Alyssa Hart thought she was just another woman trying to stay invisible in a city that never sleeps. Haunted by a past she refuses to speak about, she’s learned to keep her head down and her circle small. But one rainy night in Los Angeles changes everything. Stalked through a dark alley by a man with a knife, she’s saved by a massive, golden-eyed wolf, only to watch it kill her attacker in a blur. What she doesn’t know is that the creature is Zodiak, who is the primal side of Cole Donovan, a powerful and reclusive billionaire with a secret. Cole is a centuries-old werewolf, and Alyssa is his fated mate. But when she looks at him in wolf form, all she sees is a monster. Torn between his instincts and the need to protect her, Cole decides to win her over the human way through patience, kindness, and trust. As they grow closer, Alyssa begins to feel the pull between them, even as her past begins to resurface in the form of Lucas Slater, a ruthless enemy with a vendetta and a weapon designed to destroy werewolves from the inside out. With Alyssa unknowingly caught in the crossfire and Cole hiding a truth that could destroy everything between them, fate is no longer just a distant whisper. It’s closing in on them both. Set against a backdrop of rain drenched streets, quiet cafés, and hidden danger, this is a story of two souls from different worlds, one human, one supernatural, drawn together by something neither fully understands. As secrets unravel and danger escalates, Alyssa and Cole must decide if love is worth the risk, or if fear will tear them apart before it ever has the chance to bloom.
View MoreAlyssa
Gripping her umbrella until her knuckles were white and her fingers going numb, Alyssa Hart tried to walk at a normal pace, acting as if nothing was wrong. However, through the pattering of the rain drops above her head, she swore she could hear the light thrum of footsteps behind her. She was sure they were coming for her. They knew her secret and wanted her dead because of it.
To be sure, she quickened her pace slightly, just enough to make it seem like she was trying to escape the rain and not alert the person behind her that she was on to him. She paled even more as she heard the footsteps quicken as well.
It was 11pm on a Thursday night. Because of the rain, the streets were empty, which was a rarity for Los Angeles. She glanced frantically ahead: should she continue on the open street or sneak into the adjacent alley and hope to encounter some homeless people who may serve as her protection?
Aware that time was running out, Alyssa veered sharply into the next alley. Her breath came faster as she feverishly scanned her surroundings, desperate to spot anyone, any sign of life that might offer safety.
But the alley was empty.
The sickening realization hit her like a blow to the gut. No witnesses. No help.
Only her, the darkness, and the footsteps growing louder behind her.
Cole
Cole Donovan stepped out onto his balcony, the rain misting against his skin. He barely noticed. The city stretched out before him in a blur of lights and shadows, but to Cole, it all felt empty and meaningless. He looked down at the marbled flooring of the balcony at his reflection. His dark brown eyes lost their golden liner years ago and his brown hair lost its shein. When you go too long without a mate, you start to lose your essence, everything that gives you substance.
Life had begun to lose its flavor long ago, and now, even the routine of running his security empire, a business he had built after two centuries of dabbling in countless other dealings, felt hollow to him. He took over the company when it was small and technology was just starting out. His father left it to him when he passed away, and he had turned it into a multi-million-dollar empire. He had been waiting a lifetime for his mate, and the longer he waited, the more he withered inside.
His wolf, Zodiak, had gone silent years ago, retreating deep within him, refusing to speak. Cole could still feel him there, a dormant presence buried beneath layers of resignation. But neither of them had the strength or hope to search anymore. Sure, he had dated women, but nothing ever panned out, nothing ever felt right.
The longer Cole stood, leaning over the railing, the stronger the scent became, the wind brought to him a rich, sweet, almost sinful, like vanilla warmed by honey smell. It invaded his senses, igniting something primal in him.
Zodiac stirred, a low growl rumbling through Cole’s chest as his head jerked from side to side, hunting for the source.
Then in the shadows he saw her.
She moved down the slick, empty street like a vision pulled from his deepest, most desperate dreams, radiant even under the cold drizzle, fragile yet fierce. His mate.
The mate he had waited a lifetime to find.
For one breathless second, the world narrowed to only her, every light, every sound, every thought fading into nothing.
Then a nightmare shattered the dream.
A shadow followed her, creeping closer, and in the dim light, Cole caught the gleam of a blade, a long, wicked knife, nearly a machete, gripped in the stalker's hand.
She turned into an alley and vanished from sight.
Fear exploded inside him, fierce and wild. Zodiak roared for freedom, and Cole didn't fight him. He finally found the person he had waited his whole existence for and was not about to let anything happen to her.
With a snarl that ripped from the depths of his soul, he let the wolf rise, bones cracked, muscles stretched, skin rippled as Zodiak surged free, a massive wolf with jet-black fur and burning gold eyes.
The pain was nothing compared to the terror slicing through him, the desperate need to reach her, his mate.
Nothing, not rain, not darkness, not death itself, would keep him from reaching her.
