Nobela ni Calliee

RYANThe conference room overlooked the city. Floor-to-ceiling glass looked out over Barcelona, the city bright and alive below us, sunlight catching on rooftops and winding streets.I sat at the head of the table, my fingers resting lightly against the folder in front of me, listening as one of the board members finished his report.“Construction is complete,” he said, tapping his tablet. “Interior inspections passed this morning. Staff onboarding is done, final training begins tomorrow, and all hospitality standards are aligned with headquarters.”Another voice chimed in from my left. “Media interest is already strong. The launch announcement has been circulating since last week. Influencers, investors, and hospitality press are confirmed for the opening night.”I nodded once. “No shortcuts,” I said calmly. “I want this branch running like it’s been here for years, not days. Anything that feels rushed, we fix now.”“Yes, Mr. Carter.”They moved on to projections, partnerships, local

OLIVIAI didn’t realize how much I’d missed him until that moment.Seeing him standing there in my restaurant made something warm bloom in my chest. It had only been two months, but it felt longer. And without him, I wouldn’t be standing here.I pulled back slightly, still smiling, my hands resting lightly on his arms. “I’m really happy to see you,” I said honestly. “You have no idea.”He studied my face, then nodded once. “You look… settled,” he said. “That’s good.”I laughed softly. “That’s one way to put it.”Another way was: I survived. I built something. I didn’t fall apart.He glanced around the dining area, taking everything in- the full tables, the laughter, the plates moving smoothly from kitchen to guests. His lips curved upward slowly. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “You didn’t waste time. You didn’t waste resources. You took what you had and turned it into something real.”My throat tightened a little.“Thank you,” I said quietly. “And… thank you for the help. The money. I

TWO MONTHS LATEROLIVIA“Table seven needs their seafood paella in three minutes, not ten!” I called out, clapping my hands once. “If I wanted people to wait forever, I would’ve opened a museum, not a restaurant.”“Yes, boss!” Marco shouted back, already sliding shrimp onto a sizzling pan.The kitchen was alive with pure controlled chaos. Pans clanged, oil hissed, knives moved fast, and the rich scent of garlic, paprika, grilled fish, and fresh bread filled the air. The kind of madness that made my heart beat right.I moved between stations with ease, the apron tied snug around my waist, my sleeves rolled up.“Sofia,” I said, peeking into a pot, “why does this sauce look like it’s still deciding what it wants to be in life?”She groaned. “Olivia, don’t do this to me today.”I tasted it, tilted my head, then nodded. “Okay. Almost there. Add just a pinch of salt and a little smoked paprika. Not too much. Seduce it… don’t attack it.”Laughter rippled through the kitchen.“Chef, order up!

ALPHA HUNTERThe door shut behind me on its own.The sound echoed through the house, sealing me inside. My guards halted at the threshold instinctively, but I lifted a hand without looking back. “Wait here.”They obeyed immediately.The air inside was cold. It crawled beneath my coat and pressed against my skin like damp fingers. The walls seemed to breathe, shadows shifting where there should have been none.Then, torches flared to life one after the other, flames igniting without a single hand touching them.My jaw tightened.I hated this place.Footsteps sounded above me, and my wolf stirred again, uneasy now, pressing against my ribs in warning.Then the smoke came. It poured into the parlor from every corner… thick white smoke, swirling and coiling along the floor.I exhaled sharply through my nose. “Oh gods,” I muttered. “He’s started with his madness already.”The footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs, the smoke parted, and he appeared.Tall and thin, dressed in layered da

ALPHA HUNTER (OLIVIA’S FATHER)I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling my strength seep out of me little by little.My body was weak. So weak it frightened me. Every breath felt heavier than the last, every movement like I was dragging chains through my bones. The healers had come and gone, whispering to each other, feeding me bitter concoctions that did nothing. No answers. No cure. Just pity in their eyes.I was tired.Everything had been going wrong ever since I sent Olivia out of the pack.I frowned, a sharp pain blooming in my chest at the thought of her name. She committed an abomination. A disgrace no Alpha could overlook. The laws were clear. The punishment was necessary. I had done what an Alpha was supposed to do.So why… why was the pack paying the price?Warriors were falling sick for no reason. Strong men who had never missed a fight were suddenly collapsing in training yards. Our borders were being breached. Our enemies… enemies we had defeated countless times,

