Audrey’s POV
His arms were strong around me, grounding me, protecting me but I still felt exposed.
I had barely stepped into the grandeur of the Ironclaw Pack Manor before the sharp voice of a woman I didn’t recognize sliced through the air like a blade.
“Who is this trash?”
The words hit harder than I expected, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
I turned my head slowly in the direction of the voice, unsure what I’d see.
She was tall, poised, and dressed like she’d just stepped off the runway. Not a single strand of her chestnut brown hair was out of place, and her deep blue dress clung to her body in a way that screamed power and attention. Her expression, however, was anything but elegant.
She was glaring at me like I had spit in her drink.
Michael didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. But I felt the tension roll through his chest like a silent growl waiting to break free.
Without saying a word, he gently set me down, careful of my injured foot. The sudden loss of his warmth sent a chill across my skin, and I nearly swayed.
He stepped forward, blocking me from the woman’s view. “Watch your mouth, Lana.”
So that’s her name…
Lana didn’t even blink. Her eyes burned holes into me as if I were a virus infecting her air. “Who. Is. She?”
Michael didn’t falter. “She’s a guest. One that will be staying in the guest wing for as long as I’m Alpha.”
Guest.
The word echoed in my mind.
Not mate.
Not friend.
Not even ally.
Just… guest.
Lana’s lips curled in disgust. “A guest? Dressed like that?” Her voice was rising, drawing attention from a few nearby guards and staff.
“Be careful, Lana,” Michael warned. “You’re already speaking out of line.”
“And you’re bringing strays into the manor like it’s a hotel now?” She stepped closer, practically vibrating.
Before Michael could respond, another voice joined the chaos deeper, colder, laced with authority.
“What is going on here?”
I turned instinctively, and my breath caught.
The man who walked in looked like an older, sharper version of Michael. Silver streaked his hair at the temples, but his posture was straight, his stride firm. He had presence, the kind that made people stand up straighter when he entered the room.
“Daddy Daniel,” Lana said quickly, her voice shifting from venom to vulnerability in a blink. “Thank the goddess you’re here. Michael brought some some girl into the manor. He didn’t tell anyone. And now he’s parading her around like like I don’t exist.”
Daniel’s sharp gaze moved from her to Michael and then landed on me.
His eyes narrowed.
“And who is this stray?” he asked, each word deliberate.
Stray.
The insult landed harder than Lana’s had.
I swallowed hard, my wolf whimpering inside me.
Michael’s jaw clenched. “She’s not a stray.”
“She looks like one,” Daniel replied coldly. “You expect me to believe you brought a… guest into the manor without informing anyone?”
“She was injured,” Michael said through gritted teeth. “I wasn’t going to leave her alone.”
“Injured?” Daniel echoed, as if the idea offended him.
Michael didn’t answer.
The tension in the room thickened.
“She’s just a guest,” Michael finally added. “That’s all.”
I looked at him then.
Just a guest.
Something cracked inside me, and I wasn’t sure if it was my heart or my pride. My wolf Lyla let out a low, sorrowful sound inside me, the same kind of sound she’d made the day we were rejected by Kevin. The kind of sound that meant hurt.
I didn’t know what I expected him to say. I didn’t expect a grand declaration, or for him to claim me in front of everyone… but to be called “just a guest” especially after everything cut deeper than I wanted to admit.
Daniel walked closer, eyeing me like I was something under his boot. “What’s your name, girl?”
I hesitated, then straightened my spine.
“Audrey,” I said, willing my voice not to shake.
“And what are you doing here, Audrey?”
I looked at Michael. He didn’t stop me from speaking, but his face was unreadable.
“I… I was injured. Michael found me and brought me to safety. That’s all.”
That wasn’t all.
But it was the safest version of the truth.
Daniel looked between us, then back to Lana, who was watching the entire exchange with glee masked as concern.
“This doesn’t look good,” he said flatly to Michael. “You have responsibilities. An image to maintain. And this ” he motioned to me, “ does not help.”
Michael stepped closer to me, placing a protective hand on my shoulder. “I don’t care about the image.”
“You should,” Daniel snapped. “The council is already questioning your decisions. This could tip them further.”
“Let them question,” Michael said calmly. “They don’t get to dictate who I help.”
“And who you help suddenly ends up in your arms?” Lana added, her voice trembling with false emotion. “Are you cheating on me, Michael?”
My eyes widened.
Cheating?
I looked between them. “Wait… you two are ?”
Michael didn’t even glance at her. “We’re not anything.”
Lana gasped like he’d stabbed her. “You arrogant bastard. After everything I’ve done ”
“Enough,” he said, voice like steel. “This conversation is over.”
Daniel stepped forward again. “Take her to the guest wing. But Michael, we’ll be discussing this. Tonight.”
He turned and walked out without waiting for an answer.
Lana glared at me one last time, eyes filled with unspoken threats, then followed after him.
I stood there, trembling.
Not from fear.
From shame.
From heartbreak.
Michael finally looked at me. “Audrey ”
“You don’t have to explain,” I said, cutting him off. “I get it.”
