Definitely a turning point in Gabe and Arianna's relationship. The tension between them is not just physical but a reflection of something deeper brewing beneath the surface.
MILAThis went better than I expected. The sight of Ari struggling to keep her composure was both amusing and satisfying, considering the many times she tormented and embarrassed me. The plus was being able to showcase my collection and watching Mister Deveaux’s amused face. I was definitely going to get his collaboration. The only question now was who was going to back me? Frances Deveaux might have been impressed but I was still new to the scene and a powerhouse like Aliz or Mora would be perfect.During the show, my eyes met Amber who was smiling. She tipped her glass to me and I returned the motion. I mean give a girl an inch and she would take a mile, Amber performed perfectly and the reaction was more than I could ask for. Thank you, Amber. You might be a bit of a mess, but you’re a useful mess.By the time the final model made her way down the runway, the audience was on their feet, clapping and cheering louder than they had all night. I stepped forward, taking my bow, basking i
MILAPanic started to claw at the edge of my mind. I had to get out of here–now. Luna Emily’s voice pulled me back, her tone dripping with condescension.“Don’t let this petty jealousy you have over your brother cloud your judgment, dear.”“Alpha Tyler’s right.” I interjected quickly, trying to maintain some semblance of control. “I simply saved the show when Arianna–unfortunately–couldn’t continue. You should be thanking me, yet, here you are insulting me, Luna Emily. So, how about I do us both a favor and leave?”“No!” Tyler’s voice was firm, with a note of authority that I hadn’t expected.“Fine by me,” Luna Emily said at the same time.Tyler’s grip tightened around my waist just as another wave of heat rolled through me, this one more intense than the last. Pleasure, sharp and unwelcome, shot through my body, and I had to bite down on my lip to stifle a moan. Oh fuck! I looked in my purse for the suppressor pills and found nothing but my scent spray. Double fuck! I felt Rayne movi
MILA ***sex scene marked ahead >>>I barely registered the sound of Tyler’s frustrated growl as I sprinted away. I practically fell into the hallway, looking around for the exit but all I saw were windows and every door led to some stupid room.wasn’t as fast as I thought as the moment I got into the hallway, Tyler had me pinned against the wall. Well that was fast.“Mila!” His canines were extended, eyes burning that bright golden color I was familiar with. His wolf was on the surface. Not good. I placed my hands against his chest to keep him from squishing me.“Declan,” I muttered. “Nice of you to join the show. Now let me go.” He growled again, sniffing the side of my neck, taking in my scent. “You smell… so sweet, Mila.”The way his guttural voice rumbled when he said my nameHis guttural voice rumbled in his chest, doing things I didn’t want to think of.“Declan…” His eyes snapped to mine, his body grinding against me, pressing me flat against the wall. “As much as my body would l
MILAI rested my forehead on Alex’s chest as he held me. My heart was still racing, though not just from the sprinting or the close call with Tyler or from being caught in the act. It was more about the evitable conversation that was about to ruin what could’ve been a perfectly fine moment of post-sex bliss.After we both cleaned up, Alex stepped closer, his usual concerned expression already settling into place. His green eyes were full of that familiar mix of worry and exasperation, the kind that made my chest tighten and my sarcasm spike in equal measure. I shot him a look, knowing exactly what was coming next.“I guess basking in the after-sex haze isn’t a thing for us anymore,” I muttered, my fingers combing through my hair. “The infamous ‘you’re too reckless’ speech is coming right on time.”Alex sighed dramatically, running a hand through his tousled dark hair. “Mila, I only worry about you because you give me so many reasons to worry.”I rolled my eyes, unable to resist a grin,
ARIMy heart was pounding as I stood in front of my father’s office, smoothing out the wrinkles in my dress for the third time. It wasn’t just the sterile, cold air of this side of the packhouse that made me uneasy; it was the man behind the door. Meeting my father was never a pleasant experience. Usually, Gabe would accompany me, his presence calming my nerves. But he hadn’t answered my calls or texts since the event. It’s been an entire day since the event, and he hadn’t returned to the packhouse, still angry about the pheromones incident. As if that was my fault. thing. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door.“Come in,” my father’s deep voice called from within.I pushed the door open and stepped into the room. The air inside was as suffocating as I’d expected. My father sat behind his large mahogany desk, his expression as stern as ever. To his right, Francesca, perched elegantly on a leather armchair, her lips pursed in disapproval. On the left, Amber, was scrolling through h
