LOGINConradI don’t make it chaste or polite.She’s mine, and the entire world has to know that I’m intentional about her. I want her. Not Selah and certainly no one else.My mouth claims hers with a roughness and passion capable of burning away every doubt clinging to her. Gasps echo all around us, but I don’t care.Anchoring her, I cradle the back of her skull, holding her steady, feeling her breath mix with mine. Nothing and no one else matters but her and me in this moment. It’s priceless, and I wish I could stay here with her, trapped in this bubble where just the two of us exist.And then there’s Sage, sleeping alone in the office.The thought of Amelia’s daughter is enough to force my eyes open.When I finally pull back, I trail her pink lips with my thumb, wishing I could have them again. Instead, I keep her against me, my arm firm around her as I meet her eyes.Amelia’s pulse jumps under my touch, and she looks at me softly when my thumb sweeps her cheek. Then, in a flash, the w
AmeliaStaff gather around us, murmuring.I cross my arms over my chest and knit my brows. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Selah?”Her heels clink on the marble floors as she inches towards and scrutinizes me with a smug smile. “The mating bond must’ve almost killed you if your hair turned white. Sad to see you survived it.”I’m not here to exchange words with her, so I ignore her jab and get straight to the point. “I don’t care why you’re here, but I don’t want a scene in my office. Get out before I have security throw you out.”“Ooohh.” The shriek of her laughter echoes in the hallway. “Look who’s finally grown claws.”“And I intend to dig them as far into you as they can go.” I’m the one taking a step towards her, holding my ground like I wish I had four years ago. “I won’t repeat myself.”I’m almost certain I see a flicker of fear in her eyes, but it vanished too quickly. “Sure, but first you have to agree to stay away from my fiancé.”My brow arches. “I don’t know who y
Amelia For hours, I work tirelessly to push down the posts about my false relationship with Conrad, pausing only to tend to Sage and to respond to Sapphira’s messages.Even now, I take a glimpse at my daughter’s sleeping form on the makeshift bed I prepared for her on the sofa, and a soft smile touches my lips when she breathes softly, somehow finding a way to stick her thumb into her mouth.I resume my work, communicating with the PR team to get an update on our progress report, and a soft knock on the door distracts me.“Come in,” I urge, and tilt my head slightly to the side, expecting to see my secretary.But it’s Conrad, looking as handsome as ever, his perfect face and broad shoulders standing out in his tailored black suit. My heart does an unnecessary skip at the sight of him.But I glare instead, severely agitated and irritated by everything happening. “If I remember correctly, we don’t have any meeting scheduled for today. What are you doing here?”The scent of cedar and ex
Amelia One minute, I’m frantically moving around the kitchen island like an overstressed supermom–juggling toasts, fruit packs, and a toddler who thinks breakfast time is playtime.Sage’s nanny called in sick this morning, and since I don’t trust anyone else to look after my daughter, I have no choice but to take her to work with me today.“Mama, look! It’s you on TV!” she squeals, gurgling gleefully, and clapping her hands.I frown deeply, trying to understand why I would be on TV when I haven’t granted any interviews recently, and the partnership between Lunaris and Voss Tech is not due to reach the press until next week.After fixing the last slice of diced mangos in the butterfly plate, I brush it off, believing Sage mistook someone else for me. That is, until she says it again with more excitement.“See! Mama, it’s you!”Before I turn around, Sapphira bursts in, looking really…crazy. Her hair is halfway blown out, her shirt is misbuttoned, and her pants are missing a belt.Eyes
Conrad The second I walk out of the restaurant, Zayne is waiting for me by the car, and I notice the hard look in his eyes.“Is something wrong?” I ask, and gesture to the brown envelope he has tucked under his arm.He shakes his head. “It is good and bad news. I finally found CCTV footage from the night of the murder,” Zayne says. “It’s complicated. Someone messed with the server it was saved in and hid it away. We found it broken and buried in an old building, and luckily, the forensic team could still retrieve the data stored inside the drive.”Judging by the look in his eyes, I straighten, bracing myself for the worst, for the possibility that everything I’ve been holding onto could shatter right here.“What did you see?”His expression made me tense up, it must be serious.Zayne exhales. “Everything checks out. Jason and Selah gave false testimony about the time she caught them cheating. At about the time of the alpha and luna’s murder, Amelia was already on her way to the club.
ConradI don’t want to cross the line, but I can’t resist the question gnawing at me. “Your daughter…"Her gaze hardens instantly—sharp, guarded. As if she’d burn the world for her little girl—the little girl that might be mine too.“My daughter is off topic.”I lean in closer, letting the heat of my body brush against hers. “I respect that, Amelia. I just need to know if she’s—”“She’s not yours,” she answers sharply. “Her father’s someone I dated for a short while after I was thrown out of the pack. Don’t ever ask about him or her again.”I don’t believe her. Something’s off about her reaction, about her story. Or maybe it’s the possessive part of me that’s slowly slipping. My brain clings to one thing, one brutal truth that rips straight through my chest.A man.There was someone else. Someone who had what should’ve been mine.My wolf stirs possessively.He touched her…felt her.My jaw tightens before I can stop it. Jealousy surges through me so violently it’s almost dizzying. I
JaxonI’d never been one to understand why human kids get excited when unwrapping gifts on a Christmas morning.But…standing in the same room as my Mate with a dress that begs to be taken off? I understand the excitement.I understand what it means to want to take your time unwrapping what is your
Jaxon Three days laterThe pack's sacred grove has been transformed with white silk draping the trees and hundreds of candles creating a warm, intimate glow as the sun begins to set.It's a small ceremony with pack members, a few close allies, and Natalie’s best friend, Freda, who arrives looking
Jaxon "How are you feeling?" Natalie asks as I navigate the winding road toward the cemetery, her hand resting gently on my thigh. "Really feeling, not the 'I'm fine' answer you gave Magda."I glance over at her, still amazed that she's here, that we're here together. "Better. A lot better now tha
Jaxon The textile factory looms against the night sky, its broken windows telling us what kind of abandoned dump it is.I pick up Harry's scent immediately and relief courses through my veins because that means he’s still alive. He’s still breathing.Moving through the building stealthily, my tea







