CHAPTER 004

—BELLAMY:

Her scent hit me exactly as I remembered it from that night. Lilac, rose, and something uniquely hers. It had been two months, and I had spent every single day trying to convince myself that what happened between us had been a mistake. Yet every morning, I still woke with the taste of her lingering on my tongue and the memory of her soft gasps echoing inside my head.

The moment I realized she was truly here, my wolf stirred violently beneath my skin. Her scent wrapped around me like a vice, tightening with every breath I took. I saw the exact second she decided to run again, and something inside me snapped at the thought of watching her slip away for a second time.

A true Alpha never abandons his people. That belief had been drilled into me since childhood. A leader stood firm even when circumstances became unbearable. That was what I told myself as I stood beneath the freezing shower later that night, cold water pouring over my body while my thoughts refused to quiet.

Because the truth was becoming harder to ignore. Was bringing Daphne home truly about duty? Or was it because some dark, twisted part of me simply couldn’t let her go? The thought alone disgusted me. I immediately shoved it away, gripping the edge of the marble wall as water streamed down my face. That night should never have happened. I had repeated those words to myself countless times, but they never stayed long enough to matter.

Maybe it was because I remembered every second too vividly. She had stumbled into my room drunk and heartbroken, believing it belonged to Roth. I should have stopped it the moment I realized. Instead, the second I buried myself inside her and felt her tight cunt clench around me, every ounce of restraint I had spent years building shattered completely.

I had taken her virginity. The memory alone made my pulse turn violent. The bloodstained sheets from that night were still hidden inside my closet like some shameful secret I could not bring myself to destroy. Disgust curled heavily inside me, yet even now, just the thought of her was enough to make my cock harden painfully beneath the stream of cold water. It was maddening. Wrong. I was old enough to know better. Experienced enough to control myself.

Yet my body betrayed me every single time. I noticed things I had no business noticing. The way her breath caught whenever she became nervous, her hardening nipples presses tightly against her shirt, the softness of her lips whenever she bit down on them and the way her thighs pressed together whenever my voice dropped lower. And God help me, I kept imagining how she would sound if I touched her again.

“Control yourself, Bellamy,” I muttered harshly beneath my breath.

But the cold shower did nothing to ease the pressure coiling low in my stomach. If anything, it made the fantasies worse. I could almost picture her kneeling beneath the spray of water, her pretty lips parted for me while those innocent green eyes stared up at me in submission.

My jaw tightened. With a curse, I shut off the shower and stepped out before I completely lost my mind. It felt impossible to reconcile the woman Daphne had become with the little girl who had once arrived at my doorstep years ago. I still remembered carrying her inside for the first time, remembered those large green eyes staring up at me with cautious curiosity. Back then, my protectiveness toward her had been innocent and pure. So when exactly had it turned into this?

I dressed quickly, forcing my thoughts elsewhere. There was too much work waiting for me to sit around obsessing over forbidden desires. Running the Vermont Pack no longer meant spending my days training warriors on open fields. The world had changed, and so had leadership.

Now my responsibilities involved overseeing businesses, attending negotiations, managing hundreds of employees, and ensuring the stability of one of the most powerful werewolf packs in the world. The Vermont Pack’s influence stretched far beyond pack borders, with businesses and investments spread across multiple territories. Other packs envied what we had built, and many spent their time searching for ways to tear it down.

A knock sounded at my bedroom door. “Come in.”

Julian stepped inside already dressed in a tailored black Armani suit, his dark ginger hair slicked neatly back. Sometimes looking at him unsettled me with how much he resembled me. Other times, it simply made me proud.

“Father, the files are prepared,” he said smoothly. “But the Blackwood Pack reduced their involvement in the deal. Looks like the Blackveil Pack influenced them.”

Blackveil our number one rival pack. Though they were insignificant compared to us in strength, their relentless attempts to undermine us were deeply irritating. Just as steady, small cracks can eventually bring down a structure, their persistent efforts chipped away at my patience.

“Find someone to replace them. Offer triple the payment.” Julian nodded in agreement. He bore a remarkable resemblance to me, sometimes unnerving but more often filling me with pride. It felt like only yesterday when he was running around, holding onto my trousers.

“Let’s go.” I gave a light pat on his shoulder.

We climbed into the same car, heading toward our headquarters. My most dependable guard and beta took the wheel. He kept stealing glances at me, as though he wished to share something, so upon arrival, I sent Julian inside first.

“What is it?”

“I have news about Raine.”

My heart skipped. Raine—my wife, or rather ex-wife, given her ten-year absence. “Did you find her?”

“I found a lead.”

I nearly groaned. That was always the case: leads that never brought us closer to her. Perhaps it would have been wiser to stop searching yet a part of me refused to let go. I couldn’t understand why she left. I gave her the world or as close as I could manage. I vowed to end the search once she explained why she woke up one morning and left. Ten years later, I was still waiting.

“Keep looking. I don’t want leads, I want her.”

I stepped out of the car and headed straight into the meeting, which lasted an hour before the deal was finally sealed. That evening, we gathered for a family dinner to celebrate. The process had taken us two months with Julian particularly dedicated to the effort. It was my way of rewarding his diligence. If only Roth were like him but he was the polar opposite, refusing to join us for dinner. I didn’t have the heart to invite Daphne either. I was actively trying to avoid her as well.

“I’m proud of you, son. You’ve made this old man happy.”

His eyes sparkled. “And if I got married, would that kill you with happiness?”

A quiet laugh escaped me. “Maybe.”

He laughed. Moments like these made life feel bearable. Suddenly, the door to the dining hall swung open. This time, Roth had a woman pressed close against him, her golden hair framing her face and the tiny revealing dress she wore left little to the imagination, making her appear nothing less than a prostitute.

A smirk crept across his lips. “Father,” he said, bowing his head before taking a seat next to Julian. The woman hesitated, wisely so—had she thoughtlessly joined me at the same table, her foolishness would have cost her dearly at the pack’s gate.

“Allow me to introduce my woman, Elena Blooms.”

Her scent immediately told me she wasn’t from our territory. Normally, I would not have cared but after what he had done to Daphne, seeing him parade another woman around so shamelessly ignited something dark inside me. Worse, there was something deeply off about her. Years of leadership had sharpened my instincts, and every instinct I possessed told me this woman was hiding something dangerous beneath that pretty exterior. I only hoped Roth had not been stupid enough to entangle himself with someone sent by a rival pack.

“I need your blessing. I want to marry her.”

Julian snorted. “Or you just want the freedom to sleep with her without questions.”

“I already did that, brother.”

“Careful,” I warned sharply. “As for my blessing—no.” I resumed eating, cutting the conversation short. 

Roth let out an angry chuckle. “You can’t really mean that whore is the reason.” 

My knuckles clenched around my utensils. It sickened me how much he resembled Raine, both in looks and temperament. “Watch yourself,” I said, my voice low.

“It’s not my fault she’s a whore. If anything, I took pity on her. So why am I the one being blamed?” Roth roared.

“Utter one more word of disrespect towards Daphne and I’ll silence that poisonous tongue of yours.”

His face drained of color. I turned toward the doorway, my appetite long gone. Just before leaving the dining hall, I paused and looked back at him one final time. “Kneel before Daphne and apologize properly,” I ordered coldly. “And if she does not come to me herself and say she forgives you, then forget ever calling yourself my son again.”