LOGINLeora I sat at the polished vanity table of the high-end hotel room, violently brushing out my hair.I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was gorgeous, young, and destined for power. Yet I was trapped in the Winter Pack, tied to Jon—a weak, pathetic boy who didn't have a single drop of real authority in his veins. He wasn't a real man. Every time I looked at him, I felt sick."Pack the rest of the dresses into the trunk," I snapped, glaring at my maid, Maya, through the mirror. "And make sure the silk ones aren't wrinkled this time.""Yes, Lady Leora," Maya murmured, bowing her head and rushing to fold the garments scattered across the velvet armchairs.I set the brush down with a heavy thud, my frustration mounting. I had spent a small fortune paying a rogue informant to track Alpha Romeo’s movements. The informant told me Romeo had slipped into the Neutral Lands for a secret business deal and would be leaving soon.The moment I heard that, I made my move. I lied straight to m
JonI paced through the hallway of the Winter Pack main house, my head throbbing with frustration and fear.Leora had been missing for two full days. Nobody knew where she was. Her father had approved the trip because she claimed she was visiting her friend in the neighboring Silver Pack. We had an old, diplomatic alliance with them, so no one questioned it.Except she never arrived.I called the Silver Pack Alpha myself yesterday afternoon. He confirmed that Leora’s car had never passed through their border control. She was just gone.I was terrified. Despite how brutally she had treated me over the past few months—despite catching her cheating, despite her calling me weak and useless, despite her screaming that she wished she had slept with Alpha Romeo before her mother did—a foolish, stubborn part of me was still completely smitten with her. I loved her. I hated myself for it, but I did. I wanted her safe. I wanted to be the one to bring her home and prove to her that I was a real
Christie's POV When I pulled the Bentley into the driveway that evening, the house looked completely gloomy. The windows in the main living room and the upper bedrooms were pitch black. The city power board had kept the main lines cut off, exactly as I had arranged. The only light coming from the entire structure was from Richard's wing. I unlocked the front door and stepped into the dark hallway. The air in the main house was already growing chilly, and the complete silence felt heavy. But as I walked past the kitchen toward Richard’s wing, I realized the house wasn't completely empty.Because the main house had no running water or electricity, Diane and Anna had been forced to move all their personal things into the small sitting area right outside Richard’s door. It was the only part of the building that remained fully powered and warm, relying entirely on the isolated backup lines and water pipes I had secured with my own medical salary.I pushed the door open and saw them. Dia
Christie's POV Rickon was too desperate. He was pulling the wrong moves. He was trying to get to Lyon through me and he'd even attempted to buy out my work space, if not for Lyon's intervention.The morning after the press conference, the lab felt entirely different. The bright glare of the media flashbulbs was gone, replaced by the familiar, hum of our laboratory equipment. I sat at my desk, looking at the official notification on my computer screen. The city medical board had officially transferred the research grant funds directly into my lab account. Seeing the balance look so secure brought a massive sense of relief to my chest.My team of lab assistants was already busy in the main storage room. They were opening boxes and cataloging the new inventory of premium glass vials and medical stabilizers that had arrived with the first wave of funding. I stood by the glass partition, watching them check off the items on their clipboards. By mid-morning, a knock came at my office do
Third POVThe official notice from the City Medical Review arrived early in the week. Christie’s independent research on cellular stabilizers had achieved a major breakthrough. The medical board recognized her work as a significant advancement in the scientific community. Along with the official recognition, she received a formal invitation to an exclusive, daytime press conference held at the Grand City Auditorium. The board planned to award her a prestigious research grant for her work as a lead doctor.On the morning of the event, the auditorium was filled with people. Medical professionals, corporate investors, and reporters with large cameras occupied rows of velvet seats. The lighting was bright, focused entirely on the main stage where the medical board members stood behind a wooden podium.Christie sat near the front, waiting for her name to be called. Her heart beat steadily. She felt a sense of pride because this achievement belonged entirely to her hard work in the lab. She
Christie's POV The drive to the medical lab was quiet. The car moved smoothly through the morning traffic, but my mind was still back at the house. I could still see the look on Anna’s face when she realized the kitchen lights were dead and the water wasn't going to run in her bathroom. I felt a small sense of relief knowing that Richard’s medical wing was safe, but I knew my family wouldn't just sit quietly in the dark. They always found a way to create trouble.I parked the car in my designated spot near the entrance of the lab. The security guards at the gate nodded politely as I walked past. Inside, the lab was cool and filled with the familiar smell of antiseptic. I put on my white lab coat and went straight to my desk to log in my morning reports.I had just pulled up the latest test data for the wolf serum stabilizers when my assistant tapped on my open door."Dr. Christie, there is someone here to see you," she said, looking a bit nervous. "He says he is from Lyon’s corporat
Unknown POV The crystal chandeliers of the Don’s ballroom cast a blinding light over the assembled elite. For Diane and Anna, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of expensive lilies and the desperate hope of a social resurrection. They moved through the crowd like a single, shimmering unit, t
Christie's POV Richard lay in the center of the massive bed, looking small beneath the heavy velvet quilt. His skin was the color of wet parchment, and his breathing was shallow—a rattling sound that made my chest tighten with every exhale.Lyon closed the door softly behind us
Christie's POV “Are you sure you want me to take you back to that house?” Lyon asked one last time. I nodded. “This is important. Richard is the only one who ever treated me like a real human being.”The screech of the tires against the asphalt was the only sound that dared to break the tension.
Christie’s POVOkay, Lyon went out and sorted out what it was. Nothing serious. I breathed a sigh of relief.The hum of the mainframe was the only sound left in the room. I had finished the sequence, but I couldn't move. I stayed seated at the stool, my back to Lyon, feeling the heat of his gaze