With a powerful leap, Zodiak vaulted over the balcony railing, landing silently in the soaked alley below. Rain sheeted off his thick coat as he sniffed the air, locking onto her scent, vanilla and honey, now tainted with fear.
He raced after it, paws pounding the slick pavement, a silent ghost in the night.
ColeCole walked away from Alyssa’s building, his steps intentionally slow, but kept his heart steady. The kiss had surprised him, not because it happened, but because of what it meant. Trust...maybe the first thread of something real between them.He hadn’t expected it to happen tonight.But now that it had happened, he didn’t want to let go of her, not ever, he was wiling to do whatever it took to keep her safe and make her his.Zodiak hummed beneath his skin, restless but satisfied for once. Their mate was behind that door, safe and close. This was the first time in his life he felt anything even close to feeling for someone. Sure he had the occasional fling, but that where it always ended.He turned the corner, unaware he was being watched, which is rare for his wolf to not pick up the scent. He was just too focused on Alyssa to notice. Which meant he was also unaware she was being watched too.Aiden crouched low across the street, hidden behind a crumbling dumpster soaked with ra
Cole Cole stopped walking and turned toward Alyssa. He reached up slowly, hand hovering just shy of her cheek. She flinched, taking a small step back before she could stop herself.“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to scare you.”Alyssa shook her head quickly. “No—it’s okay. I’m sorry. You just caught me off guard.”Her voice was quiet, steady but guarded.“I wasn’t in the best relationship before,” she added.
Alyssa Alyssa woke early, she had barely slept. The anticipation was building, her date with Cole was only eight hours away. She could not figure out why she was so anxious. She had never been this nervous for a date in her life. By 7 a.m., she was already pacing like a caffeinated squirrel, if she had dogs they would be watching her with tilted heads like she had finally gone off the deep end.She tried to distract herself with a quick breakfast, consisting of string cheese and coffee, a pairing that sounded like a cry for help more than a meal. The nerves wouldn’t let her eat anything else. She scrolled through her messages for the fifth time, checking to make sure Cole hadn’t canceled. He hadn’t. Of course he hadn’t. He didn’t seem like the type to bail. But still, her stomach twisted into an anxious pretzel.She needed an outfit. She has a romper style outfit popping into her mind. Elegant enough for dinner, yet flexible enough for walking. Rompers, however, were tricky little
Lucian Lucian, Coles’ beta and best friend since childhood, moved toward the far end of the alley, scanning the shadows beneath the fire escape.Silence lingered until his voice broke it."You know I met Mari in a parking lot, right?" Lucian broke the silence, thinking brining up his mate Mari would help ease his friends mind.Cole glanced over, brow raised."I didn’t know that."Lucian gave a faint smile, still crouched near the wall. "She was yelling at some guy who tried to overcharge her for brake work for her car. She didn't back down. I just stood there, watching her drag a full-grown man into the dirt with words alone, it was quit inpressive."Cole huffed quietly."That sounds just like her." he chuckled. Lucian nodded. "She knew what I was two weeks in, she didn’t flinch. She thought I was joking at first, thought it was a costume. Once she figured out it was real, she asked a million questions and by the end she was more intrigued than anything."His tone turned more serio
AlyssaFlashbackThe heat pressed against the city like a second skin, heavy and unmoving. Alyssa had slipped into the small bookstore on Whitmore and Fifth, the cool, dusty air a quiet relief from the chaos outside.She wandered through the narrow aisles, letting the worn spines of old books brush against her fingertips, trying to lose herself.A voice broke the stillness."Looking for anything special?"She turned.A charming man stood a few feet away, a novel tucked loosely under one arm. Tall, very light blonde hair, deep blue eyes and well-kept. His smile came easy, softening sharp features and brightening his light brown eyes.Trent.There was no edge to his voice, no pressure in his posture. Only a casual interest, as if a conversation was just a way to pass the time. "I’m terrible at picking something new," he said, an easy laugh in his words. "Any recommendations?"Alyssa offered a faint smile. Politeness, nothing more. She named a few titles, her voice low in the quiet
Cole Everything in Cole burned to tell Alyssa the truth, who he wasw and what he was. Every instinct screamed to claim her, to mark her, to make her his in every way Zodiak demanded. The wolf inside him paced restlessly, furious with the delay. The guilt was building by the minute. But Cole knew better. He had to be careful with her. Slow. Delicate.He could see it, the shadows she carried just beneath her surface. Demons she didn’t speak about but wore like armor. He ached to know what haunted her, to tear those ghosts away and replace them with safety, with peace. To make her forget her past, and know nothing but protection in his arms.But that would have to wait.For now, he had a day and a half to survive until their date and he needed answers before then.Someone had tried to kill her.Someone dangerous.Even though he was dead, he doubted that was the end of her troubles. Cole didn’t believe in coincidences. And if Alyssa was being hunted, he needed to know who and
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