Masuk"Play it again, Adrian, I want to see the look on Ramona's face one more time," Alistair said, his voice was a low rumble of pure, dark amusement as he leaned back in his leather chair.The large monitor on the wall of his private office flickered, and the unedited footage from Hale Atelier started to play for the third time that hour. On the screen, Solana looked like a vision of cold, structured perfection, her eyes were sharp, and her voice was as smooth as silk as she delivered the final blow to his cousin’s pride.“I’ve heard you come from a very prestigious family. If I asked whether that had anything to do with where you are now... how would you feel?”Alistair let out a rough, appreciative laugh, the sound was filled with a pride that made his chest feel tight. Beside him, Adrian was shaking his head, though a small, impressed smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth too."She didn't just bite her, Ali, she practically took her head off in front of her own camera crew," A
The room stilled, and the cameras zoomed in on Solana's face, anticipating a reaction from her that would cause some drama and pull in views and engagements from followers.Solana kept her face impassive as she tried to swallow her anger. She had faced traffickers and forest alphas, so a jealous fashion mogul was nothing she could not handle.She tilted her head slightly and pasted a soft, almost amused smile on her face. “A sponsor?” Solana asked; she let out a short, dry laugh. “How could someone like me possibly have a sponsor?”A few quiet chuckles rippled through the crew.“If I had one,” she continued, her tone still gentle but edged just enough to cut, “I’d probably be sitting in your position right now…
“How do you feel?” Cas asked as he looked at Sol, concern and pride mixing together. “Nervous as hell,” she replied, shaking her hands as she tried regulating her breathing. “I can’t believe I have two big breaks in my career back to back.”They were sitting in Cas’s car that was parked in the parking lot of a commercial building where Hale Atelier Magazine’s studio was. He smiled at her, taking her hand in his and squeezing them gently. “You’ve worked so hard. You deserve it.” "Well, I know I worked hard, but I’ve got to give Alistair credit for this.” She replied snidely, pulling her hands from his. "Anyways, I’ve got to go. Thank you for dropping me off.” She walked into the building without looking back and took an elevator to the floor where the studio was located. In the studio, soft lighting bounced off cream walls, casting everything in a warm, flattering glow. A rack of carefully selected pieces from her collection stood to one side, arranged like artifacts rather than
“How did it go?” Alistair asked the question as soon as he caught up to Ramona in the hallway. She was standing in front of the elevators, her back to him, looking at the blinking lights as if they held the secrets of the universe.“Though I still don't know what to make of her, I like her backbone,” she replied, sounding skeptical, still not looking at him. "I’m still not sure what to make of her pride, though. She is... different.""Yeah. She is," Alistair replied without hesitation, not even trying to hide the pride in his voice. He stared at the blinking lights of the elevator numbers.She threw Alistair a sidelong glare, looking at him as if he had brought home a stray cat that was actually a tiger. “It’s been a while since I have seen you chase a mark. But isn&rs
Alistair stared at his mate. Or rather, at her now downcast eyes. It was as if she were trying to hide whatever was in them from him.Why couldn't he sense her emotions though? He thought to himself.He really wanted to find the person who had taught her how to shield herself from other shifter abilities and strangle them. It was as if he were talking to a blank wall, and it was really upsetting."I am grateful for your help in getting me the spotlight spot, Mr Vance.” Solana continued, her voice soft. “But I prefer to earn my own way." She met his gaze, her eyes blazing with barely concealed anger. “I know nothing is free in this world. Is there something you want, sir?”The coordinator hesitated as the tension in the room became thic
"Foolish," Solana whispered the word to herself as she turned sharply. She pushed her way through the crowded hall. The noise of the hall felt like static in her ears. "You are so incredibly foolish."Her steps quickened as she rushed back toward the preparation rooms as she felt a wave of hot, stinging shame wash over her, making her feel sick to her stomach. She felt like that broken girl in the Vegas motel room all over again. She had actually allowed herself to dream. Of course, he was not here for her. He was here with a woman who fit his world perfectly. Not a rejected mate, still climbing her way up the world. She reached her station and gripped the edge of the table. Her knuckles were white. "I am an idiot," she whispered. "I am a stupid, dreaming idiot.""Sol?" Mira called out. She grabbed Solana’s arm. "What happened? You look like you have seen a ghost.""I am fine," Solana said too quickly. Her voice was sharp. It was a defensive reflex she could not stop.Mira’s eyes w
"No!" Solange yelled, pushing him off her. She blinked in surprise when she heard her voice was a raspy, almost animalistic shriek.Julian growled, and fear shot through her as his eyes flashed amber for a second."I tried to be nice," he leered, all the
"Keep going, Sol," Solange repeated to herself in her mind over and over againThe world was nothing but a blur of light and freezing air. Solange tore past the industrial district, her paws hitting the pavement with a rhythmic, heavy thud that sounded like a drumbeat.Soon, she burst into a rural
“What's taking so long?”Alistair muttered impatiently, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the Sapphire Heights Hotel.The neon lights of the Vegas Strip felt offensive, too bright and too loud for the cold silence settled in his chestas he tried to keep
"You're sure about this, Miss Solange?" Detective Miller asked, glancing at her.She nodded firmly from where she sat in the passenger seat, her fingers twisted tightly together in her lap. The antiseptic smell of the hospital was still thick in Solange's nose, but out here, in the back of







