Camellia's POV
I stared at the empty Ironclaw packhouse, disappointment clawing at my chest. The full moon hung heavy in the sky. I'd hoped my mate Esmond would be here with me. Three days ago, I caught a whiff of unfamiliar verbena on his collar. I didn't know what it meant, but it left a knot in my stomach. Strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind. The scent of damp pine needles and smoky oak flooded my senses—Esmond's scent. His heated body pressed against mine as his teeth grazed my earlobe, sending sparks down my spine. His lips brushed the nape of my neck. I shivered. "Where do you want me tonight, sweetheart? By the window or on the couch?" His voice rumbled against my skin, his breath hot. Before I could answer, he scooped me up and dropped me onto the leather sofa, his shadow looming over me. "Since you're being quiet, I'll pick the couch." His amber eyes glowed with that primal hunger all wolves carried during the full moon. Our mate bond pulsed stronger under the moon's pull, but it wasn't enough. My wolf, Lyra, whined in my mind, craving the deeper connection we still lacked. I arched into his kiss, breath ragged. "Will you finally mark me tonight?" "Soon," he growled, trailing kisses down my throat. "Like I promised—after you're carrying our heir. My father's itching to meet Ironclaw's future alpha." His fingers slid toward the zipper of my dress. "Wait—we're in the packhouse," I protested, pushing weakly at his chest. His thumb traced the faint crescent scar on my neck—the temporary mark he left during our bonding ceremony. "Meet me in our room. I'll wash off the patrol stench." He kissed me once more before disappearing down the hall. I nodded. Lyra stirred restlessly. Alone in our bedroom, I stared at my reflection. The pale scar on my neck shimmered like ghostly fang marks—never deep enough to solidify our bond.Lyra whimpered in my head, the hollow ache spreading through my ribs.
"He's holding back," she hissed. "Why won't he claim us?" Esmond's vow echoed in my mind. "Once you give me an heir, I'll make you mine completely—no more half-hearted marks." "Maybe tonight, Lyra," I said. I folded Esmond's discarded leather jacket. A slip of paper fluttered to the floor. My blood froze. It was a business card. It read "Hazel Berry." I flipped it over. Scrawled on the back, "When the moon swells full, I can't control how badly my wolf wants you. The same way yours wants me." The faint tang of verbena hit my nose. The card almost slipped from my trembling fingers. Who's Hazel? She wasn't part of Ironclaw. My mind raced through possibilities—business partner? Distant cousin? Pack ally?—but none made sense. I paced, clutching the card. Tonight was the full moon. Answers would come. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Then, I wrote down the number on that card. The door slammed open. Esmond stood framed in moonlight, water glistening on his sculpted torso. His eyes burned with restless energy. "Babe, emergency at the company. Gotta handle it." He pulled me into a quick hug, his touch colder than usual. It felt like a knife had stabbed my heart. Disappointment and sadness washed over me like a tidal wave. "Can't it wait? It's the full moon—" "Wish it could. Be back soon." His kiss grazed my forehead before he vanished. The moment his footsteps faded, the temporary mark ignited. Burning pain shot through my veins, scorching my throat and nearly suffocating me. Edmund was gone. The room was eerily quiet, except for the rustling of leaves outside the window. Suddenly, my chest started to ache. The pain was drilling into my bones, making it hard to breathe. Then the visions hit—a tangled bedsheet, Esmond's hands buried in golden hair, Hazel's breathy moans. "He's with her!" Lyra howled. "Our mate betrayed us!"Third Person's POV"Esmond... I was wrong... I'm sorry, I didn't know Miss Sanders was really kidnapped..."Tears kept welling up in Hazel's eyes, her face filled with fear and regret.Esmond released her, turned away with a cold expression, and left.Only when the living room was empty did Hazel wipe away her tears. Her expression shifted from initial sadness and fear to calm.She got up, walked into the bedroom, and took out a document from the farthest corner of the bedside table. It read "Medical Report" in bold letters.After obtaining the medical reports of Esmond and Camellia, she had made a copy for herself.Now, it was time to put this medical report to use.She clutched the document tightly, her eyes filled with coldness.The next morning, Camellia was woken up by a racket.As soon as she opened her eyes, the ward door was pushed open. Claire's parents pushed past the nurse and hurried in.Vanya s
Third Person's POVEsmond instinctively defended himself, "I didn't..."Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, his wolf eyes contracted sharply into vertical gold-red lines, and his pine pheromones turned chaotic. "How did you know I was with Hazel?"Camellia stared at him, her Shadowfang Alpha aura leaking into her words, "Because I called you, and Hazel answered."The healing mark on her neck flared red in warning. "When I was at my most desperate and scared, you were with another woman."Lyra whined in her mind, and her canines punctured her lower lip. "How dare you show up here, acting as if nothing happened?"Esmond's face turned pale, his wolf ears flattening instinctively. "No... I have no call records..."He could scent the blood in Camellia's words—pheromones from her glands, activated by desperation."Then ask Hazel," her voice was icy, her rose-scented aura frosty."Cam, I will get to the bottom of this!"