RYANMy heart leaped so hard I thought it would tear out of my chest.She came back.Joy slammed into me so fast I almost got dizzy. Oh God… when I had lost hope, when I thought she meant every last word, when I thought she didn’t care about what we shared at the beach… she came back.I wiped my face immediately, aggressively, using both palms to clear the tears away. I dragged my sleeve across my cheeks, making sure not a drop was left. Then I stood from the floor so fast I nearly fell again. I smoothed my clothes, straightened my shirt, fixed the collar, pushed my hair back, inhaled deeply.My smiling uncle stared at me like I had just resurrected. “Oh,” he said, clapping slowly with the widest grin, “so he can smile now? Fantastic. This is good. This is VERY good.”I ignored him. My chest was too full, because she he came back for me.I stepped quickly toward the window with excitement pulsing through my veins. I needed to see her. Just one glimpse. Just…My eyes reached the window

MIAI was already dressed.A wine-free short dress, simple and soft, nothing tight, nothing that screamed look at me. I’d thought about wearing something that hugged my body more, something I knew would make his eyes linger, but no. I wasn’t giving him that satisfaction. Not today.I just applied a little lip moisturiser, nothing glossy, nothing dramatic, then let my hair fall loose down my back. I took one last look at myself in the mirror and nodded once, like I was convincing myself more than anything else.Good enough.I walked out of my room and into the parlour, the house quiet in that way that made every thought louder. I sat on the couch and crossed my legs, waiting.Why the hell did my father leave his card with him?Now Jake would start acting like he was in charge, like this was his territory, like he was responsible for everything. The thought annoyed me more than I wanted to admit, and I shifted on the couch, folding my arms loosely.I wanted to be pissed about it. I real

MIAMy head was pounding.I groaned and rolled onto my back, squeezing my eyes shut. My mouth felt dry, my limbs felt heavy, and my brain felt like it was buffering.Okay… something was wrong.I opened my eyes slowly. This wasn’t my room.The ceiling was different. The curtains weren’t mine. The bed was bigger. The scent in the air wasn’t my perfume… it was him.My heart jumped into my throat.I sat up too fast and immediately regretted it. “Oh my God…” I muttered, clutching my head as the room spun.Where the hell was I?My eyes scanned the room again, panic creeping in, until I saw him.Jake asleep on the couch opposite the bed. Curled on his side, one arm tucked under his head, a blanket half-covering him, looking annoyingly peaceful like he hadn’t almost ruined my life this morning.Oh.Oh no.I was in his room.My stomach dropped.Memory hit me in waves. I remembered knocking. I remembered smoking. I remembered laughing too much.Then the rest came crashing in. Me sitting on his

JAKEI was shaking.Not from wanting her… I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anyone but from the war going on inside my head.She was asking. She was touching me. She was looking at me like I was the only thing keeping her upright.But she was still high.She didn’t fully know what she was doing, and I knew it. That thought slammed into me hard enough to make my chest hurt.No. I couldn’t do this.I stayed frozen over her, breathing hard, my mind screaming at me to stop even while my body begged me to keep going.She laughed softly, almost dizzy, her fingers tugging at the hem of her top. “Why are you hesitating?” she murmured, playful and careless. “You don’t have to be scared of me.”That laugh nearly broke me.“Mia…” I whispered. “You don’t understand. You’re not thinking straight.”She stared up at me for a second, then suddenly laughed. “Why are you thinking so hard?” she asked, giggling. “You're being weird.”She reached for the hem of her top and tugged it upward herself,

