ANMELDENAdele's POVMy steps echoed nervously across the polished stone floor as I approached the secluded cabin of the Michelin-starred restaurant, my mind a tangle of questions and unease. Why did Lord Damien need to see me so urgently? I had been tirelessly coordinating every detail of his new luxury apartment, tweaking designs, adjusting finishes, and sending him constant updates. Nothing had seemed out of order… so why the sudden summons?Exhaustion tugged at my body and soul; I hadn't been home since the previous night, my muscles stiff from travel and my heart aching to see my children, who had likely missed me terribly while I tended to work. A low growl of frustration escaped me—I hated leaving them, yet I had no choice."Excuse me, I'm here to see Lord Damien," I said to a waiter, my voice polite yet carrying the weight of my nerves.He inclined his head, eyes wary yet respectful. "Yes, ma'am. He is waiting. This way, please." His footsteps guided me through the quiet halls, and I h
Adele's POV"Umm… Caden, I really have to go," I said nervously, my voice wavering despite my effort to sound firm. "I can't afford to be late at the office today. There's too much to do."His stormy amber eyes glimmered with that dangerous intensity only an Alpha could wield, even while his shoulder throbbed beneath the bandage. "Can't you take a day off?" he demanded, voice low and commanding, vibrating through the air between us like the growl of a wolf marking his territory.I shook my head firmly. "No."Caden exhaled, a rumbling sound that made my chest tighten. "Alright… will you come back this evening?" His gaze held me hostage, sharp and relentless, like the predatory stare.I tried to keep my tone steady, setting boundaries even as my heart raced in response to the pull he exerted on me. "If you behave, follow the doctor's instructions, take your medicine on time, and eat properly… then maybe."A glimmer of hope lit his face, though it was tinged with desperation. "Then you'l
Adele's POV"We'll discuss it later," I said shortly, brushing off his insinuation before it could coil any tighter around my thoughts."Are you certain?" Caden Wayne pressed, his voice rough with that maddening mix of weakness and command that only an Alpha could wield, even while injured.I released a long, exhausted breath. "Your shoulder is the priority right now," I muttered, twisting my wrist in a firm attempt to break free from his iron grip. His fingers were warm, possessive—too aware of me."Don't go back on your word, Fleur Swann," he warned quietly. "A debt is still a debt."I rolled my eyes. "Let. Me. Go."To my surprise, he did—just like that—his hand falling away as though obeying me was instinct rather than choice.I turned and headed for the door, only to pull it open and find a small audience waiting outside: doctors, nurses, and Syrus, all watching me with thinly veiled curiosity. Heat crept up my neck. Someone had clearly witnessed far more than I would have preferr
Caden's POVI woke to the slow pull of dawn and the unfamiliar weight of warmth against my chest.For a split second, instinct surged—my wolf awareness snapping sharp—but it dissolved the moment my senses fully caught up. The scent curled into me first: wildflower honey, rain-soaked earth, and something unmistakably hers. Adele. My Adele. Even though she wanted me to call her by a different name. My eyes opened.She was tucked into my arms as if she belonged there, her body curved perfectly against mine, breathing slow and even, clinging to me in sleep like a cub seeking shelter. Moonlight still lingered faintly in the room, tracing the soft lines of her face, and for the first time in years—years—my mind was quiet. No blood, no threats, no dangerous glares pressing at my borders.I had slept.Truly slept.My wolf stirred lazily beneath my skin, content in a way I barely recognized. The pain in my shoulder was still there—dull, pulsing—but it felt distant, insignificant compared to t
Adele's POVCaden finished the last spoonful of soup with visible reluctance, as though surrendering the warmth of it meant admitting the night was real and not some fever dream. I watched closely as he swallowed his medicine afterward, his throat working, his jaw tightening against the bitterness. The Alpha in him hated weakness—hated being tended to—but the wolf beneath his skin was quieter now, sated for the moment."You're settled for the night," I said, forcing calm into my voice as I rose and gathered the tray, setting it carefully on the low table near the couch. "I made extra soup. If you wake up hungry, it's there."I turned to leave."No. Stay."His voice cracked through the room like a low growl, and before I could react, his hand shot out and closed around my wrist.I gasped, shock freezing me in place as I stared at his fingers wrapped possessively around my skin. Even injured, even weakened, his grip was iron—warm, pulsing, possessive. The bond I pretended didn't exist s
Adele's POVI was still reeling from the contradiction standing—no, lying—before me.Moments ago, every healer in this place had whispered of Caden Wayne as though he were a dying Alpha, a wounded wolf king whose pulse had frightened even men hardened by blood and battle. His scent in the room told the same story: iron, antiseptic, and the faint bitterness of pain suppressants barely masking the coppery tang of spilled blood. Weak. Injured. Vulnerable.And yet—Here he was, fingers locked around my wrist with possessive strength, his mouth crashing into mine with a hunger so fierce it felt feral, as though the beast beneath his skin had risen despite torn flesh and broken bone, recognizing something it refused to lose.The kiss was not gentle.It was claiming.The moment his lips moved against mine—hot, demanding—and his tongue brushed insistently at the seam of my mouth, my thoughts scattered like startled birds. The world narrowed to heat and breath and the low, dangerous sound rumb
Adele's POVI still don't know why I agreed to step foot inside Caden Wayne's apartment.Perhaps it was exhaustion. Perhaps it was guilt, sharp and relentless, gnawing at me the moment Syrus said the words he was like this because he saved you. Or perhaps it was something far older and more dangero
Jack Miller's throat worked as he swallowed, sweat slicking his skin beneath the weight of the Alpha's gaze. With trembling hands, he shoved Marco forward, as though offering up a sacrificial lamb in the desperate hope it might spare his own life."H-he's the one who fired," Jack stammered, his voi
Caden's POVPain dragged me back into my body like claws scraping bone.It wasn't gentle. It wasn't kind. It came with a pounding ache behind my eyes and a sickening dizziness that made the world twist the moment I forced my eyelids open. The sharp scent of antiseptic burned my nose, overwhelming m
Adele's POVThe men who had surrounded us faltered first—not by choice, but by mere instinct.I felt it before I saw it, that sudden shift in the air, the way predators react when a stronger Alpha enters their territory.Their bodies stiffened immediately, shoulders drawing back, feet retreating ha







