ログインI will sign the divorce papers in three months. But I have conditions.” “For the next three months, you will treat me like a real wife. Not like a maid. Not like a ghost in your house. Like your actual wife. You will be kind to me. You will eat with me. You will talk to me. You will protect me from your mother and sister.” For two years, Sophie Callahan has cooked the meals, endured the insults, and made herself as small as possible inside her husband Derek's cold and luxurious world. Their marriage was never built on love. It was built on obligation, and everyone in that house has made sure Sophie never forgets it. Then a diagnosis changes everything. She has three months to live. She makes one last bold deal with the husband who has never truly seen her — three months of being treated like a real wife, in exchange for the divorce he desperately wants. Derek agrees. What he does not expect is to finally see her. And he is not the only one. Because when Edward Callahan's long-buried secret walks through the door in a perfectly tailored black suit, everything changes. Ares Callahan — the illegitimate uncle Derek never knew existed — has arrived to claim what is rightfully his. And from the moment his grey eyes find Sophie across a crowded room, he wants his nephew’s wife. Derek spent two years looking straight through his wife. Now the one man he cannot stand is the only one looking at her like she is everything. But as Sophie steps out of the shadows and into the fight of her life, she begins to realize the danger around her runs far deeper than a broken marriage.
もっと見るThe Carter-Monroe household was quiet from the outside—polished, elegant, a picture of blended family perfection. But inside, it was a battlefield. Not of fists or flying objects, but of glares, slammed doors, and constant snide remarks exchanged between two boys who shared nothing but their parents’ last names.
Alex Monroe, seventeen, an omega with soft features and expressive eyes, had perfected the art of looking disinterested while secretly watching Brian from behind his curtain of fluffy hair. He didn’t like Brian—at least, that’s what he told himself. It was easier to call it hate than admit to the tight feeling in his chest whenever Brian entered a room. Brian Carter, eighteen, broad-shouldered and commanding, had the kind of aura that made others step aside. He was the school’s golden boy—alpha, soccer captain, straight A’s—but at home, he was cold. Especially to Alex. He’d toss a careless insult, flash a smirk, and walk away like he hadn’t just left a bruise on Alex’s pride. They weren’t always like this. When their parents first married, Brian was distant, but tolerable. Alex tried being polite, even friendly. But one awkward glance too long, one scent too strong, and everything changed. Now, any time they were in the same room, it became a show of disdain. They knew how to push each other’s buttons with surgical precision. Their parents, Rachel and Daniel, remained oblivious—too in love, too distracted. Rachel would say, “Give it time, boys. You’ll be like real brothers soon.” But the idea made Alex’s stomach churn, and not because he didn’t want to get along with Brian. He just wanted him too much. And so the war continued. Silent stares at dinner. Heated arguments over laundry. A cold shoulder in the hallway. From the outside, they were bitter stepbrothers. Inside, they were two fated souls waiting to crash. HEAT AND HALE Alex woke up in a sweat, clutching his blanket like a lifeline. His skin tingled, and the air felt too heavy to breathe. The sheets clung to his body, soaked. His heat had started early. He hated this. The vulnerability. The cravings. The scent that clung to him like a neon sign screaming omega in need. He sprayed more suppressant than needed, then lit a candle, trying to mask the inevitable. But it wasn’t enough. Downstairs, Brian stiffened when the scent reached him—soft jasmine, like spring rain and warm skin. His wolf stirred. His instincts flared. He dropped the orange juice he was pouring and cursed under his breath. Brian avoided Alex that day, locking himself in the gym, pushing weights to exhaustion. Every whiff of Alex’s scent ignited a fire he didn’t want to admit was there. Alex noticed the distance. And it hurt, more than he expected. When they finally crossed paths in the hallway, their eyes locked. “You stink,” Brian muttered. “You’re not exactly a bouquet either,” Alex shot back, voice trembling. He stormed off, angry—not just at Brian, but at himself for wanting the boy who hated him most.Sophie's POVHis words were simple, but the way he said them — steady and supportive — made me feel safe and capable at the same time. I nodded slightly, my fingers moving over the keyboard again. My body was still humming with leftover heat from this morning, but sitting beside him in this formal room, feeling his calm presence and quiet encouragement, helped steady me.The meeting carried on around us. People spoke, presentations were made, and decisions were discussed. Through it all, I stayed focused on my notes while staying deeply aware of Ares beside me. The way his voice filled the room with quiet authority. The way he occasionally glanced at me with that small, private smile. The way his thigh remained close to mine under the table, a steady, warm presence that made me feel connected to him even in this professional setting.Derek continued watching us from his seat. I could feel the weight of his stare, but it didn’t bother me the way it once would have. I was too focused on
