As Aleah wandered aimlessly along the street, she had no idea where she was going. Lost in thought, she didn’t realize her feet had carried her back to a place from her past—their old flower shop. When she saw it, she froze. The shop she and her mom once called their own was no longer there; in its place stood a sleek coffee shop. She stood outside the door, staring, memories flooding back. Her chest tightened as she thought, If I hadn’t met Hunter, if I hadn’t married him...would Mom and I still be here, running this place together?
“Aleah?” A familiar voice broke through her thoughts, startling her. She turned and saw Director Kim, her mom’s boyfriend, walking toward her with a curious look.“What are you doing here?” he asked gently. His eyes shifted to the coffee shop. “Did you miss your old flower shop? It looks like the new owner turned it into a café,” he added with a soft smile, trying to readAs Hunter lay asleep on the hospital bed, vivid and chaotic images filled his mind like a dream he couldn’t quite piece together. There was a young boy, bruised and scared, sitting in a corner. Then more kids—some fighting brutally, others working with computer tech and strange formulas. The scenes overwhelmed him, leaving him feeling heavy, hot, and drenched in sweat. He struggled for breath, feeling trapped.“Zen.” A familiar voice broke through the chaos, along with a smile he recognized. Just like that, the haunting images faded away, and reality pulled him back. He jolted awake, sitting upright in the hospital bed. His eyes scanned the room—bandages on his body and sweat clinging to his skin. It took him a moment to piece together where he was.“What the hell was that about?” he muttered under his breath.The door creaked open, and Rafael walked in with some of their crew in tow.“Hey, you're up! We brought foo
Aleah woke up in a room she didn’t recognize. Sitting up, she took in her surroundings with a puzzled look. The last thing she remembered was going home with Director Kim—and seeing her mom there. She felt a wave of shame and frustration sweep over her as memories resurfaced. With a deep breath, she got out of bed and made her way out of the room.On her way down the stairs, she caught sight of her mom and Director Kim through the glass wall. They were in the garden, grilling food and laughing. Aleah froze mid-step, her gaze locked on her mom. She’d never seen her look this happy before—not even back when they lived in her grandfather’s mansion. That smile? It was rare, and it made Aleah hesitate for a moment.Clearing her throat, Aleah stepped outside. “Morning,” she said casually as she approached them. The pair stopped chatting and looked up, her mom’s face lighting up.“Lei, you’re awake! Hungry? We&rsquo
Aleah let out a sigh before walking into the hospital. She stopped in front of Hunter's door, hesitating for a moment before finally pushing it open. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside and froze when she saw Hunter staring straight at the door.“Took you long enough,” Hunter said with a slight smirk.“Sorry, I was with Mom and Director Kim,” Aleah replied, walking closer. “You don’t look so great. Are you okay?” she asked as her eyes scanned him. She couldn’t miss the dark circles under his eyes and the exhausted look on his face. He was supposed to be resting, but he looked worse than before. Sure, he had a back injury, but could that really be why he looked this bad?“I’m fine,” Hunter said sharply, narrowing his eyes at her. “But what about you? Your eyes are all puffy. Were you crying?”Aleah blinked, caught off guard. Was it that obvious?“Uh, no. I overslept, that
"What’s going on here?" Kimberly blurted out as she stepped into Hunter’s room, her eyes landing on him and Aleah, who was busy tidying up. Hunter was already on his feet, dressed, and looking surprisingly well."You were sick last night! Why are you up already? You need rest," Kimberly said, rushing over to him and placing her hand on his forehead. Aleah glanced at Kimberly briefly, then quickly shifted her gaze elsewhere.Bold of her, Aleah thought, a hint of amusement in her mind. She didn’t even hesitate to step in and fuss over him while I’m here. Treating him like he’s fragile."I’m fine," Hunter said, flashing a small smile. "My fever’s gone, and I slept great last night." His gaze shifted to Kimberly, who met his eyes. Aleah felt her heart skip as Kimberly looked her way, catching her off guard. Memories of last night flashed through Aleah’s mind—falling asleep in each other's arms—and her cheeks turn
"Glad you’re here together," Rafael said as they walked into the house. Rafael, Charles, and Trisha were at home, catching up after dinner with Damian and Sebastian. They had all headed back to their place in the compound, and everyone seemed happy to see them together."Finally out and about, Alpha Hunter! Good for you," Trisha said with a grin."Totally agree. Another day there and I’d have gone stir-crazy," Hunter said, shaking his head. "Where’s everyone else?" he asked."Joyril and Carlos are finishing stuff up at the base," Trisha replied. "Michael, Jeremy, and Joyril are at the hospital. They’re playing bodyguards for Dr. Stuart right now," she added."Great, good to know," Hunter said. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. When he answered, Michael's voice came through the line, telling him Kimberly was missing. She’d been taken by strangers, and despite following them, they’d lost track of her.&ldqu
