LOGINRiley made it exactly three steps out of the equipment room before her knees gave out.Sarah caught her before she hit the ground. "Whoa! Hey, are you okay? You're burning up!""I'm fine," Riley gasped, but she wasn't fine. Her wolf was going absolutely feral now that Samuel knew, now that he'd called her *mate* in that commanding Alpha voice that made her want to submit to him completely."You're not fine. You're literally shaking." Sarah helped her to a bench. "I'm calling an ambulance.""No!" Riley grabbed her wrist, probably too hard based on Sarah's wince. "No ambulances. I just need... I need air."Samuel was still in the pool, deliberately not looking at them, but Riley could feel his attention like a physical weight. Could smell his wolf riding him hard, wanting to come protect his mate.This was a disaster."I'm taking you home," Sarah said firmly, already packing up the cameras. "Come on. Can you walk?"Riley forced herself to stand, forced her legs to cooperate. Each step a
Riley made it exactly three steps out of the equipment room before her knees gave out.Sarah caught her before she hit the ground. "Whoa! Hey, are you okay? You're burning up!""I'm fine," Riley gasped, but she wasn't fine. Her wolf was going absolutely feral now that Samuel knew, now that he'd called her *mate* in that commanding Alpha voice that made her want to submit to him completely."You're not fine. You're literally shaking." Sarah helped her to a bench. "I'm calling an ambulance.""No!" Riley grabbed her wrist, probably too hard based on Sarah's wince. "No ambulances. I just need... I need air."Samuel was still in the pool, deliberately not looking at them, but Riley could feel his attention like a physical weight. Could smell his wolf riding him hard, wanting to come protect his mate.This was a disaster."I'm taking you home," Sarah said firmly, already packing up the cameras. "Come on. Can you walk?"Riley forced herself to stand, forced her legs to cooperate. Each step a
Riley felt it before she even opened her eyes the next morning.The pull of the full moon, even though it was still daylight. Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, restless and hungry after two years of being caged. The sensation was so strong it made her gasp, clutching the sheets as her body temperature spiked.*Mate,* her wolf whined. *Close. So close.*"No," Riley whispered, pressing her palms against her eyes. "Not now. Please not now."But her wolf didn't listen. It never did during a full moon, especially not when they were this close to their mate. She could smell him even from here—pine and chlorine and something uniquely Samuel that made her wolf claw at her insides, desperate to break free.Her phone buzzed. Sarah."Hey! Marcus wants us to do a morning training session shoot with Samuel. 6 AM at the pool. Can you make it? I know it's early but the lighting will be perfect!"Riley's hands shook as she typed back. "I'll be there."She shouldn't go. Not with the full moon tonight
Riley sat there on the toilet seat, fully clothed, staring at nothing.One week.She had one week to finish the article, wrap up her life in Springfield, and disappear again.One week before she had to leave Samuel behind. Again.The bathroom door opened. "Riley? You in here?"Sarah.Riley wiped her face and came out of the stall. "Yeah. Sorry. Still feeling rough."Sarah looked at her with concern. "You should really go home. This is the second day you've been sick.""I'm fine. We have the interview at 2, remember?""I can handle it alone if you need to rest.""No." Riley washed her hands, avoiding her reflection. "I need to be there."Because she had one week. One week to get as much of Samuel's story as possible. One week to be near him, even if he didn't know who she really was.One week, and then she'd have to vanish again.Like she'd never existed at all.They went back to the conference room. The meeting was wrapping up. Marcus was handing out new assignments."Chen, I want you
Riley woke up with a headache and crusty eyes from crying herself to sleep.Her phone said 6:47 AM. She'd forgotten to set an alarm, but her body was used to waking up early anyway. Old habits from living with Nova, who'd insisted on 6 AM wake-ups for "optimal productivity."She dragged herself to the bathroom and winced at her reflection. Her eyes were puffy and red, her skin blotchy. The face that cost her everything she'd saved looked like hell."Great," she muttered, splashing cold water on her face.The coffee maker beeped in the kitchen. At least she'd had the foresight to set that up last night before her breakdown. Small victories.She made toast she didn't really want and scrolled through her phone while chewing mechanically. Emails from work. A reminder about the interview with Lysander today at 2 PM. Three missed calls from a number she didn't recognize.Probably Nova. She deleted them without listening to the voicemails.Her therapist—the one she'd been seeing virtually fo
Riley made it to the bathroom before she threw up.She knelt on the cold tile floor, her whole body shaking, trying to breathe through the panic attack. Nova's voice kept echoing in her head, that same cruel tone he'd used for seven years."Breathe," she told herself. "Just breathe."The bathroom door opened. "Riley? Are you okay?"Sarah. Of course."I'm fine," Riley called out, wiping her mouth with shaky hands. "Just... bad sushi from yesterday.""Do you need me to get you anything? Water? Ginger ale?"Riley flushed the toilet and stood up on wobbly legs. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her carefully applied makeup was smudged, her new face looking pale and drawn. She barely recognized herself sometimes."I'm okay," she said, opening the stall door. "Really."Sarah handed her some paper towels, her expression worried. "You don't look okay. Maybe you should go home.""I can't. We have too much work to do.""Riley, the work can wait." Sarah touched her arm gently. "Whatever's goi







