LOGIN"What did you just say?" Alistair demanded hoarsely, bolting upright in bed so fast that the sheets tangled around his legs."She has been sighted, sir. Miss Lim.” Marcus said from the other side of the thick bedroom door again, his voice low and urgent. “She was just sighted heading toward the studio."For a moment, Alistair simply sat there, his chest heaving.He was not in a good place, and anybody with eyes could see it. The penthouse suite of his new hotel was dim, with the curtains drawn tight against the daylight. Half-eaten meals sat on the trays by the window. His hair was a scattered mess, his jaw was shadowed with a rough, unshaven beard, and there were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. He was still devastatingly handsome, even like this, but he looked like a man who had been hollowed out from the inside.His people had been keeping him indoors since the night he left Solana's building. After what had happened with Caspian, nobody trusted him not to go haywire. The
"Annabel, hold off on that," Mira said quickly, her voice smooth and welcoming even as her heart thudded. "It's alright. I'll take it from here."Annabel blinked, her hand still hovering over the phone. "But, Miss Mira—""Don't worry." Mira gave her a small, reassuring nod. Then she turned to Portia with her brightest, most professional smile. "Miss Portia, it's an honor to have you in our studio. I'm so sorry about the misunderstanding. Because of who you are, we would like to make an exception for you as a special client."Portia's smirk deepened. "Finally. Someone with some sense.""Please, come with me."Mira led her through the studio, past the mannequins and the long cutting tables, into a bright, airy room with a wide mirror and a velvet couch. She called for one of the apprentices, then slid a glossy brochure across the table."This is our general pricing," Mira said politely. "Every piece is made to order."Portia glanced down at it, and her
"So this is it, huh?" Portia muttered, sliding her oversized sunglasses down the bridge of her nose. She peered through the windshield of her rented black car, her voice dripping with curiosity and mild disdain.Across the street, a sleek storefront stood between a boutique café and a florist. The sign above the glass doors was clean and understated, silver letters on black: LIM STUDIOS."So what is it about you that is so special?" she murmured to the building, a slow, thoughtful smirk curling her lips.It did not make sense. That was what bothered her the most.Alistair Vance had never wanted a mate. She knew that better than anyone. She had grown up in the pack's halls listening to the whispers. Her late father had tried on multiple occasions to matchmake him with the daughters of half the pack's elite families, again and again, and she had overheard the conversations between the two friends more times than she could count.“I don't want a mate, Richard,” Alistair had said once,
“… the reason he is willing to stay away from his pack duties right now, is because he went out there just for her. That is to tell you exactly how dedicated your uncle is.”Portia ruminated on that sentence over and over again as she drove down the cobbled stone road to the compound’s security hub. The buildings was more like a makeshift garrison where all the compound's security cameras and sensors were monitored, and pack warriors trained and rested during their rounds. A couple of men and women training in the courtyard, paused and stared as Portia stepped out of her car. “Lady Portia,” the female warrior stationed at the front desk greeted her as she walked into the building, her eyes wide with surprise. “What are you doing here?” One of Portia’s brows rose and she gave her a dry, unimpressed look. “So… sorry,” the woman stammered, her face going red. She cleared her throat. “I meant to say. How may I be of service?”“That’s better,” she said with a satisfied smirk. “I’m her
“That’s it!” Portia yelped, shooting up from the sofa so suddenly that the magazine slid off her lap and hit the floor with a sharp slap. Across the living room, Sterling jolted in his seat so violently that his fingers slipped on his video game controller. On the giant TV, his character died with a dramatic groan and a bright "GAME OVER" text flashed across the screen. "Shit, Portia!" he barked, twisting around to glare at her, his heart still racing. "What the hell is wrong with you? Did you have a bad dream or something?" "No," Portia murmured, one finger tapping slowly against her lips, her sharp eyes fixed on nothing at all. “So why did you jump like something bit your ass?” Sterling hissed. "Don't you think something is off?" She asked, her voice thoughtful and distant. Sterling turned back to the game. "About what?" He asked, his tone bored and irritated. Portia rolled her eyes at how incredibly clueless her brother was. He was always perfectly content to just sit
"All of this is your fault!" Caspian yelled, pointing an accusing finger. His face twisted. The fear had not left his eyes, but fury burned right through it. "You always do this.” He continued, stepping from behind his car door. “You come into her life, you wreck something, you walk away, and she's the one who bleeds. Are you not tired of this circle of rubbish? Break it. Just leave her alone!" Marcus and the other guards stiffened, ready to interfere in case their Alpha attacked the yelling man. But Alistair barely heard a single word Caspian was saying again. Every word slid past his ears like water down glass. A single question pounded through his skull, louder than his wolf and louder than his pride. Where is she? Where the fuck is she? Ten minutes ago, he had been standing on the sidewalk, rigid with the need to respect her space and her terms. He had told himself he would not invade her privacy
Solange felt a literal snap in the center of her chest as she stared at the heavy oak doors. It wasn’t the metaphoric ache of a breakup. It was a white-hot blade of agony carved through her ribs, twisting around her heart and pulling tight.She tried to scream, but the air in her lungs had turned t
Solange looked at him, her brows furrowing as confusion rose alongside irritation. If he wanted to insult her, he could have done it outright. “What are you talking about?” she bit back. “What smell? I literally just took a bath.” He shook his head; his eyes had a faraway look, like he wasn’t hear
Solange woke slowly, her body aching in all the ways that made her heart flutter and a strange humming in her chest. Her head was foggy, but she felt a calm she had never known, like she was connected to something that had been missing all her life. She felt… claimed, as if the night had somehow gi
The moment the penthouse door shut, Alistair’s restraint evaporated.He pinned her against the door, his large, calloused hand sliding up to grip the back of her neck with a terrifying but delicious pressure, and he slanted his lips over hers again.He was rough, but in a calculated way that made h







