CHAPTER FOUR

SHERRY.

A year later.

The black SUV pulled up to the gates of the Blood Moon estate, the tires crunching loudly over the gravel. I looked out the tinted window, my heart steady, my breath even. Exactly one year ago, I had run from this place in tears, broken and humiliated.

Today, I was returning on my own terms.

"Are you ready for this?" Mia asked from the passenger seat, turning to look at me. Her eyes danced with anticipation. "Because you look like a queen ready to reclaim her throne."

I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror. I had chosen a backless, emerald-green dress that clung to every newly curve of my body. The slit on the side exposed a long, toned leg, and my brown hair fell in soft, loose waves over my bare shoulders. My almond eyes were lined with dark makeup, making them look piercing, almost lethal.

"I've been ready for twelve months, Mia," I said, a slow smirk spreading across my lips. "Let's go."

We stepped out of the car, the warm Florida night air wrapping around us. As we walked toward the grand hall, the heavy bass of the music vibrated through the ground. The doors were wide open, spilling golden light onto the manicured lawns.

The moment I stepped through the threshold, the music seemed to fade into the background.

It started with a few hushed whispers near the entrance. Then, like a domino effect, the silence spread. Head after head turned in our direction. The wolves of the Blood Moon pack stared, their mouths opening in sheer disbelief. They were looking for the fragile, quiet girl who used to hide in the corners with her face buried in books.

Instead, they found me. I walked with my chin held high, my posture perfects

"Is that... Sherry?" someone whispered nearby.

"No way. She looks... stunning."

I ignored them, my eyes scanning the room until they landed on my family. Viktor was standing near the stage, talking to a group of elders. The moment he saw me, his eyes widened, and a massive, proud smile broke across his face. He excused himself and jogged over, pulling me into a tight, warm hug.

"Look at you," Viktor breathed, stepping back to admire me. "My little sister is a certified heartbreaker. Happy twentieth birthday, Sherry."

"Thanks, Vik," I said, my voice smooth. "It's good to be back."

"Sherry?"

I turned to see my mother, Camilla, walking toward us. She stopped a few feet away, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. For the first time in her life, she looked utterly speechless. Her jaw practically touched the floor before she quickly masked her shock with a tight, plastic smile.

"Well," Camilla murmured, clearing her throat. "The city air clearly did you some good. You actually look like an Alpha's daughter now."

"I always was, Mother," I replied coldly. "You just chose not to see it."

Before she could reply, my father, Albert, stepped up, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "My beautiful girl. You're home." He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing tight. "You look strong, Sherry. So strong."

"I am, Father. Thanks to you letting me go."

"Hey, the guest of honor has arrived!" a booming voice called out.

My back stiffened slightly, but I didn't lose my composure. I slowly turned around to face the source of the voice.

Eric stood there.

He was as handsome as ever, his muscular frame filled out in a black suit. But the smug, arrogant look on his face completely vanished the moment his eyes locked onto mine. His dark eyes dilated. His breath caught in his throat, his chest freezing mid-inhale. I could see the exact moment his brain registered who I was.

Standing right beside him, clutching his arm like a lifeline, was Hazel. She was wearing a tight red dress, but her face had gone completely pale, her eyes filled with immediate, burning jealousy.

"Sherry?" Eric choked out, taking an instinctive step toward me.

"Beta Eric," I said, my voice dripping with polite, icy indifference. "And Hazel. Nice of you to join my party."

"You... you look..." Eric stammered, his eyes running down the length of my body, lingering on the exposed skin of my back and the high slit of my dress. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "You look different."

"I grew up," I said simply. "It happens when you stop letting people drag you down."

Hazel tightened her grip on Eric's arm, her claws digging into his sleeve. "Happy birthday, Sherry. We didn't think you'd actually show up tonight. Usually, you're so... reclusive."

"I used to be," I replied, looking directly at Hazel, my gaze sharp enough to cut. "But I realized hiding is for the weak. And as Eric so loudly pointed out last year, we can't have weak wolves in this pack, can we?"

Eric flinched as if I had slapped him. A dark flash of regret crossed his features, but he tried to mask it, stepping a fraction closer to me. "Sherry, can we talk? In private?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Eric," I said, taking a sip of the champagne Mia had just handed me. "I'm busy enjoying my birthday."

