CHAPTER 2

"Natalie, I’m not some lone wolf looking for a leash. I simply think Daniel is a solid ally. He guarded our tracks the entire time we were in the Southern Wilds. Can't you see the loyalty in his scent?"

"Am I expected to pledge myself to every wolf who shows me a scrap of kindness? By that logic, I should have mated with Professor Hough years ago!"

"Fine! Stay frozen in your ways! Daniel is a high-honor wolf. You won't find a scent like his again if you let the trail go cold now."

"Have a little more faith in my allure, brother," I said, trying to settle his ruffled fur. "Besides, did you consult the yearlings? They aren't exactly howling for a stepfather."

I shot a pointed glance at the pups.

Layla, ever the politician, tilted her head. "I don't need a second sire, but I'll lower my hackles for anyone Dad chooses to bring into the den."

She clearly hadn't caught the silent distress signal I was sending. I turned my hopes toward my son.

"Let's focus on the kill, Grandpa Elio," Hayden said, his voice as flat as the tundra.

"Alright, I’ll stop barking," Natalie sighed. "I’m just worried you’ll regret the solitude when the winter gets harsher. I won't waste my breath since your mind is set on a solitary hunt."

I let out a low chuckle. "Natalie, if you're so eager to play matchmaker, find a mate for Mike. He’s been prowling the underground taverns every night. I bet his wolf is starving for a partner."

Natalie was left without a growl.

The following day at Parker Industries, Daniel’s sudden appearance took me by surprise.

"Shouldn't you be resting in your den to recover from the long flight?" I asked, gesturing for him to sit on the furs draped over the sofa.

"Is there any of that bitter bean-brew here?" Daniel asked.

"There is, but you should avoid it this late. You'll be pacing the floor all night," I said, handing him a bowl of mountain water instead. "How about I lead you through the different sectors of the company later?"

Daniel nodded, then his expression grew serious. "I actually came to discuss a specific case with you."

He slid a high-resolution image across the desk. I picked it up, my curiosity piqued. "Who is this?"

"A patient. He’s been trapped in a deep sleep for three cycles now, though his wolf is still flickering beneath the surface. He’s a step above a mindless husk. His pack reached out to Professor Hough half a year ago. The Professor accepted the challenge but passed before he could finalize the neural-remapping plan..." Daniel explained.

"I understand. Since the Professor gave his word, send over his biological scans. I'll analyze the damage," I said.

"Will this distract you from your hunt? You've only just reclaimed your territory," Daniel said with a hint of hesitation. "Perhaps we should wait until the company's foundations are more secure."

I glanced back at the photo. "Send the data today. It’s a tragedy for a wolf with such a powerful aura to be rotting in a stasis pod for so long."

"I'll transmit it by nightfall," Daniel replied, standing up. "Now, show me the empire you’ve built in the ice!"

I couldn't help but let out a sharp laugh. "Don't mock me. I didn't tease you like this when I visited your labs at the Elizabeth Medical Wing."

As Daniel and I walked through the corridors, sharing stories and sharp wit, the scent of gossip traveled fast. Within hours, the rumor that I had a new Alpha suitor had spread through every floor of Parker Industries.

That afternoon, Tyler Dawson burst into Ethan’s study, sliding a digital screen across the desk. It showed Daniel and me walking close together.

"Collins Parker’s new suitor."

Ethan’s eyes darkened, the ice in them turning to obsidian. "Is that not the student who followed Professor Hough?"

He snatched the device, zooming in on Daniel’s face with a predatory focus.

"Do you recognize the wolf?" Tyler asked, his amusement rising. "The scouts say Collins spent the entire afternoon leading him through the sectors. They were walking shoulder-to-shoulder, laughing like they’d already shared a hunt. They looked... inseparable."

Ethan shoved the device back toward Tyler. "I know him."

"Hm. They look like a well-matched pair," Tyler said, testing the air as Ethan’s expression went stone-cold. "One has the calm of a healer, the other the grace of a king."

Ethan looked up, his gaze sharp enough to draw blood. "Do you enjoy the sound of your own howling, Tyler?"

"I’m just an observer! But looking at that tribute you selected for him makes me think your wolf hasn't entirely given up the ghost," Tyler teased. "You refused a necklace, rings, or a bracelet because you said those were for mates. You chose a brooch instead. Safe, right? Except you picked a diamond so massive the jeweler told me if he pins it over his heart, it’ll probably stop a silver bullet."

A heavy cloud of gloom settled over Ethan’s features.

"Is this a birthday gift or blood-money for the divorce?" Tyler continued to prodding the Alpha. "Do you think Collins would even dare to pin that to his furs?"

"Forget it, then," Ethan snapped. He dropped his pen, his appetite for work completely gone.

"That wasn't my point... I heard from Brandon that you gave Chloe a simple leather satchel for her birth-cycle," Tyler sighed. "How could you be so stingy with her? Aren't you worried she'll lose her mind when she scents that massive diamond on Collins?"