Hunter's group had been searching for Kimberly when suddenly, his phone rang. Kimberly's voice came through, shaky and broken, with muffled sobs between words. “I... I’m at a telephone booth...” she managed to say before the call dropped.When Hunter finally reached the booth, his breath hitched. “Kimberly?” he called out in shock, seeing her slumped inside. Bruises marked her face and body, her clothes were torn—it was obvious she'd been through hell. Without a second thought, he shrugged off his long-sleeved shirt and draped it over her shivering frame.“What happened to you?” he asked, crouching to her level. His voice wavered, trying to mask his worry.“Zen!” Kimberly cried out, her arms flinging around Hunter’s neck. He froze. Aleah was the only one who ever called him by that name—not even his closest friends dared. Still, Kimberly's sobs were relentless. How could he push her away?Whi
Hunter arrived at Darylle Kim's house, standing outside the gate, his heart racing as he repeatedly rang the doorbell. No one answered until finally, Darylle emerged and opened the gate.“Come in, Aleah’s upstairs resting,” Darylle said, motioning for Hunter to follow him. Hunter nodded, staying quiet but determined, his footsteps purposeful as he followed Darylle into the house.Elara was in Aleah's room, sitting at the edge of her daughter's bed. Aleah hadn’t left her room since they arrived—she had been staring blankly at her laptop earlier, and now, she simply gazed at the walls.“Lei, are you sure you're alright? Why don’t we go downstairs for a bit?” Elara asked softly, concern evident in her voice.“I’m fine, Mom. I just need some time alone,” Aleah replied, her voice barely above a whisper.Elara sighed, brushing her daughter’s hair gently. “Alright, but if you get hungry,
That night, Hunter couldn't sleep. He wasn't used to not seeing Aleah in their room. Another reason for his sleeplessness was that every time he closed his eyes, memories would flood his mind—memories he couldn’t trace back to their origin. These thoughts were compounded by the necklace he had seen with Kimberly earlier. He felt a strange familiarity with the necklace and the image within it. The unclear images invading his thoughts seemed somehow connected to the necklace he had spotted.Unable to sleep, Hunter decided to sit at his desk and research the necklace. However, he found nothing. He also tried to research Kimberly, the young woman. He had accepted the mission assigned by the President without knowing all the details surrounding it. Yet, despite his efforts, he uncovered nothing that could shed light on his questions.Hunter's phone buzzed unexpectedly, snapping him out of his thoughts. He grabbed it, staring at the unknown number flashing on the scr
Aleah hunched down inside the van, trying to avoid the bullets tearing through. Two men hit the ground, lifeless. Chatles, perched on top of the bus, joined in firing at the attackers. Rafael and Hunter weren’t holding back either.Soon enough, Aleah's kidnappers started dropping one by one. The driver and his buddy in the passenger seat didn’t stand a chance either. Out of nowhere, Aleah gasped as someone yanked her out of the van."Stop! Stop firing!" a SWAT officer shouted, raising his hands. Carlos and his team noticed the man dragging Aleah and signaled for everyone to hold their fire."You piece of—!" Hunter growled, barely keeping his rage in check as he watched the man use Aleah as a human shield. The man dragged her further away from the van, pointing a gun at her head, facing off against Hunter and Rafael."What do you think you’re doing?" Aleah shot at him, her voice steady despite the fear in her chest. "You think they’re
"You’re being reckless again,” Hunter said, pushing himself off the hospital bed and letting go of Aleah’s hand. “You’re shaking, but here you are, worrying about everyone else’s safety instead of your own.”Aleah didn’t reply, but Hunter could see it—she was scared, terrified even. Yet, knowing her as well as he did, he knew she’d never ignore the injustices she witnessed.“What the hell are you doing? Get over here already!” the armed man barked at Aleah, his patience wearing thin. Aleah glanced at him briefly, then turned back to Hunter. The tension in the room was palpable; everyone inside seemed to be holding their breath.“Rafael, are you hearing me?” Hunter said into the device clipped to his ear. He’d been in the emergency room all along, tipped off that Shadow and the Iron Maiden’s operatives might target Claire after learning about Taniya. It had been days of stak
Everyone in the emergency room—doctors, patients—turned their heads in shock at the deafening sound of a gunshot. All eyes shifted to the glass door just as a security guard collapsed outside. Moments later, a man in tactical gear stormed in, dragging another guard who was clearly his hostage.The room froze. Nurses and patient companions panicked, racing toward the door leading to another section of the hospital. But their escape was short-lived as more men blocked the exits, forcing everyone back. With every way out sealed, tension filled the air.“If you don’t want this to be your last day alive, you’ll do exactly as we say,” the masked man barked. His grip on the hostage tightened as he scanned the terrified crowd. “Nobody leaves until we get what we came for. Got it? And to prove we mean business...watch this.”Without hesitation, he jammed a syringe into the neck of the hostage. The guard's eyes widened in terror a
