LOGINIsabella POV I'd barely gotten to the staff wing when the sound of feet came pounding down the hallway."Mama!"Maverick launched himself at me so hard I nearly lost my balance. I laughed and caught him before he could knock us both over. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist while I buried my face in his hair for a moment, breathing in the familiar scent of soap."Someone missed me.""I did!" he declared proudly.I pulled back just enough to look him over. His shirt was covered in fresh oil stains, and there was something orange smeared near the collar that looked suspiciously like tomato sauce."What happened to you?"Before he could invent whatever explanation four-year-olds came up with when they were caught, Grandma Cassidy walked into the hallway with an amused smile."I could've changed him, but I couldn't go into your room without your permission.""I hope he didn't stress you," I said, reaching down to smooth his hair.Grandma Cassidy waved the concern away as though I'd
Wesley POVMy intercom buzzed, interrupting us. I pressed the button."Yes?""Alpha Cameron has asked everyone to proceed to the council conference room. The meeting is about to begin."I pushed myself to my feet and reached for my suit jacket. Barbara stood as well. She stepped closer and straightened my collar before smoothing the front of the jacket. Together, we left my office and headed toward the council floor.Long before we reached the conference room, I could already hear the voices filtering into the corridor.The meeting hadn't started yet. It was waiting for me. Meetings like this usually ended one way: with a headache, and today's felt determined to prove me right.The moment Barbara and I stepped into the conference room, the conversations softened before picking up again in quieter tones.That was what happened whenever the future Alpha walked into a room full of people who were busy deciding whether he deserved the title.I swept my gaze across the long oval table out
Wesley POVI walked to the cabinet and poured myself a glass of water to swallow a painkiller. The headache had started creeping in somewhere between Isabella bolting out of my office and Anita looking at her as though she'd just discovered the meaning of life.The scent of Isabella's cologne still lingered in the room.Grapes.It was cheap. The sort of thing you'd find in an ordinary supermarket. Yet the scent had settled into the office, refusing to leave, and it reminded me just how close I'd come to making a spectacularly stupid decision.If Anita had walked in thirty seconds later, she'd have caught us kissing.And then there was Barbara and I, who'd spent the last dinner with my family convincing them that we'd court and build toward marriage. Getting caught kissing another woman had nothing to do with guilt. Still, it wouldn't have looked good, considering Anita didn't know our relationship was fake.Anita was standing where Isabella had left her, her nose lifting slightly as s
"Anita," Barbara said, her voice carrying a hint of warning as she nudged Anita with her elbow.Anita didn't move. Barbara's gaze moved from me to Wesley, then back to me again. Wesley looked mildly annoyed by the interruption, though his expression barely changed."Perfect timing," he drawled. "Should I start charging admission to my office?"Barbara nudged Anita with her elbow."I came to see her," she said, sounding almost apologetic. "And then we stopped by to say hello."Anita walked straight toward me.She wore black combat boots covered in tiny silver studs, ripped jeans, and a fitted leather jacket over a dark top. Blue eyeliner framed her eyes, matching the streak of blue mascara on her lashes. It suited her.Her gaze stayed on me with a growing fascination.I knew what that look meant. I'd seen men look at me that way before.If she asked me out, I already knew my answer.She was gorgeous. I just wasn't interested in women. I'd spent too much of my life worrying about keepin
By lunchtime, I'd learned Emerald could find fault with almost anything. Everyone was genuinely busy working for Luna Lisa, but she always seemed to have one more job waiting for me. I had barely set the coffee she'd asked for on her desk before she sent me downstairs for biscuits because the ones on our floor had finished. By the time I returned, a fresh pack was already open on her desk. She was eating one while typing with her free hand. She'd sent me for biscuits, then found a way to have some before I made it back."You're too slow," she said, pushing a stack of charts toward me.I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. If being slow meant sixty minutes of nonstop errands without sitting down once, I could live with the label. I'd carried a sick child through a hospital that pretended not to see either of us. A woman who wanted an audience for eating a biscuit wasn't going to be the thing that ruined my morning.I did as she asked. Since I wasn't talking to anyone or getting distra
I didn't stop walking until I reached my room. The moment the door clicked shut behind me, every ounce of strength I'd borrowed from my pride vanished. I slid down against the door and pressed both hands over my mouth to smother the sob clawing its way out of my chest.The mate bond still pulled at me with relentless force, but it no longer felt like hope. It felt like punishment. Wesley hadn't looked at me the way a mate should. He had looked at me the way men looked at women they wanted to have sex with and I'd been foolish to believe something as sacred as the bond could survive status or reputation.Maverick stirred in his sleep when I climbed onto the bed beside him. I gathered him into my arms and buried my face in his hair until my breathing settled.He was the only person who had never made me question my worth. Wesley's words kept circling in my head until they tangled with memories I'd spent years trying to bury. My mother had believed promises that were never meant to last
CAMERONI spent the rest of the day with Evangeline.She was in bed when I arrived, propped against a pile of pillows with a book in her hands. She set it aside when she saw me.“Cameron.” Her face brightened. “I wasn’t expecting you.”“I wanted to see you.” I sat on the edge of the bed and took her
CAMERONWe stayed knotted together longer than we should have.My body was still locked inside hers, her warmth wrapped tight around me while our breathing scraped against the quiet of the forest. Leaves rustled overhead and somewhere deeper in the trees a bird called out, the sound sharp against th
LISA POVCameron moved before I could process what was happening.He grabbed the man who had pinned me and hauled him up by the throat. The bastard clawed at Cameron’s grip, trying to pry his fingers loose.“Alpha—” he choked. “Please—”Cameron’s fist smashed into his face. Bone cracked. Blood spray
CAMERON POVI stood under the shower with the water scalding hot, trying to wash away the restlessness crawling under my skin.It didn’t work.Nothing worked.Evangeline was my mate. The woman the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. The woman I had sworn my life to. Lisa meant nothing. She was a contrac







