MasukAdrian POVThe liquid swirled gently against the sides of my glass, catching the warm overhead lighting of my executive office. Across the room, the flat-screen television mounted above the fireplace played on mute. The lower banner of the supernatural news network flashed in bold, glowing letters: BLACKWOOD SCANDAL CLEARED: OBSESSED ASSISTANT UNMASKED.I took a slow, satisfying sip of the thirty-year-old scotch, letting the heat settle in my chest. A quiet, confident smile touched my lips.In less than forty-eight hours, I had taken a potential catastrophe that threatened to drag my name through the mud and turned it into the ultimate narrative of betrayal and resilience. Every major news outlet in the state was running the exact story I had fed them. The commentary shows were spending hours discussing how tragic it was that a wolf-less Omega had abused my kindness, how pathetic her unrequited love had been, and how heroically I had protected my future Luna from a bitter stalker.My
Natalia POV"Why?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet but utterly firm.Cassian raised an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on mine. "Why what?""Why would the most powerful Alpha in the western territory offer a blank check to someone like me?" I demanded, refusing to break eye contact. "You do not know me, I am a wolf-less Omega with a ruined public reputation. You could invest your money anywhere in the state. What do you really want from me, Cassian?"Cassian set his glass of black coffee down on the saucer. "I know more about you than you think, Natalia," he said quietly. "Three years ago, the Blackwood Group was six months away from total financial collapse. Their balance sheets were a mess, their regional supply routes were losing money every quarter, and their tax filings were unorganized."He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms against the table. "And then, suddenly, within four months, everything changed," he continued. "Blackwood began executing hyper-aggressive corporate acqu
Adrian POVThe blinding flashes from the paparazzi cameras burned into my retinas, turning the underground parking garage into a chaotic strobe light."Alpha Adrian! Is it true Blackwood Group is claiming bankruptcy?""Did you steal intellectual property from a wolf-less Omega?"The supernatural reporters' voices merged into a deafening, overlapping roar. Dozens of microphones were shoved over the security barricades, inches from my face. I stood frozen in the elevator doors, paralyzed by the sudden violence of the public exposure.For three years, I had carefully crafted every single headline printed about me. I was the golden boy of the supernatural council; I was the untouchable visionary; and now I was standing in front of flashing cameras, looking like a cornered thief.Before I could open my mouth to issue a command, a heavy mass collided with my side. "Move!" Marcus, my head of security, roared.Marcus grabbed the lapel of my suit jacket and violently yanked me forward. He whip
Natalie povI sat on the edge of the bed with the phone pressed hard against my ear, the silence stretching over the line was heavy. I stared at the blank television screen across the room, trying to process the name that had just echoed through the speaker."Cassian Voss?" I repeated softly, making sure I had not misheard him. "Of the Voss Dominion?""Yes," the deep, calm voice replied. "And we have a lot to discuss, Natalia."I gripped the phone tighter. "I do not know how you got this number, Alpha Voss," I said,"But I am not looking for a job, I have already rejected every offer from every pack in the state. I do not work for Alphas anymore. So unless you dialed the wrong number, this conversation is over."Cassian chuckled, it was a low sound that held genuine amusement. "I am not calling to offer you a job, Natalia. I have enough employees," he said easily. "I am calling to offer you a solution to your current blockade, I know Adrian is actively freezing you out of the supernatu
Natalie povI did not sleep at all that night.After I left Elias's office, I went straight back to my hotel room, locked the door, and collapsed onto the bed but my mind refused to shut down. I stared at the ceiling for hours, watching the shadows stretch across the walls.The reality of the supernatural world was crushing me, Adrian was an Alpha, he was royalty. He had endless money, deep political connections, and the power to destroy a person's life with a single phone call. I was a wolf-less Omega, I had a brilliant mind and a decent bank account, but how was I supposed to navigate a world that bowed to him? How could I build an empire when the king had officially banned me from buying the bricks?I tossed and turned, my anxiety burning in my chest, I spent the entire night wondering how I could outsmart a man who held all the cards. It was only when the sky outside my window started to turn a pale, morning blue that my exhausted eyes finally fluttered shut.I felt like I had onl
Natalie povSunlight poured through the glass windows of my hotel suite, warming the white blankets covering my legs. I opened my eyes slowly and took a deep breath. For the first time in three years, I had slept for a full eight hours. In fact, I had slept perfectly for an entire week.I pushed the blankets aside and walked into the bathroom, I leaned over the sink and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I barely recognized the woman looking back at me.The dark purple circles under my eyes were gone. My skin had a healthy glow instead of the pale, sickly color of a girl who never saw the sun. My shoulders were relaxed, I looked rested and at peace.I walked back into the main room and poured myself a cup of hot coffee from the room service cart, the television mounted on the wall was playing quietly in the background on a local news channel. A reporter was standing outside the Blackwood headquarters, talking rapidly into a microphone. The words "Search Party" flashed across the