ARIAmber’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No! I would never do that!” she cried, her voice shaking with desperation. “I swear, I don’t know what he’s talking about!”But the man on the floor wasn’t done. He looked up at Amber with a mix of pleading and betrayal in his eyes. “You… you told me it was just a joke… just to get her to loosen up,” he rasped. “You said… you said she’d be fine…”Amber shook her head frantically, backing away as if she could distance herself from his words. “I never said that! He’s lying!” she insisted, her voice rising with panic. “I didn’t do anything!”I glanced at my father, wondering how he was processing this. His expression was unreadable, cold as ever. But I knew him well enough to sense the storm brewing beneath his demeanor. If there was one thing he didn’t tolerate, it was lying and betrayal–especially from within the family.“Do you hear that?” My father directed toward the man. “You’re trying to accuse my daughter of something she didn’t do. Do you k
TYLER“Tyler, yes. yes!” “I need you to…” I said, grabbing a fistful of her hair, her screams echoed in the room. “...be quiet.”Mirabella muffled her screams with her arm as she used the other to anchor herself on the couch. Her voice, even muffled, was irritating to my soul. My hands gripped her waist tightly as I pounded her from behind, trying to get as deep as possible, wishing she was someone else. Someone like…Mila.The image of Mila flashed in my mind, her confident stance, the way her dress clung to every curve of her body, and the way she carried herself at the party. No one had ever turned me down or turned me upside before. It was… thrilling.“Fuck, Mila.”“Its…Mirabel–”I pushed her back down to muffled her face against the pillow. She let out another small sound, but it only served as background noise. I should have been present, but I wasn’t. Every part of me was thinking about Mila. The way she disappeared that night still gnawed at me. I had followed the scent of her
GABEI stood at the window, gazing out over the city, nursing a glass of bourbon as if it could wash away the chaos swirling in my mind. The only thing people could talk about, the day after the event, was Arianna’s speech and Mila’s little fashion stunt–both a PR dream and nightmare, all wrapped into one. My mom nearly had a heart-attack when she saw the tabloids. But that wasn’t the thing that kept me awake at night. No, there was something far more crazy lodged in my mindI took another sip of bourbon, the burn doing little to numb the memory. The moment replayed in my head with haunting clarity. It all started with the necklace.>>>>>Mila’s necklace, glittering on the floor like a beacon. I shouldn’t have picked it up but I did, and that’s when I caught her scent. Sweet. Alluring. It wrapped around me like a siren's call, tugging at something deep inside. I tried to shake it off, but it lingered, seeping into my senses, refusing to let go.“What is that, Spencer?” I asked, half-ho
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
MILAI walked down the stairs at the orphanage, impressed by the progress of the construction team. This place was finally coming together, feeling like the sanctuary I remembered. All except for the garden on the roof. I made a mental note to hire a professional to breathe some life into it.“Well, hot damn,” Camila said the moment I walked into the living room. “You and red are made for each other.”Laura glanced up from her laptop, her eyebrows shooting up. “Whoa, Mila. That’s… different. In a good way,” she quickly added, as if I’d take it the wrong way.I smoothed the fabric of my gown, glancing down at the deep crimson silk. The dress hugged my curves, the high slit exposing just enough leg to make me feel… powerful, daring anyone to challenge me. “Well, I wanted to be sure to wear something in case it gets bloody tonight,” I smiled. “You don’t think I’ll stand out too much, do you?”Camila snorted. “Girl, you’ll be the talk of the night. Not because of blood–hopefully–but beca
MILACamila was not lying about the line of people waiting to get their clothes. Some had already pushed past the receptionist area, arguing loudly with the store attendants, some glaring at the empty racks, while others had their phones out, no doubt taking pictures.I looked down at my phones at the numerous calls I made to Tyler and Gabe. Of course, now they didn’t pick up their phone.“There she is!” someone yelled as all eyes fell on me the moment I stepped out from the back room. A swarm of disgruntled customers rush toward me. Zeke and Tom immediately intercepted the mob.“Let’s keep it civil here, folks,” Zeke stated, raising his hands like a traffic cop. “No need to turn this into a Black Friday stampede.”“Or a mosh pit,” Tom muttered.“Civil?” A woman’s voice rose above the chaos. “I pre-ordered one of Emilia’s signature cocktail dresses weeks ago, and was told it will be here today.”Another customer waved her phone in the air. “Same here! I have an event tonight, and I’m