I didn’t need Kingston’s over-the-top apology gift, but Riley’s birthday was on the line. And between the toy’s designer, the five brand reps, and a flurry of assistants, I was presented with a plethora of options to choose from.Finally, after much thinking, I picked something I knew Riley would lo
All this time, I thought Kingston was just a grumpy, stiff corporate beast. But he was gunning for Alpha King? And that drug project I helped salvage? That wasn’t just about sales. It was part of a much bigger picture. As the future potential Alpha King, he needed that project to succeed.And I had
Rock insisted on paying.“No arguments,” he said, jabbing a fork in my direction. “If it weren’t for you, we never even would have had a problem to solve.”We were at a fancy restaurant late into the evening. The restaurant choice and the dinner hangout had all been at Rock’s suggestion as a thank-y
“Oh, I—” I hesitated. “I’m not really the pool party type.”Ethan tilted his head, his smile gentle. “If you’re worried about werewolves, don’t be. A lot of us bring human friends. It’s totally normal.”I opened my mouth to protest, but Rock jumped in first. “She’d love to come.”“I would—wait, what
KingstonIt was a perfectly choreographed evening—until Daisy approached me. She was wearing a new pink dress over a tiny string bikini, both of which she had undoubtedly purchased on my card.“Kingston,” she said, looping her arm around mine like it belonged there, “I just had the most unfortunate
Her lips parted slightly, her breath catching.“You’re not on his level,” I added, each word precise and brutal. “You’re not on mine. Know your place.”The silence between us thickened.And for the first time, I saw something flicker in her eyes—hurt, yes, but beneath it, something stronger. Anger.
KingstonI returned to the office after a board meeting that had dragged on an hour too long. My patience was hanging by a thread, and all I wanted was five minutes of silence to reset before the next round of chaos. As I neared my office, I caught voices through the partially open door—one low and
I checked my messages. A file she was supposed to send still hadn’t come in. The last messages I’d sent her were marked “unread.”A slow, uneasy feeling settled into my gut.“Your mom said she’d pick you up after work, right?” I asked Riley.He nodded and bit his lip.Then he pulled a small smartwat
The lights dimmed. I pressed play.The video ran—silent, clear, damning. The room shifted. Whispers rose, then quieted.When it ended, I stepped forward.“I’m not here to beg for sympathy,” I said, my voice steady. “Or to pretend I’m something I’m not. I’m a human. And in this moment—this photo that
CoraWhen I opened the break room door and saw Ethan pacing with a coffee cup in each hand, I knew something was wrong. Ethan never paced. He was too laid-back, too calculated for that.He turned the moment he saw me, handing me one of the cups without a word. It was my usual—black with a splash of
I scrubbed a hand over my face.“Also…” Ethan hesitated. “If this thing with Cora is more than just… proximity and adrenaline, you’re going to have to decide what you want. Fast.”I looked up sharply. Was he fishing for answers about Cora to satisfy his own interest in her?“Because right now, you’r
Kingston Tensions buzzed through the air like electricity before a storm. Throughout all of the chaos of the last few weeks, simmering beneath the surface had been the impending Alpha King elections. I had nearly forgotten about them in the chaos of the lab burning down. And Cora. Cora, covered i
At first I thought it was someone unsuccessfully burning leaves behind the fence, which in itself seemed foolish. Then I saw the crowd.The lab was on fire.I froze, heart lurching.The drug research lab—Kingston’s main project. The one we’d toured together. The one that held months of work, was the
CoraI found Ethan by the vending machines, surveying an array of werewolf snacks. He was squinting at the labels with great interest until I walked in."Hey," I said.“Hey, stranger,” he greeted, flashing a grin. “Aren’t you supposed to be glued to a spreadsheet right now?”“Not today. I was lookin
CoraFor the first time in a long while, I forgot the chaos of work, the heaviness of single motherhood, and the sharp edges of everything that had happened lately. Shopping with Daisy felt… normal. It felt like before.Before the distance between Daisy and me.Before Zach and the warehouse and all
KingstonI approved Cora’s salary advance without pressing further. She’d hesitated when I asked why she needed the money, and her silence said more than words ever could. Something was wrong, but she clearly didn’t want to share it.I respected that. For now.Still, as she walked out of my office,
I looked up at her. “Daisy… this is so generous.” And unlike her, but I did not admit to that.“I know,” she said. “It’s everything I have. And I want you to have it.”My heart twisted. For all the mistakes she’d made—her selfishness, her schemes, her jealousy—this gesture was unexpectedly kind. And