"Claire! Watch out!" Aleah yelled as a woman suddenly dashed onto the road. Startled, Claire slammed on the brakes, sending both of them jerking forward. Luckily, their seatbelts kept them in place. Once the shock wore off, Claire turned to Aleah with wide eyes."Aleah, are you okay? Did you get hurt?" she asked, clearly worried."I’m fine," Aleah said, brushing it off. "But… I think we might’ve hit someone.""I swear, I didn’t mean to!" Claire blurted, panic creeping into her voice."Let’s go check," Aleah said, already getting out of the car. Claire followed quickly. As they rounded the front of the car, they saw a young woman sitting on the road. She looked terrified, her blonde hair and blue eyes immediately marking her as a foreigner."Are you okay? I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you—" Claire said as she approached the woman."Help me," the woman whispered, her voice shaky. Aleah and Claire exchanged une
"Alpha’s not with you?" Claire asked as Aleah walked into the hospital for her check-up. Yesterday, her cousin’s appointment got canceled because of that hostage situation. She was sure Hunter would be with Aleah this time, but seeing her alone was a surprise."He’s busy at work. Don’t worry, I’m fine. My belly’s not that big yet, so I can manage. Besides, I just came from work myself," Aleah said with a light smile before glancing over at the doctors talking to Uncle Luis. "New faces over there?""Yeah, they’re researchers from Scotland. They’re teaming up with the medical staff here to work on a new medicine," Claire explained, stealing a quick look at the doctors chatting with her dad. Just as she finished talking, the group started walking over."I’d like you to meet my doctor, Dr. Claire Ramirez," Uncle Luis said, beaming. "She’s one of the best surgeons we’ve got in this hospital. And I’m no
Oh, Alpha Hunter. Have you been here long?” Trisha asked with a curious look as she walked in, files in hand.Hunter glanced at her briefly before speaking. “No, but you're right on time. I need you to grab the test results from forensics—the one for the new case we're working on. It’s important.”Trisha nodded and headed off without hesitation. Hunter watched her leave for a moment before focusing back on the task at hand.Yesterday, he’d been pulled into an emergency meeting with the Alpha King and Navy Vice Admiral. It had been about the chilling discovery of street kids’ bodies in an abandoned building. The Vice Admiral thought the case tied into Hunter’s earlier work involving the Iron Maiden and a band of pirates.Months ago, Hunter had been sent undercover to an island suspected of being the pirates’ lair. It turned out to be much more than that. The island, dubbed “Death Island,” was actual
“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” Hunter asked, his tone soft and thoughtful as he looked at Aleah. She shook her head lightly, her lips forming a faint smile.“Please, don’t worry about me. I’m really not hungry yet,” Aleah replied, her voice gentle as she turned her gaze toward Jestina and Dave.“That’s a shame. Alpha’s cooking shouldn’t go to waste,” Dave remarked, eyeing the dishes before them.“Don’t mind me—enjoy the meal,” Aleah said simply.“Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing you’d like?” Hunter asked again, his fingers brushing hers gently as he reached for her hand. Jestina and Dave exchanged a glance, quietly noting the intimate bubble the couple seemed to share.“Tama si Alpha Hunter,” Jestina chimed in cheerfully, leaning forward slightly. “It’d be such a waste if you don’t eat. If I were
You’re the first person to say that. I remember someone once saying this house screams way too much of—” Hunter stopped mid-sentence as his eyes landed on Aleah. Her sharp glare was all it took to silence him. For a moment, he froze, then bit back a grin at the fierce expression on her face. She looked adorable when she was mad, though he didn’t dare say that out loud.“Really?” Aleah chimed in, her voice sweet but with a subtle edge. “Sounds like that person didn’t know the first thing about good interior design,” she said, her smile polite but pointed.“Think so?” Hunter replied, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he glanced at Aleah, who was trying hard to keep her irritation under wraps.“Can we check out the second floor?” Dave cut in, breaking the exchange between the two.“Sure, let’s go,” Hunter said, motioning toward the stairs. But as Aleah moved to lead
Hunter's voice cut through the quiet hum of the yard. "Hey, what are you up to?" he asked, his brows furrowing as he spotted Aleah crouched among the grass, trimming away.She paused mid-snip, turning to him with a sheepish smile. "Just cutting some grass. It’s gotten too wild. Mang Ponce called earlier—his wife is sick, so they can’t make it today. I figured I’d handle it. It’s not a big deal."Hunter sighed, shaking his head as he walked closer. "Aleah," he said, his tone soft but firm, "you shouldn’t be doing this, not when you’re carrying our baby." He gently took the trimmer from her hands and helped her to her feet, his touch warm and protective. "Your body isn’t just yours right now, you know," he added, his hand settling lovingly over her belly.Aleah rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. "You always worry too much," she teased. "It’s just a bit of grass. I’m fine—"Before sh