Connor stood at the edge of the wreckage he'd just left behind—Elizabeth sobbing, Tom bloodied and unconscious, warriors scrambling to obey his orders—and for once, he didn't feel better after the rage passed. He just felt… hollow.His mind spiraled in a storm of furious flashbacks. Every memory of Ivy—every bruise she hid behind a forced smile, every cold shoulder she received—hit him like a punch to the gut. She had been rejected by everyone… including him.She carried it all alone. The guilt. The pain. The constant abuse. Hell, she’d been treated like the pack’s personal maid since she was a child, stripped of dignity and purpose before she even had a chance to find it.And for what? Because of that manipulative bitch, Lila?Connor’s breath caught in his throat. Fury licked at the edges of his control like wildfire. Zik snarled beneath the surface, ready to tear through bone and lie altogether.A growl echoed inside him—low, deep, angry."This is your fault," his wolf snarled. "You
Meanwhile, Alpha Connor had been amongst most men most miserable.There wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t think of Ivy—her scent, her eyes, the look on her face the last time he ever saw her. Regret sat on his shoulders heavier than any armor he had ever worn in battle.He had stood beside Alpha King Leo Ashton in the search, tearing through forests and rogue dens across the realm—but Ivy had vanished like smoke through his fingers. Gone. And it was his fault. Every aching second since, he had buried himself in business, in war preparations, in pack expansions—anything that could keep him from drowning in guilt.Now, he knew who he was up against. Leo Ashton was no ordinary man and he was no match for the Alpha King.If only he had claimed her when he was supposed to. If only their bond had been sealed.She’d be alive. She’d be safe. She’d be his alone.Today was no different. Another flight, another high-level meeting for the sake of his pack’s investments. Something to keep hi
Richard’s POVThe air shifted before the knock ever came.A tension—like a blade pressing lightly to the throat—settled in the room.We’d just begun to digest Daniel’s bombshell when the sound reached us.Knock.So soft it could’ve been the house settling. But it wasn’t.It was careful. Fearful.Like whoever was on the other side didn’t want to be heard but needed—desperately—to be let in.We all turned to the door at the same time, and I saw it in Marcus’s eyes: the unspoken agreement. Brace yourself.Daniel turned to the door, his eyes narrowed into slits. “It’s her,” he said, stepping forward just as the timid knock echoed through the room again. Daniel moved to open it. His fingers barely brushed the brass handle when the door creaked inward.And in stepped Eva.She looked like a ghost of herself—no clipboard or tablet in hand, no usual briskness to her step. Just hesitation. And fear. Her hair, usually pinned back with perfect precision, hung in soft waves around her face. She s
Richard’s POVIt started the night before she turned twenty.I remember the cake. She’d barely touched it. I remember the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. The flickering candles had reflected something ancient in her stare—something that didn’t belong in a girl barely stepping into womanhood. Something that reminded me too much of the past.Ivy had always been... different. Brighter. But very reserved. I told myself that was just her nature. Maybe it came from the abuse she suffered from her family. Maybe a bit of timidity was healthy.But the truth clawed its way out that night.It wasn’t the first time she had a nightmare. But it was the first time I watched her fall apart in it. She came into my room, trembling and silent, like she used to whenever she gets them . She curled up next to me under the covers, and I held her close like always, whispering that I’d fight her nightmares off.I meant it.Until I saw them.Her hands had curled into claws—razor-sharp, half-shifted
Lila’s POVI froze mid-step.The man’s voice had been quiet—so casual it almost didn’t register.“Are you still upset with me, Ivy?”The question didn’t match the setting. Or the moment. Or the fact that we were practically strangers.I turned slowly to face him, my features arranged into the perfect blend of poise and polite curiosity.“Why would I be upset?” I asked smoothly, brow arched. “Is that something I should be?”His lips twitched—just barely. Not a smile. Not yet. But something flickered there, like he’d been expecting that exact answer.“Never mind then,” he said, tone clipped now. “Let’s proceed to the office.”He stepped ahead, and I followed, pulse thudding harder than it should have.Who was he really? Is he someone Ivy knew? Someone she had a crush on? Someone who offended her?He’d introduced himself as Daniel—or someone had—but that name meant nothing to me. Still, there was something off. Not human. Not completely. His scent was almost... camouflaged. As if laced w
Lila’s POVThe weeks that followed my return were nothing short of perfection.I had everything I’ve ever wanted—luxury, freedom, power. A queen cloaked in Ivy’s skin. Days blurred into scenes from a dream: brunch on gilded terraces, designer shopping sprees, and endless attention. Richard had even begun arranging lunch dates, trying to find me a “suitable suitor,” as he called it. “Not the likes of Leo Ashton,” he’d sniffed, as if Leo were some street rat and not the man who he once gave his precious daughter to.Not that Leo mattered anymore.No one did.Not Ivy. Not my parents. Not Alpha Connor. And definitely not Leo Ashton.It was almost laughable how quiet they’d all gone. Not a threatening call or letter. Not a single attempt to expose me or blow my cover. Maybe they were too busy. Or maybe the universe had finally done me a favor and wiped them from my path. Either way, good riddance.I twirled before the full-length mirror, admiring my reflection. My once-pitch black hair wa