“No, you don’t..”
“I do,” I said, more forcefully this time. “I’m just a guest. I get it.”
He opened his mouth, but I didn’t want to hear it.
I didn’t want to hear more careful words, more strategic lies to protect my feelings or shield his own. I just wanted to disappear.
He reached for me again, but I stepped back.
Lana’s POVI stood by my window, scheming and calculating in me head, then I noticed Michael but he soon disappeared into the back seat of his car like some mysterious god off to wage another war. His driver, Mark, rounded the vehicle quickly and slid into the front seat. Seconds later, the engine purred to life, and the car eased out of the estate gates.Good.He was gone.And not for just a few hours.A few days.I turned to my girls, they were both leaning on the balcony railing with me, sipping coffee like this was just another morning. But I could see it in their eyes: they were waiting for me to make the first move.“He’ll be gone for three, maybe four days,” I said, swirling my cup, watching the steam rise and fade into the cool morning air. “Council business. His father practically dragged him away.”“And he just left her here?” Asha asked.“Please. Of course he did. That stray has him so twisted, he doesn’t even realize what a mistake he’s made bringing her into this house.”
Lana’s POVThe hallway felt colder than usual.Or maybe it was because I saw him.Michael.I froze the moment I turned the corner and spotted him walking toward me... his usual unreadable face, his eyes dark with that infernal Alpha calm that masked the monster underneath.My hand unconsciously moved to my neck.The bruises had faded thanks to the healer, but the memory hadn’t.The memory of his hand wrapped around my throat, the fear, the humiliation… the way I couldn’t breathe... not just physically, but emotionally.Michael had never touched me like that before. Not even in anger. But yesterday…Yesterday, he almost killed me.And all because of her.The stray.The fragile-looking wolf he carried into the manor like she was made of gold and starlight. The one he defended publicly. The one who had ruined everything I’d worked so hard to build.Michael’s gaze flicked toward me as he passed.I held my chin high, refusing to meet his eyes.But I couldn’t stop the tremor in my hand.I
Michael’s POVThe council chamber had barely cooled from the earlier tension, but my Beta was already waiting when I stepped onto the lower terrace behind the manor.Ryan stood by the edge of the stone railing with his arms crossed and eyes focused on the forest in the distance. The sky was beginning to darken and streaked with burning amber and violet clouds. A storm was coming. Not just in the sky but through blood.“We’ve got a problem,” he said without turning.“Start talking.”“It’s not just border tests anymore, We’ve lost sixteen wolves in the last six days.” Ryan announced.That snapped me still.
Audrey’s POVThe door clicked shut behind the maid, and I was left alone in the VIP guest suite.I didn’t know what I expected...a some small, spare room in the farthest corner of the manor? A cold bed and silence? Maybe something that screamed “you don’t belong here”?But this…This was excessive.The room was large, it was twice the size of the one I had in Michael’s penthouse. Cream-colored walls, gold-framed art, velvet curtains that swayed slightly from the breeze rolling in through the balcony doors. A chandelier sparkled above my head. There was even a fireplace, though it sat unlit. A fully stocked bookcase lined one wall, and a vanity stood near the walk-in closet like it was meant for royalty.I stepped forward carefully, still favoring my injured ankle.There was no denying it: the room was beautiful.But it didn’t feel like mine.I ran my fingers across the velvet duvet cover, as if the texture could distract me from the heaviness in my chest.Just a guest.The words rang
Chapter 12Michael’s POVShe walked away.She didn’t look back.And even though my wolf howled inside me, clawing to follow her, I let her go.For now.My jaw clenched as I turned to one of the maids lingering nearby, a nervous girl in her twenties who couldn’t decide whether to bow or run.“You,” I snapped. “Escort the girl to the VIP guest wing. Personally. And make sure she has everything she needs.”The maid’s eyes widened. “Y... yes, Alpha.”I turned away without another word. My father’s voice rang out before I could even take a step.“Study. Now.”Daniel didn’t wait for confirmation. He simply turned on his heel and walked down the hall, flanked by his guard. I didn’t follow immediately not because I was disobeying, but because I sensed something.I looked up.Lana.Still standing there in the hallway like a damn statue.Her arms were folded tightly under her chest, and her eyes shimmered with false tears, but the bitterness radiating off her was anything but innocent.The hall
Audrey’s POVHis arms were strong around me, grounding me, protecting me but I still felt exposed.I had barely stepped into the grandeur of the Ironclaw Pack Manor before the sharp voice of a woman I didn’t recognize sliced through the air like a blade.“Who is this trash?”The words hit harder than I expected, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.I turned my head slowly in the direction of the voice, unsure what I’d see.She was tall, poised, and dressed like she’d just stepped off the runway. Not a single strand of her chestnut brown hair was out of place, and her deep blue dress clung to her body in a way that screamed power and attention. Her expression, however, was anything but elegant.She was glaring at me like I had spit in her drink.Michael didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. But I felt the tension roll through his chest like a silent growl waiting to break free.Without saying a word, he gently set me down, careful of my injured foot. The sudden loss of his warmth