Two

Chapter 2

Mirabel’s POV

I stayed curled up against the wall, my body tight and shaking as tears kept sliding down my cheeks. The amber eyed stranger, the werewolf as it turned out, had moved across the room and turned his back to me while making a phone call. It felt intentional, like he was granting me a shred of dignity after taking everything else.

“Alex, I need you in my suite immediately,” he said, his voice calm but edged with authority. “Bring a blank check from my personal account. And a bottle of whiskey.” He paused briefly. “I do not care what meeting you are in. This takes priority.”

He ended the call and turned to face me. His expression was hard to read, but I could feel those sharp amber eyes assessing me. I should have recognized what they meant right away. Anyone sober would have. The signs were obvious now.

“Crying will not undo what happened,” he said evenly. “It is already done.”

I scrubbed my face with the back of my hand, anger flaring through the humiliation. “That is easy for you to say. You are not the one who just…” My voice broke before I could finish.

My phone vibrated in my hand.

I opened the message and felt my stomach drop straight through the floor.

“Mirabel, I am so sorry I could not make it tonight. My mom found out and I am already on the plane. I will call when I land. I love you.”

He was gone. Already flying away while I was left alone in this nightmare. A hollow laugh escaped me, sharp and broken.

“Trouble?” the werewolf asked, sounding like he did not actually care about the answer.

“None of your business,” I muttered.

Then the realization hit me like a punch to the chest.

I lifted my head slowly, really looking at him this time. The tailored suit tossed carelessly over the chair. The way he carried himself. The authority in his voice when he spoke on the phone.

“No,” I whispered. “You cannot be Maxwell Mackenzie. You just cannot.”

One eyebrow lifted slightly. “You recognize the name.”

Of course I did. Everyone in Moonshade Bay knew Maxwell Mackenzie. Alpha of the most powerful pack in the city. CEO of Mackenzie Group.

My employer.

I had slept with my boss. My werewolf boss. The Alpha who practically ruled this city.

“Oh my god,” I breathed, nausea rolling through me.

Moonshade Bay was built on separation. Humans and werewolves lived side by side but never truly together. Ever since The Revelation a century ago, when werewolves revealed themselves to the world, everything had changed. We were taught about it in school. How they stopped hiding. How they showed their strength. How the balance of power shifted overnight.

Chaos followed, then order. An order where humans were allowed to exist, to work, but never to lead. Werewolves owned the wealth, the land, the influence. And Alphas stood at the top like untouchable royalty.

The Mackenzie family had shaped much of that system. They called it coexistence. In reality, it meant obedience in exchange for protection.

“My reputation clearly precedes me,” he said coolly. “And you are?”

“Mirabel Smith,” I said without thinking, then instantly regretted it. “I work for your company.”

I could have screamed at my own stupidity.

His gaze sharpened. “A human employee.”

A knock at the door cut through the tension. Maxwell moved to answer it.

A sharply dressed human man stepped inside, holding a leather folder and a bottle filled with amber liquid. His eyes flicked to me, widening slightly before his face smoothed into professionalism.

“The check and the whiskey, sir,” he said, handing them over.

“Thank you, Alex. You may go.”

Alex nodded and left, though not before giving me one last curious glance.

Maxwell poured himself a glass of whiskey. He did not offer me any. He opened the folder, wrote quickly, then tore out a check and walked toward me.

“Take this,” he said, holding it out. “It should more than cover the inconvenience.”

I stared at the number and felt sick. “You think you can buy me? Like I am a prostitute?”

“This is not payment for sex,” he replied coldly. “It is protection. If word gets out that an Alpha slept with a human employee during the festival, the fallout would be severe. For both of us. But especially for you.”

The threat was clear. In this city, no one would side with a human over an Alpha.

“I do not want your money,” I said, surprised by the steadiness of my voice. “I just want this erased.”

“Then we agree,” he said, tossing the check onto the bed anyway. “Whether you take it or not, your silence matters.”

I gathered my clothes with shaking hands, desperate to get out. “Do not worry,” I said bitterly. “I have no intention of telling anyone about the worst night of my life.”

In the bathroom, I barely recognized my reflection. Pale. Frightened. Human. Someone who had crossed a line she never meant to touch. In Moonshade Bay, humans and werewolves did not mix like that. It was legal, but it was unspoken. Forbidden. Humans were tolerated, not chosen.

And I had ended up in the bed of the most powerful werewolf alive.

When I stepped back into the room, Maxwell stood at the window, whiskey in hand, staring at the full moon. He did not look at me.

“Miss Smith,” he said quietly as my hand reached the door. “This night does not exist. For either of us.”

I left without answering. The check remained on the bed.

In the elevator, I leaned against the wall, tears threatening to spill again. James was gone. Our night was gone. My first time was gone. And I had no idea how I was supposed to walk into work on Monday like nothing had happened.

My phone rang.

James’s mother.

My hands trembled as I answered. “Mrs. West…”