JAKE Her weight settled against me, her thighs bracketing mine, her hands slipping onto my shoulders.I sucked in a sharp breath. “Mia…” It came out strangled.She blinked down at me innocently, like she had no idea she’d just crossed the line of all lines.“This is… nice,” she murmured, running her fingers through my hair like she’d done it a hundred times before.My hands hovered in the air, not touching her, not grabbing her hips even though every muscle in my body begged me to.“You shouldn’t be here,” I rasped.Her head tilted. “But I like sitting here.”She shifted again, accidentally grinding right over me, and my entire body locked up.Her eyes went wide when she felt it. “Oh…”She whispered. “You’re… hard.”My jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack. “You need to get off,” I managed through gritted teeth.“Why?” she whispered. Her fingers slid down the back of my neck. “You don’t want me here?”Want?I wanted her so badly it hurt, but not like this.Not when she would

JAKE She leaned closer.Her shoulder brushed mine, her hair tickled my jaw, and I swallowed hard before continuing.“You spread it evenly,” I said, nudging the herbs along the crease. “Not too much, not too little.”She nodded, biting her lip, and I pretended not to notice. I curled my fingers around the paper, giving it the slow roll that made her eyes widen a little.“Oh… that’s actually kind of cool,” she whispered.I smirked. “Thought you’d say that.”I sealed the edge, twisted the tip neatly, and held it up between us.“First lesson complete,” I said, offering a small, mock bow.She laughed again, softer this time, and something about that sound hit me harder than it should’ve.I reached for my lighter, flicked it on, and brought the joint to my lips.The flame kissed the tip, smoke curling in the air as I took the first slow drag.Then I exhaled, leaning back slightly, my eyes half-lidded as the smoke drifted between us.Her gaze followed it… then landed on my mouth.My chest

JAKEI was still hard when I walked into my room.Hard enough that it hurt.I shut the door behind me and leaned back against it, dragging a hand through my hair. Fuck.I didn’t usually lose control like that. I didn’t almost kiss girls who were crying. I didn’t cuddle anyone. I didn’t touch anyone gently. And I definitely didn’t get worked up over someone just because she looked at me with big, broken eyes.But the way she melted into me, the way her breath hitched when I touched her…The way she said my name—Yeah. I was wrecked.I pushed myself away from the door and headed straight for the bathroom. A cold shower. That’s what I needed.I turned the water on full blast and stepped under it, letting it soak my hair and slide down my shoulders. It didn’t help much, I was still impossibly hard, but at least it cleared my head enough to breathe.She was going to come. I didn’t know how I knew it, but I did.Mia wasn’t the type to admit she wanted something. She’d pretend she didn’t, p

RAINAThe hospital came into view, and I drew in a deep breath, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag.Please let this work.That was the only thought in my head as Elias parked the car. My heart was already racing, thudding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I hadn’t said much since we left the house, and neither had he. I knew what he was thinking. He was waiting, watching, curious to see what kind of stunt I believed could get me out of this without being caught.I stepped out of the car, smoothing the oversized shirt down my thighs, and he joined me a second later. Without a word, we walked side by side into the hospital.Immediately we entered I saw them. Zane, his parents, and her. Elara. She stood close to him, her hand tucked comfortably around his arm.My steps slowed for half a second before I forced myself forward. My heart began to pound harder as we approached them, every beat echoing in my ears. Elias greeted his father first, then Zane’s mum. But I said

ELIASI won’t lie. I was surprised.Not because she said no, women said that all the time, but because she said it with conviction. With her arms crossed, her chin lifted, eyes sharp like she’d already drawn a line in her head and dared me to cross it.Hard to get. I understood the game.Still… it amused me. We didn’t really have the luxury of choices right now, but I wasn’t going to argue. I wanted to see what she thought she had planned, what clever little backup story she believed could outsmart a medical test.So I kept my mouth shut for now.I turned toward my wardrobe, scanning through neatly arranged clothes. My eyes moved over the hangers automatically, already calculating how the fabric would fall on her smaller frame.I pulled out a pair of black trousers and a loosed top and turned, holding them up. “You can wear this.”She stared for half a second, then rolled her eyes. “Oh, wow,” she said dryly. “You should’ve warned me if you wanted all eyes on me while I walk into the