"Sherry, please," Eric muttered, his voice dropping to a low, pleading tone that I had never heard from him before. The arrogant Beta was gone; he looked completely captivated, his wolf clearly clawing at his mind, screaming at him for the mistake he had made. "Just five minutes."

"She said no, mate."

A deep voice rumbled from the entrance of the hall, cutting through the tension.

An oppressive, crushing wave of dominant Alpha aura flooded the entire room, so strong that several younger wolves in the crowd instantly dropped their gazes to the floor. 

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

My heart skipped a beat. That scent.

Cedarwood

I turned my head toward the double doors, my breath catching in my throat.

Walking into the hall was the man from the woods. The man with the crimson eyes.

He was dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that clung to his massive, broad-shouldered frame. His dark hair was styled back, exposing his rugged facial features and the faint, wicked scar running along his jawline. His eyes, though currently a dark, burning hazel, carried the exact same predatory intensity I had seen in the forest a year ago.

I would remember him any where because he had been hunting my dream this past year.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

It made me restless seeing him now, standing just a few feet away from me. 

It is amazing how I was dreaming about him two nights ago just to have him in the same space right now.

Beside me, Viktor's posture went completely rigid. He stepped in front of me defensively. "Alpha Jax," Viktor growled, his voice laced with warning. "You are crossing borders. The Obsidian Claw pack has no business at a private Blood Moon celebration."

Alpha Jax.

The name sent a thrill of shock through the room. The Obsidian Claw pack was our rival, one of the most powerful and ruthless territories in the state. And Jax was their notorious, cold-blooded Alpha.

We had been enemies since as long as I could remember.

Jax didn't look at Viktor. He didn't look at the guards who were slowly reaching for their weapons. His burning gaze was locked entirely on me. A slow smirk pulled at the corner of his lips as his eyes raked over my green dress, a dark spark of approval lighting up his face.

"I received an invitation, Alpha Viktor," Jax said, his voice a smooth, gravelly baritone that made my skin tingle. He held up a silver-embossed card. "Your mother was kind enough to extend an olive branch. And I must say, I am very glad I accepted."

My mother?

Oh moon goddess

Camilla quickly stepped forward, smiling nervously. "Yes, Viktor, please. We are trying to build alliances. Alpha Jax is our guest."

Jax took a slow step forward, the crowd parting for him like the Red Sea. He stopped directly in front of me, completely ignoring Eric, who was now growling softly under his breath, his fists clenched at his sides.

I held my breath, trying not to take in much of his scent since my system had already turned into a mushy mess just by being in the same space with him.

It was baffling how much he affected me and how much I wanted him closer.

"Happy birthday, Sherry," Jax murmured, his voice dropping to a private, intimate tone. He leaned in slightly, his scent washing over me, making my wolf hum with a strange, intoxicating warmth. "You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you in the woods."

My heart hammered against my ribs. He remembered.

"You shouldn't be here," I whispered, though I didn't back away. I stood my ground, staring right back into his intense eyes.

"I go wherever I please," Jax replied smoothly. He reached out, his large, warm hand gently taking mine. His skin was electric, sending a jolt of pure fire straight up my arm. He brought my knuckles to his lips, his gaze never leaving mine. "Especially when there is something here I intend to claim."

"Hey!" Eric snarled, stepping forward, his eyes flashing yellow. He shoved his way past Viktor, pointing a finger at Jax. "Take your hands off her. She belongs to the Blood Moon pack."

Jax slowly let go of my hand, turning his head to look at Eric. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by an icy glare. "She belongs to no one, Beta. Especially not to a fool who doesn't know how to keep what the heavens gave him."

"You don't know anything about us," Eric spat, his chest heaving as his protective instincts flared violently. He looked at me, his eyes pleading. "Sherry, tell him to leave. Tell him you don't want him here."

I looked at Eric, seeing the desperate jealousy burning in his eyes. Then I looked at Jax, who was watching me with a calm, arrogant confidence, as if he already knew my answer.

I took a slow sip of my champagne, a cold, beautiful smile playing on my lips.

"Actually, Eric," I said, my voice echoing in the tense silence of the room. "I think Alpha Jax can stay. He's a much more interesting guest than you are."

Before Eric could explode, the double doors at the back of the hall slammed open once more, and a second powerful, dominant aura crashed into the room, making the chandeliers above us rattle.

Another Alpha had just arrived.