Third Person's POVAfter Konstantin left with his men, Lionel drove Camellia to the hospital.During the ride, Camellia cast several glances at Lionel, hesitating to speak.Lionel turned to her and asked, "What's on your mind?"She pursed her lips and said, "Mr. Dalton, I'm curious… how did you know I was kidnapped and manage to find me here?""Konstantin had some data to ask you about. He called but you didn't answer. When he went to your place and found you gone, he did some investigating."He said it casually, but Camellia was filled with gratitude. "Mr. Dalton, I really appreciate it… If you and Mr. Carroll hadn't arrived in time, I might not have made it through the night."Lionel's expression was indifferent. "Don't overthink it. Focus on recovering."Camellia fell silent, determined to find a way to repay him.As they neared the hospital, she said, "Mr. Dalton, it's late. Just drop me off at the entr
Third Person's POVLionel had just stepped out of the car when he spotted a figure plummeting from the hotel's upper floors.An Alpha's signature frost instantly blanketed his features, the intimidating aura between his brows thick enough to curdle the air.His fingers, hanging by his sides, twitched into an unconscious curl, the whitened knuckles hinting at a beast close to breaking through, their tips tinged with a sickly blue-black.His face tightened, an unnameable panic surging in his chest.When his wolf eyes, with their night vision, revealed it wasn't Camellia, the surge of pine scent around him receded just as quickly, though his palms were already damp with sweat laced with wolf pheromones.Konstantin, following close behind, glanced at the crumpled figure on the ground and spoke in a deep voice, "Mr. Dalton, this is Connor. Miss Sanders should be upstairs."Lionel didn't acknowledge, instead turning and striding swiftly into the hotel.At that moment, on the hotel rooftop,
Lionel's POVI was reviewing lab surveillance footage when my suit pocket vibrated with an incoming satellite call.I answered, and Konstantin's urgent breathing filled my ear. "Alpha Lionel, Miss Sanders has gone missing!"My knuckles crushed a pen, splintering wood into sharp shards. "What's the situation?"Leroy whined anxiously in my mind."Her place is a mess. Her phone's on the sofa, but she's gone."Fabric rustled as Konstantin investigated. "There are drag marks on the hallway carpet, and in the kitchen...""Check it out." Cedar scent froze on my tongue as I loosened my tie and headed to the garage.A sudden pain seared my neck—my true mate was in danger.Unfortunately, without her marked, I couldn't pinpoint her location.Leroy's claws scraped my nerves."Let me take over," it growled."Shut up. Not the time to shift," I snapped back.Oddly, a flicker of anxiety stirred within m
Camellia's POVFrom Connor's conversation with that man, I figured out he kidnapped me for money.In a flash, everything became clear.Claire wanted me dead but didn't want to get involved, so she arranged for Connor to kidnap me. If I died, Connor would take the blame.She might even plan to kill him too. After all, dead men tell no tales.Seeing I didn't respond, Claire sneered, "If you don't call, you'll die right now."I knew calling Esmond was my only chance to survive.If I could hold on until he came, I might live."Alright, I'll call.""You give the number, I'll dial. But think carefully about what you say."She put Esmond's call on speakerphone.But it wasn't Esmond who answered. It was Hazel."Who's this?"Recognizing Hazel's voice, my heart sank."It's Camellia. I need to speak to Esmond."Hazel giggled. "Esmond's taking a shower. You can tell me what you want, and I'l