Alpha DECEPTION

EMILY'S POVI didn't expect things to go downhill so fast. I thought it would take a day or two for the news to spread. Then again the Cortez and Marino pack were two of the most influential packs in the system.As I left the hospital a swarm of reporters flooded the scene taking pictures of me in my sick state and demanding answers like I owed them something.I had always hated the press. How they twisted words just for a good story and invaded your privacy. I had done everything to avoid problems from them ever since I started appearing in front of the public eye. Mother gave strict rules on how to act in public. As the heir to the Cortez empire nothing less than perfection was expected from me. Now this happened just at the peak of my career. This was far from perfect. And I knew all too well that it would put a dent in my image in the eyes of the public. I just hoped that mother's “damage control” had worked.Spoiler alert… it didn't.The mansion was quiet and filled with tensi

EMILY'S POV The stage was set.The hall was decorated beautifully by one of the very best interior designers in the country. She proved to me that truly the millions I spent on putting this together didn't go to waste. Everything was perfect to the T! She paid close attention to detail and left nothing out. The theme was gold and white. To me those colours signified power and authority. Two things I was going to assert today.The hall was dimly lit with golden lights scattered everywhere like stars in the sky. It was meant to give this cool, sophisticated and calm feeling.The tables were adorned with flowers and scented candles and the food? Absolutely divine. The caterers worked tirelessly to provide the very best.Everything was going according to plan, till he showed up.A part of me doubted that he'd come. I sent out the invitations because it would look weird and petty to the media if I didn't. And if he didn't come it would have done me some good or bad, depending on who was

EMILY’S POVMy mother’s words “The Alpha of the Cortez Pack”, hung in the air of the living room, not as praise, but as a command. A verdict. I was done being the victim they could break. Now, I had to be the weapon they feared.I straightened up, pulling away from Rudy’s comforting hold.“She’s right.” I said, my voice sounded tired but steady. I wiped the last trace of moisture from my cheeks with the back of my hand. “This ends now, not with more tears, but with a structure they can’t ignore.”Rudy watched me, his warm brown eyes filled with a concern that suddenly felt too soft. “What do you mean, Emily?”“I mean our little arrangement just graduated.” I walked to the large window, my reflection in the glass showing a woman that is about to spread, her wings like a phoenix and burn down their world.“A few public dates and a charity gala are gossip, it’s not power. If we’re going to do this, we do it properly and legally. “So that the next time Ricardo or his grandparents open

EMILY'S POVThe morning started with another headline, but this one wasn't about me and Rudy."Cortez Logistics Truck Hijacked in Broad Daylight, three days after lambordi warehouse fire outbreak: Security Failures Mount."I stared at the tablet on my breakfast tray, the eggs going cold, the article was annoying and overblown by Nyxara. A truck carrying high-value components for our renewable energy division had been intercepted on the A4 motorway.The drivers were found dazed but unharmed two miles away, with no memory of the event. The police were calling it a sophisticated robbery.But I knew better.Macro, confirmed it over the phone. "It's the same signature as the warehouse, Alpha.”“The drivers were dosed with Scopolamine derivative, professional grade. Which induces memory wipe, and confusion.”“It's a deniable enforcer's tool. This wasn't random theft, Alpha It was a message."A message that our assets were soft targets. That the protection of the Cortez pack was weak.By n

EMILY'S POVThe phone call came just after midnight. The shrill ring cut through the silence of my study, where I was staring at financial reports that made no sense.It was Marco. His voice was a low, furious growl on the other end. "Alpha. You need to come to the city. Now."My heart jumped into my throat. "What's happened?""It's Elder Jacobs. They found him in his car." Marco paused, and I could hear him fighting for control. "The human police are calling it a heart attack. But it's not, I smelled the air around the car. It was poison. Clean and rofessional. This was another message."The room swayed around me. Elder Jacobs was old, but he was mine. He supported me when others whispered after Ricardo's rejection. He was family."They killed him?" My voice sounded small, like a child's."They're not just hitting warehouses anymore, or hijacking goods, Emily." Marco said, his voice breaking on my name. "They're hitting us. At home. No one is safe."I ended the call. My hands were s