there.”Randall scoffed, adjusting the cufflinks of his designer jacket. “Deserve? You don’t get it, do you? That place isn’t for people like you. You don’t walk into a room like that unless you belong there–and you, Leo, don’t.”Leo gritted his teeth. “I’ve worked for this. I’ve done the dirty jobs, handle
GABEEarlier that dayI had finally caught up with Frederick, tracking his movement any time he got close to my pack. I needed to find him for Mila. Figure out why he thought she was dead and why he would run away.Hopefully, I could convince him to come back to the packhouse to clean up. Then I can arrange a meeting with Mila. Honestly, I just wanted to see her again. Anytime I had business at the Aliz building, which wasn’t a lot, I would catch glimpses of her and her scent would torment me. A torment I deserved no doubt. But maybe this could happen.I had just stepped inside a roadside diner not too far from the pack’s borderline, when I spotted them. Frederick was sitting in a booth, talking with my mother. In daylight he looked vastly different. His dark curly hair was littered with streaks of silver, his brown eyes–so much like Mila’s–were dull and distant. My mother stopped talking the moment she saw me and almost shot out of her seat.“Gabriel, what are you–what are you doing
MILAI leaned back in my chair, tapping a pen against my chin as I studied the sketches laid out before me. The designs were flawless, innovative–exactly what will impress Deveaux. Yet, none of it would matter if I didn’t have the right model to bring them to life. Good thing, I had the perfect person.“We have a problem.” Camila rushed into the room, tapping away on her tablet.“You say that like it’s something new.”Camila laid the tablet in front of me. The screen cycled through different news outlets of my past work with many models.“Why are you showing me pictures of my past work?”“Because of this, Amira backed out and now.”Camila tapped the screen and pictures of Amira and Arianna popped up everywhere. She was working with Arianna now.I dropped the pen onto my desk, looking at Camila. “What?”“The contract we sent failed through.” Camil crossed her arms, a mix of frustration and concern in her eyes. “Word got to her that you once chose Zuri over her a few years back. Amira
ARII could see everyone’s eyes on me. Once Tyler left, Emily moved us to the Alpha’s office. Troy sat in the chair with Emily standing behind him. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she looked between us.I sat in one of the chairs as Gabe stood by the door, his jaw set tight, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the window. I knew this moment would come, I was hoping for it. Maybe his parents could talk some sense into him.“Gabriel,” Emily finally broke the silence, her voice carefully controlled but trembling at the edges, “surely this is something we can talk through? Divorce is… drastic. Unnecessary.”My heart pounded in my chest. “Yes,” I added quickly, stepping closer to Gabe. One look from him made me stop. “We can fix this. I can fix this. Gabe, please.”His expression was blank. He didn’t flinch or soften. “No, Arianna. This isn’t something to fix. It’s over. My decision is final.”Final.The word echoed in my mind,
TYLERI played with the egg yolks on my plates, the fork scraping softly against the porcelain. My appetite had long since disappeared, replaced by a gnawing ache in my chest that had nothing to do with hunger. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Mila out of my head. The heat of her skin against mine, the way she compelled me to bid her every command, the way her touch trembled with a desperation neither of us could name–a fire that burned between us but never seemed to satisfy her. I knew it was because of her bond with Gabe. It was always him.Even with me, she was still tethered to him. But if she kept coming to me instead of him, didn’t that mean something? I clung to that shred of hope like a fool, convincing myself that maybe–just maybe–she was waiting for me to prove I was the better choice.Then her words came back, slicing through my fantasy.“If I ever become someone’s Luna… it will be with someone who doesn’t cover up other people’s messes.”My jaw tightened. The mem
MILAThe sweet scent of sweat and sex hung heavy in the air, mixing with the faint, lingering traces of pine and earth drifting through the open window. The warm breeze did nothing to cool the fire raging beneath my skin. If anything, it only stoked it.A muffled sound pulled me back to the moment. I glanced down to see Tyler shifting beneath me, his wrists tugging against the bindings securing him to the chair and the gag in his mouth. Right. I had come here, needing a release. How long have we’ve been at this? I wondered. I straddled him, my skin slick with perspiration, but the fire in my veins refused to die down. My heat clawed at my insides, demanding more. “It won’t stop until he accepts our rejection,” Rayne voiced inside my head, edged with frustration. “You know this.”I bit back a growl. I knew. Goddess, I knew. Fucking Gabe. Even thinking his name made my chest tighten with something that was equal parts anger and longing. My body burned for his touch, for his scent, for
MILAA sharp beep woke me up in the middle of the night. One of the many computers I’ve been watching lit up. The motion detector feed from the cemetery flickered to life. I watched the screen until a scrappy figure moved towards the tombstone. The shape was unmistakable.Him.“Got you.”I geared up before leaving, making sure I had everything to keep my presence concealed. Couldn’t have Zeke or Tom or any of the patrols knowing I was there. Then there was Gabe. I hadn’t seen him since that day. I shook my head. No time to think of him.Moments later, I found myself at the cemetery, moving towards my faux grave. Just as I hope there he was, blending with the shadows before settling on the two graves.Frederick.The man who cradled me as a child. Who once carried me on his shoulders, feeding me cotton candy. The man who mourned a fake daughter as I did a fake father. The necklace around his neck glowed as he placed more flowers on the grave.Flowers for his mate.Flowers for me.The ac
GABEI leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on the laptop screen. The shit that happened a few weeks ago burned into my memory as I watched Arianna beat Mirabella senselessly, and Gregory standing there with a cruel smile. My jaw tightened. I had the evidence–proof of their true nature. But what now? Exposing them would definitely bring a fallout, but the thought of protecting Mila outweighed the risks. With a deep breath, I clicked send, forwarding the video to Mila. The ball was in her court now. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. He expected more paperwork, another demand that Gregory had over the transition of the company. With the recent investigation over Alpha Frank’s dealings the board made an unanimous vote to make me the face of the company. Though I knew Gregory needed a safety net to place all his holdings with me and keep the council from seizing it. The door opened and Laura walked in. Her eyes scanned the room before settling on me with a knowing look.“Laura,
TYLERI swear I could feel the coldness from Arianna’s stare from the other side of the room. She leaned into Randall, whispering something before casting another glance my way. A knot in my stomach. Were they plotting something against Mila? I needed to stop them before they had a chance.“Right, Tyler?”Mila’s voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked, realizing I had completely turned out of the conversation. Desperate to cover my distraction, I said the first thing that came to mind.“Of course, anything you say.”Laughter rippled through the press around us, an inside joke I wasn’t in on. I turned to Mila, silently asking for an explanation.“I told them you’d say exactly that if you weren’t listening and that’s how I get my way,” she said with a knowing smile.I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. “Caught me. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”“I bet,” one of the press members said. “I hear you’re in for some serious competition now that your brother is taking over the Mora company