Camellia's POV
The pain faded, leaving me slumped in the corner of my bedroom. My clothes stuck to me like second skin, drenched in cold sweat. No amount of mental gymnastics could change the brutal truth. Those handwritten words from the business card burned behind my eyelids like acid. Betrayal turned my blood to icewater. I was the Alpha's daughter of Shadowfang Pack. My arranged marriage to Esmond from Ironclaw Pack had been strictly political - two powerful werewolf packs merging through their heirs. As the Alpha's daughter, my marriage was a tool to strengthen our pack. Elite education, zero freedom. The perfect future Luna candidate. That's why Alpha Drogo chose me as the mate for his son. He wanted me to support Esmond when he took over as the Alpha. We weren't supposed to feel anything. But after the mating ceremony's temporary mark... something shifted. The bond made me care. And now this? I couldn't believe he would betray me. The dam holding back my emotions burst, and anger made my blood boil. "Let me out," Lyra growled in my mind. I loosened my grip on my consciousness. A surge of power coursed through me. My bones cracked as fur erupted across my skin, and my claws and teeth sharpened. I endured the pain. With a series of crisp bone movements, I fully shifted. I shook my body, then I leaped from the bedroom windowsill with a powerful push from my hind legs. I sprinted toward the Shadow Forest on the border of the Ironclaw Pack's territory. The ground blurred beneath my paws as branches and thorns scraped my fur, but I didn't care. I just knew I had to keep running until I'd burned off all my pain and rage. Then a familiar voice echoed in my mind. "Cam? Where the hell are you?" Eugenia's voice pinged through mind-link. She's been my best friend since transferring to Ironclaw territory. She always knew when shit went sideways. "I sense you crossing Ironclaw's border. What happened?" "Esmond cheated," I mind-linked back, still barreling through pines. "F*cking asshat!" She paused for a moment. "Stop running. I'm coming." Before long, I saw Eugenia's figure approaching through the dense forest.By then, I was exhausted and had shifted back to human form.
When she found me under an oak tree, I looked like roadkill. The dead branches on the ground pricked my skin, but I was numb to the pain. Eugenia tossed me a slinky red dress from her car. "Put this on. We're doing human therapy." Maybe she was right. I put it on and followed her out of the forest. The neon sign of The Howler Bar blinked as we pulled up. I grabbed the bottle of whiskey off the table and downed it in one go. The liquor burned my throat first, then my stomach. I never drank. I had no idea how to face my dad. I was supposed to be a proud Luna, but Esmond ruined it all. Soon, I polished off two bottles of whiskey. My vision started to blur. Next thing I knew, I woke up in some hotel bed that smelled like cheap air freshener. My phone buzzed. Eugenia's texts lit up the screen. [Hey babe, you were trashed so I got you a room.] I struggled to type back. [I'm awake now.] [Don't be sad. I never liked him anyway. You'll be better off without him. Hold on, I gotta send a quick message.] I put my phone down. I looked at myself in the mirror. My long, curly brown hair fell over my shoulders, my skin was pale, and my lips were red. I glanced down at the red dress clinging to my body, stood up, and swayed a little. Why didn't Esmond care about me? My phone buzzed again. [BTW ordered you some dessert ;) Room 520. Six-pack abs, golden retriever energy. Go wild.] Normally, I'd nope out. But whiskey courage had me replying back. [k.] I stumbled down the hallway and found the door of 520 stood ajar. Curious about what he looked like, I pushed the door open wider and peeked in. The room was dark. Moonlight outlined a broad-shouldered silhouette against the windows. I could just make out a tall figure. He was a foot taller than me, with a muscular build. I smiled. My fingers traced rock-hard abs under his unbuttoned shirt. He smelled like cedar and trouble. "Earn your paycheck, pretty boy," I slurred, pushing him backward. His golden hair glinted as we crashed onto the bed.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