"Brandon selected that gift. I didn't check the ledger."

"Weren't you the one who authorized the trade?"

"I didn't look closely at the details."

Tyler was momentarily stunned into silence. "Since you have zero interest in Dr. Bennett, why haven't you broken the bond yet?" Tyler suggested. "I refuse to believe she’s the only healer in this world capable of mending Shea."

"That is the thorn in my paw," Ethan said, his brow furrowed in frustration. "You saw the progress Shea made after Chloe’s procedure. Every other medic I’ve summoned was helpless, but Chloe found the way."

If it weren't for the fact that Chloe held the key to Shea’s recovery, Ethan would never have tolerated her demands for his time.

"Wasn't Collins also a protege of Professor Hough?" Tyler asked.

"He was, but he traded his scalpel for a board-room when he launched Alpha Technologies," Ethan said. "He’s a businessman now, not a healer."

Tyler shook his head. "It would be a miracle if Collins could be the one to save Shea."

The thought made Ethan’s chest tighten with a strange, painful hope. But life in the North was rarely that kind.

A week later, Chloe Bennett called me and demanded a meeting.

"No," I replied, ending the conversation before it began. I’d seen enough of her viperous nature during our last encounter. I wasn't giving her a second opening.

Chloe let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Since you won't meet me, we'll settle this over the frequency! You claimed you claimed those yearlings from an orphanage, but my scouts scoured every sanctuary in the Southern Territories. There is no record of an adoption, Collins. You never claimed them from a stranger. They are your biological pups!"

Her words hit me like a silver blade, freezing the air in my lungs.

"If I’m right, those pups were sired by Ethan Carter," Chloe said, her malice echoing through the device.

A primal chill raced down my spine.

"Adoption ledgers are sealed by the Council!" I retorted, my claws digging into my palms.

"Ordinarily, yes. But my father has deep roots in the South," Chloe said with an arrogant, manic cackle. "His connections confirmed your lie. I’ve heard Ethan despises the idea of an heir. I wonder how he'd react if he found out you’ve been hiding his blood in plain sight!"

"Chloe Bennett! You’re crossing a line you can't uncross!" I snapped.

"Am I? Or are you the one trespassing? Ethan is my partner now! You’re the discarded mate! Why do you keep inserting yourself into our territory?" Chloe shrieked, her voice rising to a fever pitch. "I’ll bury this secret on one condition: you never set foot in Ethan’s presence again."

She sounded certain that I would bow to her. My children were my only weakness, my Achilles' heel. She expected me to roll over. After all, avoiding Ethan shouldn't have been a difficult task.

But I refused to be hunted like prey in my own Kingdom. I hadn't done anything wrong; why should I endure this blackmail?

"Let's meet," I said, my voice turning to steel as I mastered my emotions. "I'll be at the same lodge as before."

"Fine!"

Half an hour later, I was sitting across from Chloe in the same booth. As I sat down, I said mockingly, "The servers haven't heated any water today, Dr. Bennett."

Chloe flinched, the memory of our last meeting bringing a flash of embarrassment to her face.

I pulled out my device and tapped the recording icon, sliding it onto the table between us. "Do you want to start your own log? Let’s ensure every word of this threat is preserved for the Council."

Chloe was momentarily speechless. Why was I acting so bold when she held the kill-shot?

I casually scanned the menu, ordered a chilled juice and a small pastry, and then looked at her. Chloe ordered a juice and dismissed the server.

Once we were alone, Chloe leaned in. "You've got it rough, Collins. Usually, an omega's status rises when they bear an Alpha’s heirs, but for you, it’s the path to exile."

"I’m afraid I don’t see it that way. You think like that because you view yourself as a mere breeding vessel. I don't. My children belong to me. I didn't bear them for a man, nor for status," I said with a sharp, charming smile. "It’s hard to believe you’re a woman of science with such a primitive outlook."

Chloe’s shoulders shook with suppressed rage.

"It seems you aren't afraid of Ethan discovering the truth," she hissed. "In that case, perhaps I should ensure the 'happy family' reunites immediately."

"Ha! Do you know why I agreed to this meeting? I wanted to see how much your face would twist when your plan failed," I said. "And I was right."

Chloe went to slam her hand on the table, but the lingering burn from last time made her pull back. Her eyes turned a watery red as she struggled for control.

"Were you surprised by how easily Ethan fell for your trap? Using Shea’s life to leverage him into a partnership?"

I watched with cold indifference as the color drained from her face.

"I bet you don't sleep well at night. After all, you weren't the one who performed the surgery on Shea."

Chloe’s body began to tremble. Her head was buzzing, her skin turning a sickly shade of blue.

"I was at the Elizabeth Hospital that day, too. I saw the wolf who actually mended Shea," I said sternly, pinning her with my gaze. "If you want to threaten my pack, you better first consider how fast Ethan will cull you when he learns you're a fraud!"