Sophie's POVWe reached the boardroom. Ares opened the heavy door and held it for me. The moment we stepped inside, every person at the long, polished table stood up. The room was large and formal, with dark wood paneling and a massive table in the center. Bright sunlight poured in through the tall windows, but the atmosphere felt thick with expectation and quiet tension.Derek was already seated on the left side of the head chair. His eyes locked onto me the second I walked in beside Ares. I could feel the heavy weight of his stare, but I didn’t shrink from it the way I used to. I kept my chin up and walked with steady steps.Ares greeted everyone with warm authority. “Thank you all for coming. Let’s get started.”He walked to the head of the table like he owned every inch of the room — which, in many ways, he did. I walked right beside him, holding my laptop and phone, trying to look professional even though my heart was racing and my body was still humming from his whispered words
Sophie's POVMy breath came faster. I could already imagine it — him locking that door, pushing me against the desk, his mouth on me while the whole floor worked just outside.Ares reached out and brushed his thumb gently over my bottom lip, the same lip he had kissed so thoroughly in the car.“I’m not going to rush you,” he said softly. “But I want you to know… I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere. If you need me — for work, or for anything else — all you have to do is walk through that door.”He leaned in and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to my forehead, his hand resting lightly on my waist.“Now go settle in, beautiful,” he murmured. “Your first day is about to start. And I’ll be thinking about that kiss every single time I look at this door between our offices.” He gave me one last heated look, then turned and walked toward the connecting door. Before he opened it, he glanced back over his shoulder.“Try not to miss me too much,” he said with a small, wicked smile. “We hav
Sophie's POVA shaky breath left me. My thighs pressed together on the leather seat. I was so wet now I could feel it.“But we don’t have time for that right now,” he continued, his eyes locked on mine. “You have to go in there and be brilliant. And I have to sit through meetings knowing you’re working with my kiss still on your lips and your pussy probably soaked because of me.”He leaned in and kissed me one more time — slower, deeper, like he was trying to brand the feeling into both of us. His tongue stroked mine lazily, thoroughly, until I was dizzy and clinging to him.When he finally pulled back from the kiss, his forehead rested against mine for a long moment. His hand stayed on my throat, thumb stroking gently over my skin in slow, soothing circles. My lips felt swollen and tingling, and I could still taste him on my tongue.“Fuck, you taste divine,” he whispered, his voice rough and low, like the words were pulled straight from his chest.My heart was pounding so hard I coul
Ares's POVNot gently. Not in some polite, reasonable way. I wanted her completely. I wanted to be the one she turned to when things got hard. I wanted to be the name in her head when she fell asleep at night. I wanted to take every single thing Derek had failed to give her in two years and give it
Ares's POVI sat at the dining table for a long time after Derek walked out with Sophie. The chair beside me stayed empty. Her plate was still there, the food barely touched. The candles kept burning like nothing had changed, but everything had changed. The air in the room felt heavier now.Shirley
Sophie's POVI let go of the banister and started walking.The hallways of the mansion at this hour had a different quality than during the day. Quieter. The lighting was lower, the wall sconces casting long warm shadows on the carpet, and my footsteps were soft and even and the only sound I made a
Sophie's POVFive words.Said plainly. Dropped on the table like the bill at the end of a meal. Simple and final and completely, carelessly cruel in the way that only truly thoughtless things could be, because he hadn't planned it — I could see that on his face even as he said it, the slight wideni
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