RAINAThe door clicked shut, and for a full ten seconds, I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.My whole body felt… hot. Like my bones weren’t sitting in the right places.What the hell just happened?I pressed a hand to my chest, expecting the familiar sting… the sharp, tearing pain that always followed stress or panic.But nothing, and that almost scared me more.“No,” I whispered to myself, pushing away from the wall. “No. You’re not reacting to him. You’re not.”But my wolf was humming.She paced just under my skin, restless, alert, focused entirely on the direction he walked away. Her energy pulsed through my veins. “I don’t want him,” I muttered.My wolf disagreed so loudly my knees went weak.I dragged in a shaky breath and stumbled toward the bed- big, soft, covered in dark sheets that smelled faintly like him. I froze the moment the scent hit me.My wolf pushed forward so hard I had to grip the bedpost just to stay upright.“Stop,” I whispered. “Please stop. We’re not doing this.”B

ELIASThis woman…This impossible, loud-mouthed, stubborn woman was really getting on my nerves.I clenched my jaw once, just once, because if I did it twice, I might actually grab her, pin her to the wall, and silence that sharp little mouth with mine. And not for the noble reasons.She didn’t get it yet. She didn’t understand what she was, what we were or how close she was to snapping the last thread of my patience.But I forced myself to stay calm. I inhaled once, dragged my eyes over her flushed, furious face, and exhaled. She wasn’t ready yet, but she would be.I always got what I wanted eventually.A slow smirk tugged at my lips as I folded my arms. “Alright,” I murmured, my voice dropping to a lazy, taunting rumble. “If you have other options… by all means, Raina. Tell me.”I stepped closer until she had to tilt her chin up to look at me. Her heartbeat faltered, her wolf stirred again, brushing against mine like a spark waiting to catch flame. “And another thing,” I said softly

RAINAMy face went cold.My heart monitor should’ve beeped, should’ve screamed. but it stayed silent.Elias stepped forward before I could even breathe, placing himself partly in front of me.“No,” he muttered.Zane’s mother blinked. “No?”“She doesn’t owe you proof,” Elias replied with a cold tone. “You don’t get to dictate tests or conditions.”His father shifted uncomfortably.Zane scoffed loudly. “Of course she does,” he snapped. “You expect us to believe she’s pregnant just because you said so? She’s lying.”Elias didn’t look at him. Didn’t even acknowledge him.His attention stayed on his stepmother. “You’re not her doctor,” he said calmly. “And you’ve never cared this much about her health before now.”Her jaw tightened. “If she’s joining this family…”“She already has,” Elias cut in.My heart pounded so hard at how the situation was getting out of hand.She straightened. “Then tomorrow,” she insisted, “we go for a test. If she refuses… there will be no marriage.”I swallowed h

RAINAI just stared at him.My mouth opened… then closed… then opened again.Nothing came out.I was dumbfounded.Pregnant? Out of every possible lie in the entire universe, that was what he chose? That was the story he thought made sense?“Let’s leave the marriage talk aside for now,” I finally choked out. “How the hell am I supposed to pull off the pregnancy nonsense?”Elias didn’t even blink. “Relax,” he said, like he didn’t just flip my entire life upside down. “You won’t be pregnant for long.”My jaw dropped. “Excuse me!?”He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean… after a while, you’ll just say you had a miscarriage.”I stared at him, horrified.He continued casually, “It makes the story believable. We’ll be married by then anyway.”“Married?” I whispered. “Elias, this morning I didn’t even know you existed.”“Six months,” he interrupted calmly. “That’s all. We get married for six months, make Zane miserable, and walk away. Simple.”Simple??My life had turned into a feve