The drinks arrived just then. I took a calm sip of my juice.

"I underestimated you, Collins Parker!" Chloe panted. She had gone from hunter to prey in a matter of minutes. "We’re even! Let’s pretend this conversation never happened. I’ll bury your secret, and you keep your mouth shut about the surgery!"

"Weren't you acting like a Lead Alpha just a moment ago?" I mocked. "You had a sliver of leverage and thought you could rule the North. How can you even call yourself a researcher with that ego? Even in ten cycles, you won't be able to cure Shea’s condition."

"Unless your skills outmatch mine, keep your insults to yourself!" Chloe snapped. "The one thing Professor Hough loathed was people like you who traded medicine for gold!"

I took a bite of my cake. The sweetness was perfect. "Aren't you curious about the wolf who actually saved Shea?" I asked, looking her dead in the eye. "You don't think your lie can survive forever, do you?"

"You think I haven't searched? I just haven't found the scent yet... You have a name, but you're too jealous of my place with Ethan to share it—"

"Don't make me laugh. If I wanted to break you apart, I’d just call Ethan and he’d have you exiled before sunset."

"Don’t you dare threaten me!" she roared.

"It doesn’t feel very pleasant, does it? Don't start a hunt you aren't prepared to finish."

I finished my cake and stood up. "The wolf who operated on Shea was a middle-aged male with cropped hair. Lean, standing about five-foot-six..."

Chloe’s eyes went wide. "Why are you giving me this?!"

"Because I never want to see your face again," I replied coldly. "Don’t contact me. I have a company to run; I don't have time for your pup-level bickering."

"Consider it done!" Chloe exclaimed, her relief palpable. "Thank you for the lead!"

A week before my birth-cycle celebration, Tyler burst into Ethan’s office.

"Did you get an invitation to Collins's party, Ethan?"

"I did not," Ethan replied, his eyes dropping to the scrolls on his desk. "Did you?"

"Nothing. I figured I wouldn't be on the list if you weren't," Tyler said. "Maybe he isn't even marking the day."

"That’s a possibility. He always preferred a quiet den."

"You already commissioned that brooch; you have to send it," Tyler insisted. "Should I call Parker Industries and poke around?"

"Do as you wish. There's no need to report the details to me."

Ten minutes later, Tyler was back, looking indignant. "Ethan! Collins is going all out! He’s booked the Great Astor Hall at the Oasis Ridge Lodge for the feast, but we’re not on the guest list!"

Ethan felt like a silver blade had been driven through his chest. To Collins, he was truly just a ghost.

"He has his reasons for excluding me," Ethan said with forced indifference. "Is your work finished? Or should I double your workload?"

Tyler fled the room.

But Ethan’s mind wouldn't go quiet. Half an hour later, he called the Oasis Ridge Lodge. Since Collins had taken the Great Astor Hall, Ethan booked the smaller Celestial Hall right next to it. He wanted to see the scale of Collins's new life for himself.

That weekend, the Astor Hall was packed with the elite of Valeria.

"Why hasn't Collins arrived yet?" Tammy asked Mike the moment she stepped into the hall. "He hasn't even acknowledged my signal from last night."

Mike shrugged, looking a bit harried. "He’s been deep in some project. I don’t know the details, but he promised he’d be here. I sent him the location."

"Okay... is it something with the company?"

"I really don't know. Wolves need their privacy. We’re like brothers... he doesn't have to tell me everything."

"I see. So who organized this massive hunt if the guest of honor is missing?"

"That would be me!" Mike declared proudly. "And I handled the guest list, too!"

Tammy let out a laugh and wandered over toward the Celestial Hall next door. The Celestial Hall was smaller, and thanks to Mike’s 'oversight,' Ethan’s circle was gathering there. Tammy sat down next to Jun.

"Where’s the Alpha? Why isn't Ethan here? I heard he was fuming about the lack of an invite," Tammy said, taking a sip of Jun's wine.

"He said he was caught in a snow-drift half an hour ago," Tyler said, looking toward the door. "Is Collins there yet?"

"Not yet! Mike says he’s been preoccupied. He didn't even plan the feast; Mike did all the summoning. Since Mike doesn't exactly love any of you, it makes sense you were left out in the cold!"

Outside in the hall, Daniel Harris was walking toward the festivities when he saw a commotion.

Mike was being pinned against a stone pillar by two men. One of them was Ethan Carter.

Daniel rushed over, pulling Mike back toward his side. "Why are you attacking my friend, Alpha Carter?"

Ethan, who had arrived just minutes prior, looked lethal. He had seen Mike pinning Brandon Hayes to the floor and laying into him. The sight had made his blood boil, and he had leveled Mike with a single kick before the fight turned into a two-on-one brawl.

"He was assaulting my lieutenant, Dr. Harris," Ethan said, dusting snow off his furs. "Brandon isn't built for a street-brawl with a rogue like him."